Velcro Kid

I've always seen those kids stuck like velcro to their mother's leg.  I'd watch as the mother pried her child from her leg and tried to make the quick escape before reattachment occurred.  I thought children went through separation anxiety around age 2.   Alyssa always loved going to school, so she never cried when I left...until now.  As I go to leave, she runs after me asking for hugs.  Who's going to turn down a hug, right?  When I hug her, she latches on and doesn't let go.  I pry her hands from around my neck, return her to her seat, and she runs after me again.  We do this 2-3 times before I finally say enough.  Then, as I'm leaving, I can hear her saying, "My Mommy!" and she starts to cry.

Of course, it makes me feel terrible that I have to leave her and go to work.  For a while, she would tell me that she's going to work and I'm going to school.  She'd do this silly little "I'm going to work!" walk, giggle at herself, and then she'd return to the table.  It's different now, she's not being silly and it's not funny.  After the Oscar-winning performance today, I peeked on her about a minute after she thought I was gone.  There were no tears.  She was not sad.  She was smiling, eating breakfast, and talking to one of other girls in her class that had just done the same to her mother.   Unbelievable!   They certainly know how to pull our heart strings, don't they?