No Time for a Picnic

When I pick up Bailey from preschool, it's usually a joyous reunion.  She's ready for our next activity.  Other times, I have to talk to her and convince her that it really is time to go, and then she's okay with that.  Then there's the picnic table.

And when she sees me and suddenly makes a dive under the plastic picnic table, I know she's not doing it for a picnic.  No.  When she dives under the picnic table, there's going to be a fight between her and I.  It'll be quite a struggle just to remove from underneath the table, then she'll kick and yell as we're going up the stairs, grabbing for the railing, as at least three times, I have to pry her fingers away from ever so diligently.  We'll make it to the main doors as she holds onto the frame for dear life and finally, finally we'll make it outside where the walk to the car seems to take forever.  And it's still not that easy.  I've long since realized that when she gets like this, I can't just put her in the car because she's like a dog when you want to put it in the bath, all four legs sprawled out blocking the doorway.  She also fights the wrath of the seatbelts.  I'm afraid I'll hurt her when she's like that, so instead, we sit it out on the sidewalk in front of the car and talk about why she does this.  There's never an answer, but someday I hope there will be.

Then there are the times when the weather isn't really sidewalk-friendly, so we sit in the front seat of the car until she's ready to go into her carseat.  I want you to know, it's not like it happens THAT often, but the times it has have left such a lasting impression on me that when I see that picnic table, I kind of resent it.  I dread it.  And ratio wise, it rarely happens, but again, it's kind of difficult to forget when it does.

I don't yell over it.  I just grab her.  And I'm sure some people may wonder why I lunge for her the moment she dives under the table and why I immediately take her up the stairs kicking and screaming, and it's not because she went under the table.  it's because I know the fight that has already begun.  I know it means she's in some form of psychotic mood for whatever unknown reason that has plagued her for the moment.  And it's because I know no amount of coercion is going to work once she does that.  If she doesn't do that, then yeah.  That's easy.  But the table?  I barely stand a chance.

 

Trust me, it's not because she thinks it's time for a picnic.