Sit Daughter, Sit. Good Daughter!!!

The Dog & Pony Show
 

 

 

 

 Today I am pulling the curtain WAY back on my land of Oz.  You know "Pay no mind to the man behind the curtain..."?  Today, I am telling you to pay EVERY ATTENTION to the woman sitting behind the keyboard because today is all about the performance.  What performance?  The dog and pony show I ask my daughter to perform every time family from out of town comes, or we go out of town to see them.  It doesn't stop there, it reaches the annual visit to the pediatrician too, but let's start with what I'm doing and how poorly I am.. Or maybe I'm not, behaving...  Notice I say me, not her.
 

 

   Darling Daughter's cousins only see her once a year, they live on the opposite side of the country.  This means that I need to make sure that Darling Daughter's aunts and uncles see the Darling Daughter I want them to see during that specific time or their entire year could be clouded right???  My own aunts and uncles see Darling Daughter once a year, so of course we expect "best behavior" that day too, right?

 

 

   The problem is, that being "on your best behavior" might not happen , especially if it is a holiday.  Or with people who follow Darling Daughter here or through Facebook but she doesn't see them and so she doesn't really know them.

 

  My anxiety builds days, sometimes weeks or months ahead of time.  How will she behave?  Will they ask her to read?  Will she say please and thank you and excuse me?  Will she wait her turn with the other children?  Will she get along with the other kids?  (They are a well established gang after all!) Will the other aunts and uncles accept her diet or challenge me on everything I feed her?  All of these horrible anxieties swirl through my head.  Guess who picks up on all this anxiety?  Darling Daughter!  Guess how well she behaves when I'm anxious? Terribly!  And guess how founded these fears are....  

TOTALLY UNFOUNDED!!!! 

That it the MOST ABSURD PART!!!

 

  My expectations are totally unrealistic for Darling Daughter.  My expectations for myself are totally unrealistic.  I want to turn my little house into a Relaix & Chateuax resort with 1600 thread count sheets and fluffy towels.  I'm asking my husband to paint the rooms and I'm looking at new couches.  WHAT AM I DOING???

 

   Stop the crazy train!!!  This is me, this is Darling Daughter.  We are who we are.  My family loves me and if Darling Daughter says something silly while we are there, well they will have a GREAT story to tell when she accepts her Nobel Peace Prize, won't they? 

  

And if my air mattress isn't quite perfect?  Oh well, I tried.  One day, when I am rich and famous and Darling Daughter's college is paid for I will have a beautiful guest room in my East wing, but until then, my little spare office will have to do.

 

  So, take a deep breath.  Only remind your child to be their best.  Their best is all they can be and that is all we should be asking from them.  I can only be me and I'm just trying my best.  Until we meet again my friends, keep being you and I will keep trying to be me.