Tonight Alex came down at 8:40 pm on the dot.
Mom, come tuck me in?
Alex, are you going to bed now?
Yes. Last night you said.
I had completely forgotten that I told him and Rylee they had to be to bed at 8:40 pm. Twenty minutes early because they were up 20 minutes past their bed time last night. Good grief, my parenting skills are lacking.
I was so proud of him for following through on his own.
He had walked home from school today with TWO girls and at dinner tonight he proudly announced that one of them HUGGED him! While I tucked him in we talked a little more about kisses. We talked about how 5th grade is just too young for kissing or even thinking about them.
He agreed.
He said he'll wait until he's seventeen. (Well, that's better than twelve right?)
I then told him HIS kisses were just too special to give to just any girl and even when he's seventeen he better really like her and think she's special.
He agreed again.
When I praise Alex or tell him he's special he just lights up. His eyes just twinkle. It's like it fills him up from the inside. I've never seen it so visible in a child before. Of course everyone likes to be told they're good at things, or special but with Alex it's like he's been so deprived of praise and love in his little life that he just basks in it.
I leaned down and told him he could always give his special kisses to me and with that he planted one right on my cheek.