So Proud

We had one of those days that makes a mama proud today - one of those days that makes you realize yet again that what you're teaching is actually sinking in and that you're being watched all the time and that you have a humongous impact on your child's life. One of those days that scares the bejeebers out of you and makes you hope and pray that your life is worthy of being imitated!

Ellie and I spent the afternoon preparing the meals we'll bring with us on vacation. We took it VERY slowly (like I do when I'm trying to be a really good mother!) and I gave her lots of responsibility, which she handled very well. She took charge of several things and did them completely on her own, like straining the olives out of the jar and cutting them up (with a dull orange pumpkin-carving knife) and scraping them into the bowl from the cutting board with the knife exactly the way I do it. It was amazing to watch what little things she's picked up just by watching.


I needed a break after a while, and Ellie suggested that we have some iced tea. She ran outside to pick and wash the mint while I made it (hers was diluted). Then I sat down to read the paper, and Ellie sat next to me and cut "coupons" out of the ads. She said, "I'm working for my family." Then she looked at me and said, "See, Mama? I'm just like you!"

Next she wanted to pack for Breezy, and I told her we couldn't do that until we folded and put away the laundry. She sorted it into piles for me (Mommy's, Daddy's, Ellie's, and "Everybody") and even folded the washcloths without being asked.

Days like this thrill me and scare me. As parents, we have to be so conscientious about our everyday actions, because our children notice them. And perhaps scarier, they pick up the values behind our actions at the same time. Do I help someone to look good, or to serve them? Am I serving with reverence and joy, or out of duty? Am I patient and loving all the time, or just some of it? (Unfortunately, I know the answer to that one.) My daughter notices.