Gracie's Bizarre Day

Gracie has had quite an interesting day. Actually, she has been "interesting" for several weeks now, and I have to admit I am concerned.

She is getting over a cold, and I know that effects her mood, but she has some other strange habits that are emerging as well.

But, back to her day. I barely got her awake this morning to get ready for school. After poking and prodding her to get ready and two bowls of cereal later...we were 8 minutes late. What a relief that 4 other moms pulled in at the same time we did!

On the way to the entrance to the school she falls and skins both knees! I let Ms. Stephanie know about her cough and her newly skinned knees. (This was after I heard another mom say her son had a double ear infection. )

When I picked Gracie up from school, the teacher stopped me and told me she thought Gracie was going to take a nap today. Apparenly she pulled out a blanket, laid it on the floor, and laid down on top! I asked Gracie if she was tired today and she said "yes." I was very concerned about this action.

When we got to the car, I asked who she played with. She told me "no one, I played by myself." This is sending off more alarm bells inside my head. I know she doesn't socialize much, but she has never admitted this to me. She usually skirts around the issue, or tells me something I want to hear (I am pretty sure she does this).

At school today she did get a smiley thumb and they got to paint with "smarshmellows." They had cheeseballs for snack, and they sang an umbrella song,

When I got her home, she was in great spirits and even played by herself happily in the living room. Then, we had her tell about her day yesterday so we could put it on the blog. I don't know what to do, or if there is anything I can do.

Lately my Gracie is getting either very little sleep, or is taking a nap and getting 12+ hours at night. She won't eat hardly anything at all. She even gives up on desert requests when she doesn't meet the "quota" to receive said desert. She gets barely 400 calories a day I would say. And that might be an over estimation. All she wants is sugar or junk food and I have put a stop to all junk. I noticed that she was getting far too many snacks. So now without the snacks, she is eating even less!

She has very noticeable mood swings. One day she is a terror, the next day she acts like a baby, and later in the afternoon she is sweet as pie. She is even more clingy than ever. She wants me with her 24/7. She won't play, she won't leave the room I am in. It has gotten so bad she wants me to sit with her when she goes potty and when she takes a bath. The past several weeks have been so hard as I can't do anything without my shadow and when I have to get something done she will whine or cry the entire time telling me "but, I want you to play with me."

She is constantly talking about Grandma and Grandpa. We know she loves and misses them, but this is excessive even for her. Several times a day she wants to know when they are going to visit, or when she is going to their house. She gets down as I remind her "in 2 weeks." She of course, wants to go now. We expect this problem 2-3 days after we leave Lynchburg, but it has been several weeks now.

Baby talk and crying are at an all time high. She cries over everything and the baby talk is driving me out of my mind. I have tried rewards for being a big girl, even kindly reminding her I have a 4 year old that lives here. She will giggle, but will continue to be a "baby."

I am sure some of these things can be attributed to phases, but it is a lot going on in my little girls mind and body and I am worried about her. In the meantime, I do the best I can. I keep her on a schedule, as any veering of her day ends in a breakdown. Sugar effects her in a bad way, and that is getting worse. So, we will have to see how cutting it off will help her in the end. She gets very little around here, but you add in Christmas into Valentine's Day into Birthday and Easter--it has been a sugary junk food feast around here.

So, say an extra prayer tonight for Gracie (and her parents) that we all get through this stage in her little life. And, for those more experienced parents I am sure this is nothing and it gets worse, but right now is what I am dealing with, and there is nothing worse out there.

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