The best and worst of being Olivia

Today Olivia was going to join our newly formed Children's Choir. She showed up to the first practice and walked in and didn't know a soul. Her preschool is in our church, but of the nine kids in her class, I think only two are Catholic and only Olivia attends at Immaculate Conception. So, I tried to warn her as she walked in that this was not like singing for Chimes for Charity with her class. I told her she probably would not know anyone, and she might be the youngest, but she just wanted to sing... So off we went. And as soon as she saw the bigger kids that were all strangers, and even the littler kids who she had only seen once or twice at Vacation Bible School, she immediately retreated into my side, tears falling, saying, "But I'm shy!" I tried to give her a choice, get up and try it or come back when she was a little bigger. She just stood there sobbing. Finally, I gathered her to leave. She was devastated. "But I'll do it mommy. I promise." I broke her heart bringing her in the house where she went straight to her bed and wailed. I felt so bad for her. So, I dug out the wonderful book Leo the Late Bloomer about a lion who could do all he wanted to do in good time. I explained that she was like Leo and that she would bloom at just the right time. It seemed to make her feel better. She asked to read it again and we did. When we were done we started talking about her very loose tooth. We joked about which one of us would pull it and laughed and played. The next thing you know, she comes running into the kitchen tooth in hand. Eyes smiling, giggles slipping through where that tooth used to be...she had to run first and show her brother.

After showing Aunt Sam and dictating a note that asked for a toy rather than money (to which the Tooth Fairy responded she only had cash, maybe next time) she settled down (kinda)  and was ready for bed. Then she remembered she had to ask the Tooth Fairy to leave the tooth. She would like to make a necklace... Whatever

Tonight I am thankful for the laughter and learning after the tears. I am grateful that no sad moment can trump a preschooler with a tooth in hand.

4 is hard.
14 is hard.
A few months from 40 is hard...

But I know none of this will last forever... The best or the worst