The Elephant Parade

It's early. I know its early even though I can not see the glowing blurs on my clock. Its early and the elephant parade has started or at least that is what it sounds like. Boom. Bang. Boom. Bang. Boom. Bang. Boom. Bang.  Boom. Bang.

She is so small...her body shouldn't be able to make that much noise...but it does somehow her willowy body manages. Weekends are the worse...no school to rush off to. So she marches and plays movies in her head (that is what she tells me) and she giggles and talks to herself. The more exciting the movie gets the faster she paces the louder the sound. Her feet may come through the ceiling...I wait for it to smash me in the forehead. I look up watching waiting. Waiting. Maybe it will not happen today...perhaps next weekend. Are her feet made of bricks...I think they quite possibly might be.
I want to be OK with this. Its part of who she is and I know she needs this time to herself. I want to be nonchalant about all of this...noise. I want to be a good parent...to be able to just let her be. But it sounds like elephants have decided to remodel the upstairs part of my house! But I have been awaken from my sleep and its SATURDAY! BUT...BUT...
Some weekends Dork and I pull this off...this forgiving attitude. Some weekends we don't and either one or the other head upstairs to put a stop to the parade. To curb her need to pace...or at least hopefully postpone that need to a more suitable hour.
This weekend is one of forgiveness. We listen. We let her be. I choose to get up and pace myself...around the block. Dork decides to pretend he does not hear.
When I come back from walk the parade has ended. She comes down the stairs and she is smiles...its going to be a good day. I am glad that we let her be.