The problem with stomping feet, whines, bitter remarks, and hard-eyed stares is they are so in your face so demanding of an immediate response, even if that response is to take a deep breath and to walk away, that you sometimes forget to figure out the underlying problem.

The night before the last day of kindergarten, Rose's feet ached, her tummy hurt, and the inside of her ear itched. I asked if she was sad and nervous about school ending. She denied it.

Then when I picked her up from school, she was in full fit mode until half an hour later when she told me she was very sad about school ending. She told me that's why she was so grumpy. I told her I understood completely. And then, she was cheerful.

After the ice cream Sunday blow-out, she spent the evening organizing her room and cheerfully getting rid of old sticker books. She's been in a great mood since. Amazing.