flummoxed

So maybe it wasn't a fluke. Two times (TWO, count them, one...two) I've received glowing reports on E's behavior this weekend. The first time I was certain she was in the midst of a grand scheme and was playing everyone. Now that there's two, I'm nervous.

Friday night was a birthday party/sleepover she had been invited to by one of her friends in school. I said yes to the party but no to the sleepover, knowing nothing about the family. I tried really hard when I dropped her off to keep my jaw from dropping to my shoulders. Nice house. NICE. Tall ceilings with chandeliers, statues situated in corners along the gleaming wood floor. Expensive furniture, huge house, etc., etc. Uh oh. I smelled trouble so I high-tailed it out of there (actually, I had to in order to pick Q up from piano on time, but that race through the Burg is another story). I left with visions E playing hide and seek around the statues and swinging from the chandeliers and I only hoped they weren't serving any food that stained.

When I picked her up three hours later, however, the grandparents couldn't stop talking about what a little lady she is. (By the way, she came dressed in her frilly Laura Ashley dress, high heels, and her hair in a bun - all her idea). The other kids were racing through the house, apparently distressing the lady of the house, but E would walk calmly with her hands demurely behind her back. During dinner she had very polite manners while the other girls burped and whined. Etc., etc. On and on. While the other kids ignored the birthday girl's younger sister, E took pity and went out of her way to befriend her. I very nearly asked them if they were really talking about my daughter, but she was standing right there, so I guess they were. I felt slightly guilty for being so surprised, but even more, worried that E was playing us all. What would her next move be? (If you know E, you know where I'm coming from.)

Apparently, the next part of the ploy was rolled out today. Being solo this weekend while DH is in Georgia again, I had a friend drop her off at gymnastics and I came late in to watch about an hour after they'd started. One of the other moms saw me and E waving at each other. "Oh that's your daughter? She's being SO POLITE and kind to all the other girls." "REALLY???" I spewed in disbelief. "I mean, really? Thanks." The mom gave me an odd look while I tried to figure out what E was playing at now.

But I can't come up with anything. I told her I liked all the nice things I was hearing about her behavior. She told me she didn't like to get bad reports so she likes to behave when she's around people she doesn't know very well. OK then.

Maybe all that stuff about kids being at their worst behavior at home because they are comfortable and know they are loved blah blah blah is all correct. Maybe I've been a stellar and magnificent mom and E is totally assured of my everlasting love which is why she can come unglued if Q breathes wrong or I look at her wrong or DH asks her to pick her dirty socks up off the floor. Maybe I've done a fantastic job of parenting. Or maybe she has concocted an elaborate scheme which won't become obvious until it's too late. You be the judge.