Finally, The Peanuts Movie.

SS has been impatiently waiting to go see The Peanuts Movie, known around here as The Snoopy Movie. She wanted to go on opening day, last Friday, but we had a small incident. As I have mentioned things around here are  a mess, emotionally speaking.  We are doing our best to insulate SS from the fallout, but kids are perceptive. 

So on Friday SS's class was brought to the gate really early. Now, SS is usually one of the last kids to exit, because she is slow, it's how she rolls. But by the time it was 1:55 I became concerned ( dismissal is 1:45 but they get out as early as 1:35) and asked one of the teachers if she had seen SS. No luck, but she wondered if SS went to the B&G Club van. 

I ran to the van and could see no kids there yet. I next checked the area where they make the kids sit down to wait for their lazy parents to pick them up like they are fast food fare. No SS, and by this time there were several teachers looking for SS. And I admit I was getting pretty antsy. One of her classmate's mother, who also works at the school told me they we're let out around 12:30  and SS was looking for me. Crud, I missed her by about three minutes. What the hell?

The mom apologized profusely and said she should have stayed with SS. But since we are always on time she did not worry. And then as almost all kids are gone, SS shows up behind me, what a relief, and I give her a big hug. Then SS begins to sob and can't get the words out. Turns out that she has never been dismissed so early, and well, the kid does not wear a watch. When she did not immediately see me she panicked, thinking I forgot to pick her up. She ran towards the office and I wasn't there, she then ran to the van and asked the driver if she had seen me. The driver told SS to return to the gate because she was not going on the van that day, the driver assured her I was picking her up.

We just missed each other and the many kids milling around made it difficult to find each other.  SS was a mess, and I just held her for a long time, just letting her cry it out, while reminding her P and I will never abandon her. A few of the teachers came by, as well as her classmate's mother to reassure SS I would never forget her. They also asked SS to go to them and let them know she is scared if she ever does not see one of us again.  SS's first grade teacher Mrs. S heard about the incident and came out to reassure SS we would never leave her. SIGH

Just when we think SS is secure something like this happens and it is plain disheartening. I'm sure similar things happened with JJ, but he knew I'd be there, and was able to speak up and ask for assistance. Not SS, she is a raw nerve and the past year has been so rough on her, making her more insecure. All we can do is hold her, love her, and keep on reassuring her.

We did a lot of cuddling, allowed way too much Netflix watching on her iPad, and watched Back to the Future II and III on Sunday. I didn't think SS was going to like III because of the old western aspect. Much to our surprise she loved it, especially the train space machine. How can a train beat that amazing DeLorean is beyond me. Funky kid.

And now that SS is doing better (we pray and hope) we treated her to the Peanuts movie in 3D. Nostalgia is a wonderful thing, and it was so awesome to share something we enjoy so much with SS. Now we need to look in those still unpacked boxes for my extensive collection of Peanuts books. Some are really old, bought used, back when Snoopy looked nothing like the Snoopy she's always known.  We can't wait for her to read them, and hopefully laugh as much as we did so many years ago.

We then had dinner and SS had her first calzone, filled with pepperoni. SS loves ricotta cheese, so she was in cheese and pepperoni heaven. As usual, SS doesn't eat from the children's menu. Darn P and getting her used to order whatever she wants (as long as she eats it).

SS managed to eat half of her calzone, not bad for such a little one.