The Perfect Parenting Day

I have had a PERFECT PARENTING DAY. That's right, today I have been the perfect parent. I have been calm, reasonable, and loving. I have not lost my cool.

We spent time today with Tallulah's friends, Grace and Jack, and with every conflict (and there were many, oh yes) I acknowledged the emotions ("Your face looks angry when Grace takes the toy you are playing with") I directed an appropriate response ("Tell Grace, 'Don't take my toy. Its my turn'") and I negotiated compromises ("Grace looks like she really needs a turn right now. What can you play with until your turn?")

I kept it up for HOURS! When the kids screamed their refusal to allow groceries in their bitty carts at Whole Foods, was I flappable? No, I did not flap! When they ran under the feet of yuppies at the hot food bar of Whole Foods and parked their bitty carts in the aisle, blocking off men in suits, did I respond angrily to the hostility and vicious looks directed at me from those yuppies? Nope. Although, let me say here, Please people! They are children. They have a right to yuppy organic, overpriced convenience health foods just like you. And believe me, yuppies are not guilt free in the 'blocking of aisles' department.

But I digress.

How did I keep my cool all day, you ask. Well, I don't really know, but I have a couple of theories.

1. Tallulah started preschool. I have two whole days with large chunks of time all to myself. Its wonderful, and really gives me the clarity to enjoy Tallulah when she is around. I've said this before: parenting would be awesome if we could just put the kids on pause or in a holding pattern for a couple hours a day. Or, apparently, in school for two days a week.

2. I'm hormonal. I've been having this beautiful hormonal surge of good feelings lately. I feel calm and settled and affectionate towards everyone in my life. I really really want to bottle this hormone because after Tallulah was born I had months of the opposite hormone-- the one that made me angry and bitchy and short tempered. And I much prefer this hormone, the loving, easygoing one. I'm pretty sure my family agrees.

Anyway, for whatever reason, the stars aligned and today was perfection. All due to my perfect parenting. Yay me.