Separation Anxiety

So, the separation anxiety came back for Easter weekend in California, with a vengeance (yes, that's how you spell it, looks wrong, huh?) Abby was pretty much nervously glued to me the whole time. Of course, accompanied by an incessant whine. And not even the cake & presents at Morgan's 2nd birthday could undo the upset. After 2 straight days of this (very exhausting), we all had a good cry about it (OK, just Grandma Sharon & I cried, we're criers), and we drove home saying we're never having any more children, ha.

It mostly makes me sad because I want Abby to have fun at these things & she just, well, doesn't. All the parenting advice books say "when your child acts up; tantrums or whining, tell her she will have to go home if she cannot behave, and follow through by going home". But none of them tell you what to do if your child would actually PREFER this, heehee. So, we are stuck with trying all the different tactics we've been doing for the past year, only now with a little more of a strong hand because she's 2, and we can tell a little bit of it is a power-game.

They are such complex little things that can drive you up the wall, have you in tears, have you determined never to breed again ;) It is a good thing that 2 nights later, your husband captures this photo, and somehow all the damage is repaired, and I am in love with her again. How do they DO that?!