Cub Scout Popcorn

Caleb became a Cub Scout this year and has the job of selling popcorn as a fundraiser. Not wanting to bother our neighbors, Ted and I have put off the task until this weekend. I hoped that Caleb would have at least one customer given the price of the popcorn (most of the money goes to scouting) and the state of the economy. We have been amazed by the generosity and support of our neighbors. He's had close to a 100% success rate. Caleb loved the experience and says this has been the best part of scouting so far. I even had a pretty good time meeting neighbors and finding out where kids we know from school live. Caleb happened upon a little boy from his kindergarten class, and the mom invited him to come in and play video games. They are a really sweet family, but when I came over to pick him up a while later, he was upset because he wished he could have been selling popcorn. He even met a little boy from his 2nd grade class who we had no idea lived just across the street and down a couple doors. He's an only child, and the mom was really friendly and said to please come and knock any time Caleb would like to play. And to think I thought there were no boys Caleb's age near our house! Whoever could have thought that selling popcorn could be such a positive experience. What wonderful neighbors we have!

Do you love me?

Of my children, Sierra is usually the one I have the most trouble relating to. I often worry that I'm not giving her what she needs since we're so different from each other. Thankfully, she seems to think I'm doing all right. She's the child who always tells me what a great mom I am and that she loves me SOOOO much. She writes me piles of love letters and drawings that accumulate outside my bedroom, on the kitchen counter, and on the refrigerator door. Caleb is usually reserved in his praises, and he would rather die than admit he loves me. I always tell him I love him, and then he'll pause for a second and say goodbye or good night. I've told him he's too old to act that way until he grows whiskers on his chin, and I've even joked about installing a little "I Love You, Mommy" button in his hand that I can squeeze when I want to hear those words. Madeline, of course, is a little young to express all her feelings, but she's getting really good at parroting everything we say to her. I keep telling her I love her and sometimes repeat it again hoping she'll catch on and say it back. I've thought maybe those words were just hard for her to pronounce until I heard her this weekend telling her yellow lab stuffed puppy clear as day, "I love you, doggy." What does it take to get some love around here? Thank goodness for hugs and kisses and Sierra.