My DS7 was getting upset when his twin brother was playing with a same-aged boy on our block and was not joining them. We talked about it one day at bedtime and he said he was just 'never ready' and things like that. He always wanted to play with just the two of them and wasn't doing well getting used to a third being added to the mix. He was never excluded, but wouldn't join in and was feeling left-out. We talked until he was more comfortable that he wasn't being left-out and could go join in whenever he was ready. I didn't ask his brother to change anything about playing with his friend. DS is not exactly shy, except at first, but is slow to accept changes. I am similar and refer to it as an 'inertia' issue, but I digress.

Two days later, the boys were eating lunch and his brother was planning to go and play with the other boy right after. Before going he stopped, turned around, and asked asked DS if he was ready to play, then offered to wait a few minutes if it would help. To my utter amazement, DS asked for 5 minutes, which his brother agreed to, and then all three friends had a full afternoon full of full-participation play!

This may be a bit of a subtle 'brag'. I am so very proud that they both compromised and completely solved the difficulty in a way I hadn't suggested.

That is a big deal because it's one little step in the right direction. Your a caring loving Mom who pays attention. How wonderful you were aware and could help the kids.

A funny from Chico (4): he's written "a murder mystery about cosmologists who get shot, and it's called 'The Big Bang!'"

peace
minnie

Min, that's wonderful! You can be so proud of both of them--it's a lovely story.

peace
minnie

I been tellling my DD6 for years that she is a "Can Do Girl!" to help encourage her to feel good about being capable.

Today she was doing a dance. I said that looks like the can can. She said they call it that because when you raise you hand and kick it's like you are happy you can. I thought this was wonderful thinking.


Today, she was reading to me and read 50,000 correctly. I was very surprised.

My first brag. This just happened and it was one of those moments that caught me by surprise.

I was sitting having lunch with dd5. She seemed lost in thought.

Me: What are you thinking about?

dd5: I'm just thinking that I really like my life.

Me: What do you mean?

dd5: Just that I'm lucky I have such a great family. A nice house. We live in a really good state with a children's museum and a zoo. I go to a great school. We go on field trips. I'm really lucky.

Me: (silence)

dd5: Thanks for picking out such a nice house for us, mom, and choosing for us to live here.

Me: (eyes full of tears) You're welcome.

Wow!!!!! How did she gain such appreciation. I think that is very remarkable.

Thanks, onthegomom. She has always been a sensitive kid, but I have no idea where this came from.

Honestly, when I asked "what are you thinking?" I fully expected the answer to be, "Can I have a cookie after lunch?"

They never fail to surprise you.

Irish - that is an awesome story about your DD5!

Minnie - love the puns. Adorable.

My brag is about my DD2.75 and the food chain. After a big rainstorm we found a 3 inch potato bug floating in our fountain. DD adores these bugs. But after a full day of carrying it around in a cup, we concluded the bug was indeed dead. The next morning, the potato bug was lying on the patio, swarmed by tiny ants. "Get away, ants! Get away from my potato bug!" DD yelled. She wanted to play with it.

I explained that ants eat dead bugs and were likely very excited to find this big one. DD picked up the bug with a toy shovel and put it in the garden saying, "There you go, ants. Enjoy your bug meal." A drowned slug showed up in the fountain, too, so DD immediately delivered it to the garden, saying, "Here you go, ants! Here is a dead slug for you, too."

Phew.

Mr W took the paper behind the couch last Sunday.

He pulled out the advertising circulars.

Then sat there reading each one. He would hold it up, "read" a page, then flip to the next.

When DW went back there to throw it all away, he threw a fit and pulled the papers from her hands and restacked them.