What is Normal?

Haley is slowly returning to herself.  Getting back to normal.

She stayed home from school for three days last week with a cold. 

It started as a runny nose and a cough.  Then it became a quiet sad little girl and a cough.  Then it became a somewhat noisier little girl with an attitude and a cough.  Now it is a teenager who is almost back to her normal happy self and a cough.

My happy child likes to talk... and cough
and laugh... and cough
and make disgusting sounds in her throat... and cough. 

She doesn't seem to understand the connection.

She went to school on Friday.  Maybe she shouldn't have.  I don't know.  They said she seemed sleepy.

On Saturday her Big Sis wanted to go to the mall.  Haley likes the mall.  I asked her if she wanted to go shopping.  She said "Yay, shopping!" 

I let her lead me around the mall while her Big Sis and her best friend shopped.  We went into all of the stores that sell toys, cute little critters and girl clothes.  She got a couple of tops and several pairs of pants.  She really needed new pants.  I think she has grown another couple of inches.

She was hungry so we went to the food court.  She got her "usual" at Panda Express. 

We had a nice day. 

Haley's Big Sis is learning to drive.  I have been taking her out, or should I say, she has been driving me all around town, for the last couple of weeks.  She drove to the mall.  Haley didn't seem to think it was unusual to have her sister driving and her Mom in the passenger seat.

Yesterday we wanted to go to IKEA.  Her Dad and I and her sister were talking about what was involved in driving to IKEA.  We were all ready to go with our shoes and coats on standing in the garage, talking.  We were trying to decide if Haley's Big Sis was ready to drive across the state line. 

Haley was impatient. 

She started to get into my car (by the way, I am so proud of her that she can open the car door and get in by herself.)

We all stopped talking and her Dad told her that we were taking the Yukon. She shut the car door, opened the Yukon door and got in and shut the door.

We all just looked at each other.

Haley usually sits in the seat behind the driver. That is just the way it is. It is easier to get her in and out of the car that way. She got in on the passenger side because that was the side she was on, I guess.

We decided that her sister wasn't quite ready for the drive we were about to take, but we thought that she should ride shotgun so she could at least see what was involved. So I got in behind the driver (Haley's Dad.) 

It was like musical chairs.  We were all in the wrong spots.  Well, except for her Dad, I guess. 

Haley didn't seem to think anything of it.

I think she knew exactly what was going on even though we never took the time to explain it to her.

She amazes me every day.