Sweet kids

John gave me a sweet present for Mother's Day (with the tremendous help of his teacher!). John's teacher asked the children in her class to make their moms cards for Mother's Day, which they did using paint, marker, and fancy cardstock, with a message to mom inside. Each child spoke the message aloud and the teacher wrote it in the card and then the child signed his name. Here is John's message to me:

"Dear mom, I love you so much and I like it when you give me minty gum. Thank you for giving me soda only when we go on trips. I really like your broccoli and cheese soup, but you don't make it anymore. Love, John"

A few comments. Can you imagine what John's teacher was thinking with the mention of gum and soda at the top of John's favorites list? Yes, we win the award for allowing our children to have sweet treats when they are good. What a great, nutritionally-minded mom that I am! I don't understand John's fascination with mint gum but he sure does love it, as anyone who has spent much time with him can attest. The last sentence boggles my mind too. I have never made broccoli and cheese soup (I think he was referring to broccoli and rice casserole with cheese, which I have made in the past, and which I stopped making because the kids suddenly decided that they didn't like my version), but I did find it funny that John's entire message was about food. Fitting, given my love of cooking. It's just too bad that John never wants to eat much of what I prepare. Maybe I should try broccoli and cheese soup.

Amelia has also been sweet lately. She made a special effort to make Scott a card the other night. Just as she was finishing her work at the kitchen table, she spied him out the back windows as Scott walked from the garage to the backdoor. Amelia shreiked, "Daddy's home, but I am not finished with my card and I don't want him to see it!". This is what it said (words spelled as Amelia wrote them):

On the front: Happy Father's Day!
Inside (with peace signs and a skull and crossbones (!) as decoration): A poem for you...I know it's not Father's Day to early but not late. Making a father's day card for you makes me feel great!"

When Amelia presented her card to Scott and he saw the cover, he suggested that perhaps it would be better if she saved the card for June. But Amelia insisted he take the card now, as she said "I promise you will like it!" Very sweet.