A little bit of pride...

I learned early on with Jaycee that kids are a source of great pride in a parent's life. When she was little, I was so proud that she was a happy girl and that she was being fed well and that she had everything she needed. As Jaycee and Jayden grow, I notice that the things I am proud of change.

I have noticed that when you have a baby in a stroller or cart, they are mostly invisible to people (except to baby lovers). As they gain communication skills, the invisible effect disappears. Today at Costco, Jaycee was standing at the check out with Jess and the checker struck up a conversation with her. I was so proud to watch her interact with an adult we identified as safe. She was very sure of herself. She stood tall with her hands on her hips in a confident way and looked him in the eyes as he asked questions. The conversation went like this:

Checker: What is your name?

Jaycee: My name is Jaycee

C: How old are you Jaycee?

J: Uhhh ( a slight pause as she situates her fingers to show only two) I'm two

C: You are a very smart little girl, aren't you?

J: Yes (hands on hips)

With that she said bye and was on her way. When I saw her standing there confident and sure of herself, I couldn't help but think we are doing something right. I don't mean that in a bragging way, but it was a real boost to my belief in our parenting methods. I always told Jess that I want to raise my kids to be confident, competent, and kind people. Today I saw two of those attributes displayed right in front of me. Now if we could just work on he kindness...