Separation anxiety has its perks

The past two days, boarding the bus has not been pretty.

The bus pulls down the street.

"Maya!  Look!   Your school bus is coming!"  (Smiles, wiggles in my arms, giving me a big hug).

The bus stops and we approach.

"Are you going to ride the bus like a big girl?! To school?!  Oh, you're going to have so much fun!"  (Smiles, giggles, wiggles)

I go to hand her over to the bus matron.

(PANIC.  She clings to me.  She starts to cry.  I'm a mess of untangling the four limbs that she's wrapped tightly around me, attempting to hand her heavy self--as she's now gone totally limp---over.  She alternates between floppy and stiff in an attempt to not get buckled into her seat.)

I wave and blow kisses and then turn and walk away.  I feel like staying to watch is just more painful (for both of us).  Sigh.

So, that's not fun.

The upside of all of this is that she's totally loving me right now.  Absence has made her little heart grow fonder---and while I used to be a given, a constant presence, now I'm suddenly special.  Desired.  Dave & I were playing with her last night, and she kept coming over to hug me.  Me!  She's always been a daddy's girl and suddenly she just wants mama.  I'm not going to lie, it's kind of nice.

I know it won't last forever.  I also know that it's probably embarrassingly egotistical to find separation anxiety flattering, but I don't care :)

She's a happy girl getting off the bus and coming to play with me.  And Parker, too.  I've taken him down to pick her up a few times and it's adorable.  Yesterday Dave was home by drop-off time too, so I was able to get a little video of their after-school reunion: