She's Too Shy

Grandma and Grandpa were not able to come on Wednesday like they had planned.  The power was out at their house and they didn't want to leave it like that.  We knew that; they had called on their cell phone and let us know.  We didn't tell Haley.

Haley had gone to the calendar and pointed at Thanksgiving.  She had been counting the days.  When Haley counted she would point randomly at the calendar and say "one, two, three, four, five, six, seven."  She said that every time.  I would correct her and make her point at each square on the calendar as she counted, at first.  When I found out that they were delayed I didn't correct her.  I don't know if the number really means anything to her.  As far as she knew they were coming and that is all she needed to know.

They arrived on Thursday a little after noon.  We had planned to have lunch with them so we held off lunch a little later than we usually do.  We were all hungry, including Grandma and Grandpa.  Haley was much too shy to say anything to them and they both got side hugs.  She was shy all through lunch and wouldn't even make eye contact with them.

We were sitting on the couch in the family room after lunch and Haley was still so shy.  I said "I hope you are staying for a couple of days so that she will get used to you."

She never really got used to them.  At least it didn't seem like it.  In fact, she was so shy that she walked the long way around the house to come in to the kitchen and if they were in the kitchen she walked in kind of a hunchbacked way.  Her left shoulder was about two inches higher than her right.  She was really starting to concern me.

On Friday we asked Grandma and Grandpa if they would watch Haley so that the three of us could go to a movie.  While we were gone Grandpa had taken Haley in their car to the tractor store.  Unfortunately the tractor store was closed so they ended up getting gas and coming back to the house.  That was enough for Haley.  When we got home she was so excited to tell us that she went in Grandpa's car to the tractor store.  She was still talking about it on Monday.

On Sunday she and her Dad took them train watching and on Sunday night Haley sat between Grandpa and Grandma on the couch while we watched a movie.  She was still acting really shy, but she was definitely having fun. 

This morning when it was time to go to school she gave them both hugs.  I told her that they were going home.  I don't think she was listening.

When she got off the bus she noticed that the driveway was empty.  She walked in to the house very slowly.  She looked around the living room.  She was very quiet while I helped her off with her coat and her shoes.  I asked her about school and I got the standard "Fun."  A few minutes later she started crying.

She said "Car gone."  I said, "Yes Grandma and Grandpa went home."

Then she got mad.  I gathered that she was mad at me, but I think she just didn't know how to react. She cried and yelled for a little over an hour.  I toyed with the idea of recording her fit for them because while they were here they could hardly hear her. 

They would have heard her tonight. 

I wasn't surprised.  I knew it would happen.  I kind of hoped it wouldn't, but I would have been surprised if it didn't.