Understanding the Rules

A friend of mine and Ken's, much older in years and wisdom, use to say to us all the time when the children were very young, "Yes siree, before you get those youngins raised, you're going to know what a circus is all about!"  And he was right.  The good news is we're still on that circus ride, now we just get to ride it vicariously and sometimes straight up with the twelve grandchildren...and sometimes their parents...Today's story is about reflections I've made about my own way of doing things based on my granddaughter Anne-Claire. 
Anne-Claire and I both love the rules.  Doesn't matter what we're doing, we want to know what the rules are first.  How do we win?  How do we stay out of trouble?  How do you want the job done?  We want to make sure we understand on the ground floor.  What has amazed me in my personal life is how well I've been able to understand the rules, abide by the rules and stretttttchhhh the rules to fit me like a warm winter glove.  Anne-Claire can do this extremely well.  She truly desires to understand the rules and abide by them, and bless her heart has already learned to adapt them...
Anne-Claire is in Kindergarten; she is Ben and Ashley's second born.  They live in northwest Arkansas.
Everyone that lives in Fayetteville knows how COLD this winter has been.  Anne-Claire might have been born in Bentonville, Ark., but she's got a warm Louisiana heart.  She gets cold..She and her older sibling, Riggs, attend a private school that is pretty doggone prestigious...The school is touted as one of the best.  They are in school uniforms and each blouse, shirt, hoodie, sweater,etc. bears the school insignia proudly.  One freezing cold day this winter, some of the parents were visiting the K class for a short program.  One mother had brought a younger child still in his footed pajamas.  Anne-Claire and some of her little girl friends sat near the feet of this mother and young child.  She overheard their conversation.  It went something like this...
Anne-Claire's Friend:  "I wish I could wear footed pjs to school."  Others ooohed, ahhhed, ummmed and agreed.
Anne-Claire:  "We probably could, we just gotta get that patch sewed on!"
See there that's what I mean!  Understand the rule and STREEEETTTCH the rule.  That baby is brilliant and with footed pjs in the classroom her journey would be a lot snugglier and warmer!