Sweet and Sour

Tonight as I put Ella to bed we laid talking and telling stories just like every other night. In the midst of conversation I asked her what she wants to be when she grows up. She replied, "I just want to be a mom like you." Cute, right? She went on to say, "I want to be just like you. I want to dress like you, talk like you and be pretty like you," all while gently stroking my face. Talk about sweet!

It's not surprising, Ella is sweet. Everyone she meets instantly falls in love with her, even complete strangers. I was in a good friends wedding a few weeks ago and we let Ella attend the ceremony so she could see the bride in her dress. It was an hour long ceremony which required her to be silent for the most part. Afterwards a woman I had never met approached me at the reception to tell me just how great our little girl is and how much they enjoyed her during the ceremony. She was silent (with the exception of a drawn out Aaaamen)! How, in that short amount of time, could she have enough impact for this woman to take the time and seek me out to tell me about it? Her magic is crazy.

As much as she is sweet, she's just as sour! In the past, when thinking about my hypothetical children, I assumed I'd have more than 3 years before I heard my child say they didn't like me. I was wrong. I can't begin to count how many times I have heard "I don't like you and I'm not your friend anymore."

True to everything she does, Ella is the extreme on both ends of spectrum. When she's sweet she is very gentile, compassionate and complimentary. When she's sour she is aggressive, controlling and full of attitude. For now I will just remind mysef that even after all the sour times we have, she's still a sweet little girl!