Like a Rock Wall

One of the challenging things about parenting these girls is that it's so hard to tell what they're feeling at any given moment.  Take this:

Or this:

Inscrutable, aren't they?  Amazing poker faces, those girls have.

This reminds me of a poignant moment from last week's hellishness.  I've raced out of work so that I can get to Addie's school on time for her parent-teacher conference.  I am late, of course, and Addie is the last kid in the classroom (bad mommy, bad mommy).  I enter, breathless, and ask the teacher if Addie can sit in the library while we talk.

"Talk?" she says.  "About what?"

"Uh...don't we have our conference today?"

Silence.  Looks me up and down, maybe checking for signs of meth use.  "That's in two weeks."

"Ah.  Alrighty then.  Well, I'm here!  And now we're leaving!  HahahahaHA!"

More odd looks.

Whisk Addie out of room, fight back tears, kick self in butt.

Then, in the car:  "Mommy?  Do you know what I'm really good at?"

"What?"

"Knowing how people feel."

"Oh yeah?"

"Yeah.  Like I know exactly what you're feeling right now."

"You do?"

"Yep.  You're feeling exhausted."

Apparently I'm no rock wall, either.

I'm so glad this is week is not last week.