seven

My darling girl is seven.

The other night at bedtime she read a book to me.   I smiled at how well she read thinking back to when she was 3 and 4 and would cry because she couldn't read on her own.

We put the book down and I turned off the light.   She rolled over and nuzzled me and then started chatting.

Cha:  Mom, do you like to be called Mama or Mommy ?

Me:  I like to be called whatever you feel like calling me.

Me: What do you like me to call you?

Cha: I like it when you call me Char or Baby Bear but I'd really like it if you called me Sunshine Bear because it reminds me of you singing You are My Sunshine every night and it makes me feel loved.

My sweet, little, innocent girl.  At times she can be so challenging but she has the most amazing heart.

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Monday night we went to our town's Halloween parade.   She and I went alone while Matt stayed home studying.  Driving around trying to find a parking space was tough.  Especially since I forgot my glasses. I've got a bit of night blindness going on and some of our streets are barely lit.  I asked Cha to help me look, since my glasses were at home.  We eventually found a good spot and had fun at the parade. 

Yesterday she had her 7 year well check.  The first thing she said when we got in the car was 'Do you have your glasses?'   I love how she knows me.

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We are having some issues with friends, or rather who should be considered friends.   There are a group of girls who are not nice to her.  She's become a target of sorts and it's super difficult to witness, much less experience.  I've made calls to all the proper people but what it comes down to is that there are some not nice people in the world.  There are people who are rude and mean, who want nothing more than to make you cry or feel uncomfortable about yourself.   Those people can be nice and friendly and then suddenly strike out with unkind words leaving you to feel awful about yourself.  Those people are not friends.  They may invite you to play but that doesn't mean they have good intentions.

So my baby girl is learning about being the better person. About being polite and civil and being friendly to all. She is learning that people may not like you but that's okay.  Not everyone has to like you and you don't have to like everyone.

She has wonderful friends both in and outside of school.   She had a lovely birthday celebration with two of her BFFs from class.  They went to a movie, then shopping and finally stopped for some frozen yogurt.  There was lots of laughter and smiles and fun girl chatter.  That, my dear Sunshine Bear, is what friendship is all about.