sticking to her story

[Note: I know this is a story and not the usual brief conversation. I apologize, but this needed documenting so I won't forget about it in 10 years, or more realistically, in 10 minutes. P.S. Welcome all PW readers!]

Caroline has been going to "toddler preschool" for almost 6 months now, and she has never once had a negative report at the end of the morning. Until yesterday. Apparently, she told her teacher Renee "NO!" a few times in the morning. This defiance is very unlike her, though she is stubborn through and through, and I was surprised to hear a bad report from the teacher at pickup.

As we walked to the car, I told her that I heard she had a bad day today and made some bad choices. She stopped and looked at me and said, very seriously, "Renee was very grumpy today!!" I tried not to crack a smile at this version of events, and we had a talk about how to treat others, especially grownups who are trying to help us.

Later that night, we had another discussion about it with her dad. Again, her story was, "Renee was sooooo grumpy!!" I explained that sometimes grownups seem grumpy when they really aren't, and that it's important to speak kindly to people even when they are being grumpy. She did not like this idea and frowned and slumped down and stared at her dinner.

This morning at preschool dropoff, I talked to her teachers and shared her side of the story, which we all thought was funny. Renee thought it was hilarious and told me that yesterday, while Caroline was sequestered off to the back of the room after refusing to try to put on her slippers, the rest of the class had circle time and sang songs in another part of the room. Caroline had no idea that Renee could see her, but she could. And Caroline was crouching in front of the mirror making extremely sour, furrow-browed faces and practicing a monster 'tude in the mirror. "Renee, you are so grumpy. You are so very grumpy. I am mad that you are grumpy! Don't be grumpy to me!!" Renee observed all this while, she says, trying to keep from peeing her pants.

I thought this additional detail was awesome and so perfectly 2 years old. When I left, I called Chuck and we both laughed.

When I picked her up from preschool today, Renee sent her to get her coat on and winked and asked her, "Caroline, was I too grumpy today?"

She stopped and turned around. "I'm sorry Renee."

We awwed, and Renee started to accept her apology.

Then Caroline continued very earnestly, "I'm sorry you were so grumpy yesterday."