sweet as candy

As a mom, you have so many hopes and dreams for your kids. You want them to be smart and funny and athletic and to never have a bad hair day or a zit on the day of school pictures. But, above all the things I want for my children...I truly just want them to be kind.

This weekend at the Birthday Extravaganza Party, I had the opportunity to meet two of E's classmates' mothers. Yes, there was the usual chit-chat of the funny things that the girls do -- like fight wearing the uniform every Monday through Thursday. But, both women totally unprompted said something to the effect of "E is just so kind and helpful with all the other kids in the class." It made me so proud to know that others saw in E what I did...and that it's not just a mother's bias that saw it.

Then, the magician/face painter/Belle impersonator handed out little treat bags to all of the kids. E came running over to me with a wide smile.

"Mama, look!" she said. "Belle gave me *two* lollipops! One for me and one for A!"

And yesterday, when I picked E up from school, she was toting a goody bag from Kaeli's school party. (Yes, I'm serious. Goody bags at school. I'll have to check her wine consumption but it's becoming a little apparent that Kaeli's mom and I could not be friends.) Anyway, on the drive home, I told E that she couldn't open the goody bag until after dinner, and then she could pick whatever she wanted for dessert. As E studied the contents through the clear cellophane she shouted,

"Mama! There's some candy that I want to eat and a Ring Pop! A can have the Ring Pop for dessert while I have the candy!"

Oh, how happy I was that my little girl would hand over the contents of a gift given only to her to her sister. I had a little smile on for the rest of the night.

Sure, she might have tried to take the Ring Pop from A once the candy was finished and A was still happily sucking on it...she's nice but not a saint. But even then she took a few licks and gave it back. She's nice enough to even share her germs with her sister!