Kindergarten is a big transition, exhausting, strange, and it’s completely expected that Rose would have a lot of melt downs.

A lot.

Like most of the time I’m with her.

So, we are concentrating on the times when she is not whining, spoiling for a fight, throwing herself to the ground, or crumpling logic into little balls that she can then stomp on.

1. She is standing in the middle of the kitchen singing very loudly “Make new friends, but keep the old. One is silver and the other’s gold.” She has a good voice. She is so proud and happy that she remembers all the words. She adds two more verses I’ve never heard before.

2. She and David both want the soccer ball, so she runs upstairs to get him her current favorite stuffed animal, kitty. “Here, David, it’s my turn for the ball. You can play with kitty.” David doesn’t go for it and she resorts to pulling the ball out of his hands, but it was a really good try.

3. John has built her a car out of tinkertoys. She fits her Groovy girls in the car, buckles them in, and takes them on a camping trip.

4. John has built her another car out of tinkertoys. She fits her Pegasus and unicorn in, buckles them, and takes them on a trip to lake Chelan.

5. I am lying exhausted on the couch. She throws herself in my arms and says, “My mommy.” David throws himself in my arms too. She does not object. She goes back and forth between kissing him and kissing me.