Satisfaction

Well, it didn't quite go according to plan, but days rarely do, and this was a good one regardless. :) I was supposed to sign off a student for a solo cross-country today, but the winds were too strong for them. So I thought I'd go flying this morning myself in the Baron or T-6, but by the time I got done with all my errands, I was too short on time prior to Glenndale's lunch hour, so I went ahead and went out to the airport. Afterwards, Steve and I tried to arrange a time to go. Kaylee decided she just did NOT want to go out to the airport, so Steve agreed to hang with her at home instead of being my first helpless passenger in a T-6, much to her high appreciation, but he didn't get home until after 5 pm, and by that time I had a whole 22 minutes prior to sunset. It takes 20 minutes to get to the airport, and a cold dark night flight wasn't quite what I had in mind for the T-6. Sunday looks like a good day though. A little warmer, sunny, a little bit of wind to play with. :)

I love those moments when your child does something that shows that she "gets" it, probably better than most adults, including you. Kaylee's shoes had come apart on her, so I got her a new pair of tennies as a surprise. They have Tinkerbelle on them, because she still likes Tinkerbelle. Miss M at school had told her that Tinkerbelle was for "stupid babies", but Kaylee was still resisting that, because she said that there's nothing wrong with liking Tinkerbelle. So I warned her that Miss M might have something negative to say about her new shoes, and to not let it get to her-that if she liked them, that's what is important. Kaylee looked at me and said "Oh, Mommy, I think we solved that." "You solved what?" "M saying mean things. I sat down and talked to her about it and I think we solved it." "You did??" She looks at me with a duh look and says "Well, yes. I told her that I didn't appreciate it when she said mean things, and that if she kept it up she wouldn't have any friends because none of us like it when she is mean to us, and she told me that she already doesn't have friends really and that she'd like it if we could start fresh. I said okay. So I think we solved it." So matter-of-factly.

I'd told Kaylee to try talking to M several times in the past, but Kaylee always said "She won't listen, Mom". So we moved on to "try to ignore it", which is hard for anybody. Then it went to "I talked to the teacher but she doesn't hear any of it." I'm glad that instead of escalating to the next level, the kids took it into their own hands properly. I had honestly given up on M being nice, but the kids hadn't. Kaylee was willing to talk to M and tell her what her problem with M was and what the consequences were, and M was willing to listen and try to change and do better. And the girls run off to recess together playing "Spy Kids" like nothing ever happened. Oh, if only adults could still be like-or at least learn from-7 year olds sometimes. I'm proud of her. She danced on that fine line of "standing up for yourself" and "turn the other cheek". Who knows if M can maintain niceness or not, but regardless, she is trying, and Kaylee did it right, and I'm proud of both of them. :)