All three kids are leaking poisonous-looking green stuff, and I'm thinking that this is yet another spectacular example of how Jenny Month is truly over. Are you listening, parenting gods? I'm totally hearing what you are trying to say. Next year it will be Jenny Week.

Last night, after an unenthusiastic dinner, I gave the kids some medicine and snuggled up with all three kids in my bed. I must have fallen asleep around 8:30, but when my husband came to bed at 10, I was suddenly wide awake. We scooted the kids into the middle of the mattress and soon his snores joined the barnyard of sounds produced by my children.

The girls slept well, but my son tossed and turned. He coughed and spluttered and actually bit me twice while I tried to stop him from grinding his teeth. His arms and legs were in constant motion, and despite the dose of medicine, he just couldn't relax.

He slept, though.

Me? I lay awake, dodging flailing limbs and thinking about the past day. Taking inventory is my 'favorite' insomnia activity.

I thought back on picking my son up at school. He beamed at me, gave me a huge hug and kiss, and then excused himself to go give a round of hugs to all his friends once more before we could go. He still doesn't know half of their names. Nonetheless, he's apparently well-liked.

When I met my daughter at the door of her classroom, she stomped out, sullen. I bent to give her a hug, and she burst into tears.

"What's wrong?"

"Susie says I can't play with Janie anymore because she's only allowed to play with her."

I hate playground politics. I was rather indifferent to it, never being truly popular, but never an outcast, either. But it is very obvious that I do not share my thick skin with my daughter. She is easily wounded, and takes things personally.

"Well, what did Janie say?"

"She didn't talk to me. Only Susie."

I am so bad at this stuff. So bad. I guess I'm going to have to talk to the teacher and see what is going on from her perspective. I could tell my daughter that it doesn't matter, that Susie is just being a meanie, and that of course Janie will still play with her. I've been on playgrounds, however, and I've seen what kind of influence the Susies of the world can wield over the Janies.

I know that it matters to my daughter, and I don't want to minimize her concerns. I never understood the whole social standing thing, and I am sure that this little "you'll play with who I say" power play by Susie will be forgotten by Monday. Their friendships are so fluid at this age.

I gathered her up in my arms, and I told her that Janie can play with whoever she wants, and she probably just wanted to play with Susie. I kissed her wet cheek, and told her that even though Susie tried (and succeeded) to hurt my daughter's feelings by excluding her, that Susie's not the only kid on the playground, and she should enjoy her other friends.

It's awful, because I know that kids are always going to act this way, and I suspect my daughter has done it to other kids, just judging from her occasional treatment of her siblings. It sucks to be on the receiving end. Hopefully, her sense of humor, her sense of fairness, and her self-esteem will keep her from being too hurt by this alpha-girl behavior.

Gah.