She Vants to be Alone

I can't quite wrap my head around this newfound independence thing with Bee. She just woke up at the deliciously late hour of nearly 7 o'clock, and now she is holed up in her room--reading. I guess this is what happens when you don't let your child watch television. This is hardly a noble effort on our part, but more to do with the fact that there is nothing to watch on Romanian TV. And since I don't enjoy children's videos, I don't buy them.

So Bee is deprived and has to read herself storybooks for entertainment. The amazing thing is--she really likes it. She looks at the pictures and "talks" through the story. She can keep her self busy reading for the better part of an hour.

This morning though, I was feeling so refreshed from sleeping and was happy she was awake, I went to her room, plopped down on the couch (more like sank heavily given the current state of affairs) and said "Good Morning Bee; can I read with you?"

The thundering answer was, "NO! I want to be alone!"

I don't know how I am going to survive the teenage years. A year ago, I think I would have turned cartwheels and rejoiced at any sign of potential independence, but instead, I have slunk back to the living room, where I am trying to console myself with juice, pumpkin bread and magazines. Fortunately, Bee's state of independence doesn't usually last more than 15 minutes or so, and I can go back to being her beloved Mommy.