She's teetering

My parents are visiting right now.  They leave tomorrow.  So far, we have had a very pleasant visit all around.  I'm just dreading Wednesday, because it takes about 24 hours for Oldest to go all whacky for a day or so after a visit. 

This just happened over Labor Day with my in-laws.  They visited, staying two nights.  It couldn't have gone better.  Except for staying up too late chatting with my mother-in-law (apparently all of my husband's family share his night owlish tendencies).  They left Monday morning right after breakfast and Tuesday morning, RIGHT after breakfast, Oldest totally fell apart. 

I'm talking full scale short circuit.  It was ugly, I can't even get into the details.  But after I spent some not so proud moments haranguing her, she said,

"Mommy, I don't know what's wrong with me.  I just can't think today.  Having Grandma and Grandpa here was so fun and I got to wake up to them for two mornings and this morning they were gone.  So I feel all kooky and weird about that and it's making me mess up at everything.  I wish I could make it stop."

Well, talk about stopping an angry mommy in her tracks.  How SAD that transitions still do this to her after everything we've worked on to help her through them.  Is there ever going to come a time when she can manage them fully?  I felt so badly for her and was so mad at myself after this talk.  She truly, accurately assessed her feelings and why she was having them and I was so wrapped up in her crazy behavior that I forgot that she might be going through the "post visit transition."

Truthfully, though, she'd never really had it with my in-laws.  But she's definitely gone through this with MY parents - practically every time.

So I'm ready this visit.  24 hours after my parents leave tomorrow - I'm ready for the meltdown.  And we're going to make it through together.

I'll let you know how it goes.