In November I left KayLi with Allie for awhile. Just to go over to our church and pick up Emily. I wasn't going to be gone long but started talking and ended up being there for over an hour. I hadn't realized how much I missed my friends. Talking to them uninterrupted was heavenly.
It wasn't heavenly for KayLi. Allie tried every trick he could think of but nothing worked. It just wasn't pretty. Since then we have been working on me leaving for small amounts of time. Slowly, very slowly she is beginning to trust that I will come back.
So when I was asked to do some face painting for a "Sixteenth Birthday Carnival" I was excited but nervous. It sounded so fun! But could KayLi handle me being gone for almost three hours? Was she ready? Did she trust me enough?
I got out the paint and started practicing. Telling myself the whole time that, I would only be a mile from home. Allie could bring her to me at any time. Everyone would understand if I had to leave. And maybe, just maybe if Allie took the girls out for pizza it would work.
So they dropped me off and went for pizza. Then ice cream. She was fine! Allie even sent me video from his phone of her dancing! She was happy and I was having a great time. Huge sigh of relief!
I talked to people without having to keep a constant eye on a three year old who is still learning how to behave in public. I think I had forgotten what it is like to just talk to people. To be able to look at the person I was talking to was almost odd. And wonderful!
KayLi missed me and was clingy in a happy way when they picked me up. She told me all about her pizza and ice cream headache. She was very excited to tell me about riding on the dinosaur! She didn't even like to sit on rides like that seven months ago. She has come so far!
Happy 16th Birthday, Alex! Thank you so much for giving me a great excuse to see if we were ready for some time apart! And thanks a bunch to my family and Emily's friends for being crazy enough to let me practice on your beautiful faces! I still can't believe Allie let me paint a butterfly on him!!!
4 comments:
Wow, you're a face painter? Can you come decorate faces for Kylie's party? (wish you were closer, I'd totally hire you!)
Congratulations on having a night out. I do wonder when my first one will come...
I know how you feel about leaving!Glad she did so well. What a beautiful talent you have! Didn't realize you did the face painting on the front of the blog. So cool!
Glad to hear that you are making such big strides. It's so important for both of you. It's wonderful that she is beginning to trust more that when mama leaves, she comes back! And I'm sure you appreciated the time away, too. It's a win-win situation!! :)
GREAT job on the face painting. I love doing that, too, and have been asked to run a booth at a couple of school sporting events for family and kids nights in the past. It was a lot of fun!! :)
God bless,
~ Tanya
Nice job painting! Beautiful work. Allie certainly is a VERY good sport!
I didn't know that you couldn't really leave Kayli. What a blessing that you have been so patient, and now she is doing much better. Those little steps eventually turn into strides, and it seems like Emily is taking those strides into adult hood faster and faster! ((hugs))
Have fun in CA!
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