Conference moira::parenting

    This is a great new note!  I hope to see lots of entries!  I have two
    stories - they are not as touching as yours, but still sweet and show
    how loving/caring my son is.
    
    Matthew is almost 6.  On Mother's day this year he was putting together
    a card for his Nana (who lives up the street) to go along with the
    gift we had gotten her.  After he finished it, he started on another
    one.  On this one he taped a dollar bill that he had taken out of his
    bank.  I said something about "Nana would like that" and he said
    "This is for Papa".  "Papa? But it's mother's day, not father's day", I
    said.  "I know", he said, "but Nana is getting so many nice presents
    today that I didn't want Papa to feel bad!"
    
    Then, several months ago, his Aunt took him and his cousin to play at
    Chuck E. Cheese's.  They got lots and lots of tickets to trade in for
    some toys.  When Laura (his Aunt) asked him what he wanted to get, he
    pointed to a rope bracelet.  "Matthew", she said, "That's a bracelet -
    are you sure you want that?".  "Yes", he said, "I want to get it for
    my Mommy"!!   I was touched!  It's unusual to find a child who would 
    think of getting something for someone else instead of a toy for
    themselves!  Very unselfish.
    
    Lila
    

    Mine is short but very dear to me.
    
    
    I was sad one night to the point of not being able to hide it well.
    I was kneeling on the floor removing something from the cabinet under
    my sink. I stopped for a moment and placed my head on my arm with my
    eyes closed. All of a sudden I felt these little arms go around me 
    and my 4 yr old cradled my head on his little shoulder and sang
    Rock a baby, as he calls it, to me. Once finished he touched my face
    and said, "Mommy you are so beautiful".

    
    
    RE: past replys....I still have tears in my eyes, thinking how
    wonderful these children are.
    
    I, like the previous noter, had recently had a bad day (I'm eight
    months along, so it could be related to hormones).  I was feeling
    really down about some things and I was in my room with my daughter who
    is just 13 months old, and I was on the floor trying to organize some
    things.  I had stopped to put my hand on my belly to feel the baby kick
    and was thinking about the fact that I should be happy but was just
    feeling really down, when Kathleen came over and she rubbed my belly
    like she pets the dog and I told her that she was being nice to the
    baby, she then proceeded to lift my shirt and kiss my belly!  (she
    always kisses pictures of babies or wants to kiss real babies when she
    sees them).  
    
    Well, there went my bout of depression....I hugged her and smothered
    her with kisses and we proceeded to roll around and "wrestle".  She
    just really made my day.  I love her so much!
    
    Thanks to the basenoter for starting this note.
    
    

    Let's see if I can read what I'm typing through all these tears...
    
    My daughter Krystin (6 yrs) noticed that I was fighting a killer 
    headache and said to me, "Mom, I'm going outside to play for a few
    minutes so that you can relax, okay?"  She was only gone for about 10
    minutes when she came back in the house and gave me some little
    flowers.  Actually, I think they were weeds, but they were pretty just
    the same.  When I said, "thank you honey.  They're beautiful!"  Her
    reply was, "Not as beautiful as when you smile, Mom"
    
    That did it...I smiled for the next 3 hours, headache or not!
    
    

    You know, this brings back a memory I've been carrying from back
    last April.  I had meant to write about it then, but never did.
    
    Angeline was about 19 mths old.  One day I had spoken with a man
    I had been seeing for a few months.  We decided to call it quits,
    stay friends, all that good stuff.  I thought I had handled it well.
    I hadn't realized how deep the dissappointment was.
    
    That night I was laying in bed with Angeline.  I was starting to relax,
    and I guess it all kind of "hit" me and I started crying.  I thought
    Angeline was asleep.  I heard a little, kind of - giggle, out of her.
    I guess she thought I was playing some kind of game.  When I looked
    up at her, she looked at me and I guess she realized Mama was really
    crying, something she'd never seen.
    
    She reached right over with that sweet, pudgy, arm of hers and put
    it around my neck and snuggled her face in against mine.  We fell
    asleep nose to nose with her hugging me.   I remember thinking, 
    "I expect this won't be the last time one of us comforts the other
    over a man".   I can only hope (bizarre as this sounds) that it's
    her comforting me.  I wish I could protect her forever from heartache.
    
    
    						cj *->

    CJ, Angeline is a good hearted little girl.  She always gives Aaron
    something when we come (a book or a toy).  When Aaron had the "boo-boo"
    on his finger last week (he'd fallen and scraped it), she saw his
    bandaid and come running over to give it a kiss "and make it better".
    
    sandy

    Cody has been my main source of comfort. He always comes and hugs me
    and does "squishies" (hugging real hard and wiggling as we do it to
    make it appear as every ounce of strength goes into the squeeze).
    
    Most children are incredible, so untainted, so loving.
    
    I am in constant awe at how Cody gives and takes and shares.....
    
    At daycare I cringe for him when I see another child take something
    from him or shun him. My heart breaks a little for him as he is (or
    was) such a gentle spirit.
    
    Everyday is is exposed to and challenged by new and aggresive and
    negative bahavior. But still he remains giving and kind... why can't
    alot of adults be the same?
    

    One Saturday afternoon a couple of weeks ago, I stretched out on the
    living room sofa to read a magazine, and as usually happens when I get
    horizontal, I fell asleep almost immediately.  A few minutes later, I
    heard some giggles and "sshh"-es, and then I felt something soft
    against my face.
     
    When I opened my eyes a few minutes after that, I saw my kids tucking
    me in with an afghan and a stuffed toy.  To top it all off, I dozed off
    again, and *they actually let me sleep for almost an hour.*
    
    Gotta love it....
    
    
    

    re.8
    
    That is so sweet!  They get so proud of themselves when they do
    things like that, don't they?!
    
    I expect the base note is still beeming over how wonderfully mature
    her son was.  Something you'll never forget.
    
    						cj *->

    yup I am - 
    also, 2 days ago I found out the hard way that we ran out of pullups
    and Cody had to wear underpants......he refuses to wear pullups anymore
    and to now has had no accidents.
    
    
    Kate - I love the tuck em' in story as I did all of the others,
    
    Please people keep them pouring. It's sooo good for the soul to hear
    these.
    

    
    	Yesterday was my husband's birthday.
    
    	After dinner, we brought down the gifts that I had bought
    	him, along with the cards the kids had made.
    	
    	After all the gifts were opened, Emily said, "There's one
    	more gift for you, Daddy.  It's up in my room."
    
    	My husband asked what it was, and she said, "My money
    	that Victoria gave me."
    
    
    	(Last week, Emily's friend gave her a penny, which Emily
    	cherished and stored right away in her jewelry box.)
    
    	I almost cried.
    
    

    -.1
    
    re: "I almost cried."
    
    I did!
    
    Beth

    Karen,
    
    That was great!
    
    Yesterday we were getting ready to go out and Sarah (almost 5) and
    Kimberly (22 mos) were sitting on the stairs.  Sarah was tying her
    shoes and when she finished she (unasked) put Kimberly's on and tied 
    them for her.  As soon as Sarah had finished, Kimberly wrapped her 
    arms around Sarah, gave her a big kiss and said "I love you, Sarah."
    
    Another teary eyed moment.
    
    /Susan

    While I was getting dinner ready last night, I heard the following
    exchange between Niki (4) and KC (8).
    
    Niki (out of the blue): "I love you KC"
    
    KC: "I love you, too. You're a great sister. I wish there were
         a gazillion Nikis. But only if they could all be like you."