Yesterday, a little while after Emma Claire got home from school, I was in Henderson's room changing his diaper when Emma Claire RAN back there to me as fast as she could. In her exasperated, silly voice she said "Mommy, why did you kiss me at school in front of my friends this morning?"
Let me back up....yesterday, Emma Claire had an eye appointment at 8:00, so I took her to that (which her eye is improving greatly with the patching each day, praise God - it will never be perfect, but improvement is GOOD!!!) and then I took her on to school around 8:45. Of course all her friends were already sitting at their tables working on their assignments, so we were kind of "center stage". I helped her get her back unpacked and then bent down for a quick goodbye kiss. She kissed me back and I left.
Back to the afternoon. I asked her repeatedly why she didn't want me to kiss her at school and she kept saying "I don't know, just because". Then I asked her if anyone laughed at her and she said "No". I still couldn't get much out of her and then she finally said she didn't know WHO laughed at her, but she heard SOMEONE. I was holding Henderson at the time, so I started kissing him all over and he was laughing hysterically and I told her "I kiss those I love." I told her I will always kiss her and SHE BETTER Kiss me back!!!! I jokingly told her she better go back to school tomorrow and tell whomever laughed at her "that she has the coolest, most beautiful, best mom in the world and she's gonna kiss her no matter what!" This made Emma Claire start laughing and she ran up to me and started kissing me all over my face!!! We laughed and laughed and rolled around in the floor together.
A sad moment was turned into fun, but I know there was some truth there and that too soon, peer pressure will start seeping into my little girls life and she will face struggles and decisions that she is far too young to deal with. I pray God will give her the srength and grace to always do the RIGHT, BEST thing.
On another note, I sent Emma Claire out the door today with a challenge. Her challenge of the day was to "Help Someone". It may be her teacher, her friend, or someone she doesn't even know their name, but she is to help them without being asked. Hopefully she'll remember throughout the day and I can't wait to hear what she's done! I hope to have a new challenge each day!!!