Boy Bacon

After a couple of days of difficult situations for Sweetpea she is worn thin. She still struggles socially putting it all together and responding appropriately, especially where others are not. Recently she found herself on the wrong end of the stick and in need of help and rather than resort to her own wisdom or physical retaliation, several times she came to me for help. This is a big milestone for her and I am so pleased that she did come to ME, and not only asked for help but took my words and tried her hardest to put them into practice.

This morning out of the blue as we had a quiet moment before church I took her aside and told her how proud I was that she had done this. Yet, words are cheap to my little sweetheart and they hold little water. Knowing this I saved the best for last and presented her with a reward for her new found skill of "coming to Mama to get help". It was a small l*ego kit of a race car. It was her first such kit and her eyes were round with expectation. I told her she could put it in her backpack and keep it through church and after church while we have lunch with some other families and the adults chat she could do it all by herself.

She was hearing my message that she had done well loud and clear.

It must have burned in her mind all through church because she could barely contain her excitement to break open the box and start once lunch had begun. Practicing patience she waited until after everyone was done and the kids had run off to play and the adults were deep in conversation, she carefully opened the box and read the instructions. She soon realized she needed room to layout the materials and understand the plans so she moved herself to an unprotected coffee table away from me.

What was to come next neither she nor I were expecting...... the boys came as if they could smell bacon a mile away. Some grabbed, some pressed, some leaned, some offered, some stood and their fingers visibly itched to take hold of the project. I had to come to her rescue as I saw the sharks circling. They just couldn't fathom why a girl would have such a juicy morsel all to her self.

She got more than a little practice politely declining help and finally the boys retreated back to the football game and the tackle session that had been taking place. She struggled to understand the diagrams at first but when it was complete she proudly showed it to all and sundry.

Since then that mechanical gifting that I was counting on has conquered this kit and she can do it without diagram and probably blindfolded, mercy me if we ever lose a piece!

It has become a symbol between us of my pride in her and a visual way of reminding her that I am the helper in her life, she who comes to me is well rewarded.