Groundhog Day

As I was driving Riley home from school today, I was reminded of the movie "Groundhog Day". You know, the one where Bill Murray relives the same day over and over again until he gets it right. This is often how it feels when you are driving around with a toddler.

Each day we pass by the Children's Home on the way to and from school. They always have the place decorated for whichever holiday is approaching. For Halloween, there was an enormous spider by the front gate. This was promptly replaced by a large turkey for Thanksgiving. Immediately after Thanksgiving, the turkey left and a nativity scene went up. After each item was replaced with a new one, I'd get peppered with questions. "Mommy, where's spider?" "Mommy, where's turkey?" "Mommy, what's Baby Jesus doing? What's cow doing?" And each day I'd answer the same way. "Spider/turkey went inside for the winter." "Baby Jesus is sleeping. Cow is keeping Baby Jesus safe and warm." Now, since Christmas is over and there's no holiday in sight, there are no decorations to talk about. So instead, it's now, "Mommy, where's Baby Jesus? Where's cow? What are they doing?" "Baby Jesus is inside the house. Cow is in the barn. They are keeping warm." It's the best I can do, and seems to satisfy him until the next drive when he asks the same questions and I repeat the same answers. And so there we are in Groundhog Day...

...until today. Typical drive home. Typical questions about Baby Jesus and the cow and what they're doing. Typical answers. Atypical response from Riley. "Mommy, I want quiet." Two solid minutes of silence followed. At first I was insulted ("why doesn't he want to talk to me?"). Then I was thrilled ("oh my gosh, silence...in a car...with a 2 year old!!). And then it hit me, I missed the constant questions and chit chat. I wonder if this is what it feels like to have a teenager.