Do you ever notice how when you go home to spend time with your parents, your behavior often regresses to that of a petulant child. That something about being around your mom and dad can really bring out the worst in you. You get more irritated, agitated, frustrated… just basically more ated in general.

I notice that if I leave The Munch with someone to watch her she will behave like a little angel the entire time I am gone, but as soon as I come back she collapses with emotion and has a total meltdown at my feet.

“Holy crap Toni, I swear she was happy as a clam right before you got here.”

First of all, I find clams to be kind of boring, second of all, why the heck does she do that?

This is my theory.

Humans want to stay alive, and they have an innate sense of self-preservation. So when The Munch is looked after by someone other than me, she is her most charming self in order for that person to like her and therefor protect her. But it is a lot of energy to be on your best behavior, so when she sees me, the person she know will watch out for her no matter what, she experiences a total release.

“Oh phew! Now that you are back I don’t have to try so hard to be cool.”

It makes me realize just how much of growing up is learning how to manipulate not only the world around us, but also the people. That we have an inbred instinct to act in a way that doesn’t make other people want to kill us. Sigh… it is so tiring trying to make you not want to murder me.