We have a coyote...

For the past few days Adri has gotten on the ground like a dog and begun howling up a the sky. I couldn't figure out why in the world she would do this so I asked her this morning.

"Are you being a wolf?" I asked her.

Sigh. "No, Mommy...I'm a coyote." Was the response of my way too smart almost three year old.

"A coyote huh? Why?" I prompted her.

"Because I'm howling at the moon. Owwwww!!! Ow! Ow! Ow!!!" Adri howled as she bent down to eat some of the left over breakfast I hadn't gotten to on the floor.

"Coyote's eat off the ground." she informed me.

"Yes they do, but little girls don't. Get up and go get dressed while I clean up the mess from breakfast."

After I had finished cleaning up Sam's daily breakfast mess littering the floor I happened to look up and see what was right in front of my face. Adri's circle birthday decoration was still hanging from the light fixture, looking just like a full moon. Ah, so that's why she was howling at the moon! I still have no idea why she chose a coyote though.

We visited the new Java Gym today. I sincerely wish that I was creative enough to think outside of the box and begin a business combining my two favorite things; kids playing and coffee. I think the new gym is going to do fabulous, especially with the stay at home Mommy crowd in the winter. Who doesn't love going to a place where your kids can get out all of their energy while you can see and supervise them from any point in the play place while drinking your coffee?

Adri decided to go into coyote mode while we were waiting for our friends to get out of the bathroom. There were crackers under the table from Sam Man's discard process. Adri got under the table, began howling and eating the crackers on her hands and knees. After each cracker she put her head back up to the "moon" to howl.

"Look Mom! I'm a coyote!" Adri howled.

"Adri! What are you doing, get up off the floor!!! Don't eat those crackers from the floor, that's disgusting! Oh Adri!!!" I said through gritted teeth while trying to hold on to Sam Man and collect all of our things to leave.

"I'm eating crackers. Coyotes LOVE crackers!"

"Get up off that floor now!!!" I growled at her all the while looking around at the people taking in Adri's show. Little kids from all over the play place were coming over to see the howling dog they thought someone had brought in to visit.

"No, Coyote hungry."

"Oh my gosh! Get up!" I said, finally just picking her up and bringing her over to the shoe area. I wanted out of there and away from the stares of the "perfect" parents who never have children that act like that.

While in this incident I was completely embarrassed and mortified. Everyone was staring and making comments about the little girl on the floor and she was mine.

Now that I'm thinking about it though, all I can think is "Wow, Adri is really creative! What an out of the box thinker! A coyote howling at the moon, I don't think I've seen that one before". It really was funny and she didn't harm any one. I'm sure the floor she decided to eat off of was clean, I mean it's practically brand new. :)

And, someday she will be mortified when she sees the coyote video. :)

In case you need to see her in the act: