Saucy Frustrations

If one reads my blog regularly, one might note that my three-year-old, Elora, can be intelligent, observant, and wise beyond her years.

However, if one actually interacts with our family in person on a regular basis, one might see the other side of Elora much more often.



While Elora can talk up a storm, sing entire nursery rhymes and Disney songs on demand, and draws pretty good pictures of her family for a preschooler, when she's around other people our saucy little girl has a tendency to hide her brighter side. In other words, she likes to play dumb.

I don't know if its some kind of defense mechanism, if she's shy, or if she just thinks its funny, but whenever we meet someone new- and often even around neighbors she knows well- Elora will talk baby talk and refuses to act like the girl we know and love at home.

Case in point. A week or so ago we took her to the doctor. You may recall, I am not the parent that takes my kid in for every cough and fever, in fact I think a yearly check up is only necessary if you need immunizations or have some major concern. In this case though, Elora hadn't been feeling well and had been displaying some strange symptoms that had me worried, including some unfamiliar sores on her gums, a fever, and complaints of sore teeth (she didn't eat most anything for almost a week, not even her favorite treats!)

We were meeting yet another new doctor at our clinic, as I still haven't found one I like since the two women practitioners both moved to other towns. I'm sad to say this doctor impressed me about the same as the rest (which was not at all) especially when he said nothing was wrong with her, then he went on and on about fluoride drops- which had nothing to do with her ailment.

When I declined to accept a prescription for said drops, he actually asked if I was against fluoride, and he extolled all of its virtues to me as if I was denying my child immunizations against mumps or polio. I was not happy, and I plan on avoiding this particular MD from now on.

My frustration at the fruitless visit was compounded by Elora's inane behavior. Elora loves going to the doctor, and I thought she would act normal. Yeah right. Every attempt of the doctor and nurse to converse with her, were met with "goo-goo" and "ga-ga" from my oh so brilliant daughter.
"How old are you? Are you three?"
"Dada!"
"Thats pretty nail polish, did you put that on your fingernails?"
"Lalala, mama!"
"Can you climb up on this table and show me how big you are?"
"Na na la la!"

I was sooo embarrassed. I wondered if they even believed that she had told me herself what her symptoms were. I kept apologizing and explaining that she really could talk, but Elora wasn't about to prove it. Of course, the second all clinic personell left the room, Elora asked if she could squeeze the blood preasure thing, and said she didn't want to go home yet. I was just hoping someone was still standing outside the door to hear her.

Another recent issue we've been having is with Elora's Sunday School class. Since she turned three this last year, she has graduated from the nursery to the youngest sunday school class, the Sunbeams. Everyone was sure she would love it, as she's been bored in nursery for quite a while now.

To our distress, Elora has burst into tears almost every Sunday as we head to her new class. She's told me she doesn't mind the actual class with five or six other kids her age. Whats surprising is that she hates the singing time they attend first. While she loves to sing and dance at home, she seems to dread going to the singing time at church, even though she already knows half the songs and will sing them when with us.

I've had to sit with her several times, and the Sundays I've looked in on her, she refuses to do any actions to the songs, and won't even try to join in. I've seen her start to smile several times, then she catches herself and forces her face into a grumpy frown. She''s determined to be miserable!

Strangely, as a toddler she never had any problems going to nursery, and I never had to stay with her once! It's quite a mystery. I'm just worried that she's getting a reputation as that kid who cries every Sunday...she shouldn't be known as that naughty kid, but the smart one, right?

(I don't know, that kind of looks like a naughty face to me.)

I know she's only three, and she'll eventually get used to new situations on her own. I just hope this behavior doesn't continue on into her school years. Ugh.