Tuesday Travels

On Tuesday I went with Ricki to her swimming class. When we reached the bus stop, Ricki discovered that she had left her purse at home. I had an extra ticket prepared for such an eventuality, so I told Ricki I would pay for her. She was very upset, wanting to independently punch the card herself. But on this point I stood firm: If you forget your card, you forfeit the fun of punching it. On the way home she cautioned me before entering the bus: “Be sure not to sit by me.” Well, it seems that by little Miss Independent teenager I am rather a persona non gratis.
I just wonder if the people who overhear such statements have that figured out that this is due to her independent streak, or if they think I am a bug to my daughter, a terrible mom….LOL!

PS. Then, to top it off….. The next day, after I was “not wanted” for the bus ride to the eye doctor, on the way home her mood changed. On entering the bus she went way to the backof the bus, to the very last row. I found an excellent single seat next to the (exit) back door. The bus started filling up, and suddenly I heard Ricki calling me to sit by her. Envisioning how hard it would be once the bus became packed to get my girth to the exit from the back of the bus, and remembering all the times she had not wanted me to sit with her (even when no other seats were available), I told Ricki that I was staying put. Now people who overheard that SURELY thought me to be a callous mom: “She refuses to sit with her own child!”
Later I told Ricki that the reason I didn’t sit with her was not because I didn’t want to, but that it would have been hard later to exit. I don’t want her to think that I REALLY don’t want to join her.