A Great Start to the Weekend!

It feels so good to start the weekend after a stressful week. I should have known after the "Paint Fight" Leilani participated in that it would all go downhill from there. So when Friday rolled around, I praised God that it was finally the weekend! And I was rewarded!

I have been using a reward system for Leilani and Christopher where they get to put marbles in a jar for good behavior, doing chores, and good deeds, and special compliments. It has been going on for 4 months now. It isnt a small jar and there has to be over 200 marbles in there. Leilani has been working towards a coveted Littlest Pet Shop Digital Pet. We bought it when it was on sale a month ago and it has been sitting on the top shelf of my shelf ever since. Friday morning Leilani left to school with 5 marbles shy of completing her jar. God must have known that I was having one of those weeks, and I needed a pick me up. So I don't get stopped and complimented on Leilani's behavior by just 1 person, but by 3 people. A school official that I ran into by the Board of Ed while I was waiting for Christopher to get out of school; a teacher who happened to be at McDonalds picking up lunch, and a little friends mom.

I was in tears when I got home. And getting 3 different people tell me good things about her made me well aware it was from God. Some things I was told prior to hearing from these 3 individuals made me slightly doubt for minute that maybe she doesnt demonstrate her best behavior when she is away from me. After a heart to heart talk with my Mom, who happens to have a degree in psychology and has years of experience working with children and thier parents, my clarity was fully restored. She said that at this age, some kids start to fib. They start saying half truths as well, especially if they have strict parents. Some parents believe 100% that what thier child says is right. And others, like me, know that there are 3 sides to every story. Hers, Hers, and the TRUTH. I always tell Leilani to tell me the truth. I might be disappointed but it is better for her to hear the truth directly from her than for me to find out she fibbed and I hear it from someone else.

Leilani bounced off the bus Friday afternoon beaming! She recieved 2 100's for her math and spelling test and a near perfect schore on her comprehension test. After looking at the question she got wrong, it was a question that she answered with a response that I think I might have chosen too, LOL. So I promptly brought Leilani to her jar, gave her a marble for each of her 100 scores and then took her hands and looked her in her eyes and told her that I am so proud of her for demonstrating her good behavior when she isn't with me. I took the last 3 marbles and told her what each person said and gave them to her. I gave her a huge misty eyed hug. She gave me a huge hug and a kiss and said "Mommy you are the best!"