Sweeter, Less Surly

I don't know what it is that has made Maeve a little sweeter these days. Maybe her social skills are improving, and we're reaping the benefits of that, or maybe her empathy is growing, or maybe her communication is just getting better. I don't know what the reason is, but my surly, combative three-year-old has slowly morphed into a sweet, intelligent four year old.

I mean, she's still surly on occasion, but it's fading.

Like when I sing her lullabies at night, she nearly always interrupts me; you would think this would annoy, but she's usually singing me her own "I love you" song. So I stop, wait, and listen to her sing awhile.

And this year on Thanksgiving, when we had a brief discussion on gratitude, Maeve said she was thankful for Patches, Dad, and me, each for specific reasons. She said she was grateful for me because "she's nice to me and gives me ice cream which makes me feel good inside".  And any mom will tell you that being a mom doesn't really make you feel like you're being nice to your children most of the time, so I took that as a very high compliment.

All that to say, she seems sweeter these days. And no one appreciates that more than I do.