KDUNK

Dear Lili,

I had a funny experience with you the other day at the library. I say funny because any time as your mother I get the chance to see you interact with older kids – especially girls – I find it fascinating.

I took you to the library to attempt to read you some books but instead you wanted to do what you always want to do at the library – touch the SNAPPLE machine, pick up gross stuff from the carpet and walk around holding my hand saying ‘hi’…’hi’…’hi’…’hi’…’hi’ to everyone and everything in the place that has a pulse.

When you first say ‘hi’ to an adult you are quite aggressive. You march right up to them and stare up and wave your little hand and say ‘hi’. You then wait – literally stop in your tracks with big eyes waiting for them to say ‘hi’ back. And when they do you literally break into a huge smile, sometimes scrunch your shoulders up in happiness, give a little laugh of joy and move on to your next victim.

On this day you looked very cute I have to say. You had your usual huge smile that lights up your entire face and wacky blond hair growing in all directions with a little bow clip and you were wearing a tiny turtleneck dress, striped tights and little cowboy boots with fringe. Lets just say – I’m a fan.

Shortly after you made your rounds you circled back around to the children’s section where two, two-year-old girls were sitting quietly on bean bag cushions in their adorable outfits and hipster boots reading quietly. I watched as your crawled over to them, literally crawled on to their cushions and leaned in about one inch from their face/eyeballs and said, ‘hi’.

Lets just say you are learning a thing or two about the difference between harassing adults who think it is cute and bigger kids who don’t. As your mother I have to let you figure this out on your own although I did pull you back gently moments later and said, “Gentle Lili – give the big girls some space.”

The two girls watched you for a moment. I wish I had a camera to capture their expressions as they looked at you but it can only be described as two totally blank stares of disgust, a slightly snarled lip as if ‘ugh – annoying’ and then one of the girls you were closest to recoiled and said, “Stop little baby. I’m reading.”

Who could blame her really. I had immediate flash backs of how annoying my younger sister was (who I now love) when I was younger and how she just always wanted a piece of me and whatever I was doing.

Who knows how much of this you understand but for now that doesn’t matter.

You’ll learn.