Hi! I'm M's Mom.

M has been in preschool one day a week since October and she is still not talking to her teachers. She loves the other kids and one girl in particular who apparently does not talk to the teachers either. The report I get is that they are the best of buddies and I hear some pretty fun stories from M about the silly things they do together. A couple weeks ago I was picking M up and saw this little girl leaving with her mom so I stopped her and said, "Hi! I'm M's Mom". And then it hit me...this is my new identity. I am no longer introduced as Allyson. I am M's (and J's) Mom and they are going to have lives and friends of their own and I won't have total say in who and what they choose. Wow. What a weird reality check. I guess I was hoping for more time to be the center of their world.

Speaking of preschool, M has come home the last two weeks and proudly told me (with her hands on her hips and laughing), "Mom, I didn't talk to my teachers. I'm quiet". Uh huh. I know that, but sometimes you still have to talk, child. So we have started Project: Talk to Teacher. We bought pastel marshmallows this week and I have told her she can eat them as soon as she talks to her teachers whether it be at school or church. I don't care. I am not picky. I'm not even asking for the moon. A simple "Hi" will suffice. I have been making the rounds of all the adults in her life asking them to talk to her and then endure her silent stare until we hear her voice in public. I'll even up the ante. If you are the adult that gets her to talk I will get you your very own bag of pastel marshmallows. How is that for motivation?