Tender-hearted

On Friday, my kids from student teaching had their first grade program, and Ellie came with me. We arrived a little later than planned, so we stood in the back of the gym. I stood next to a grandma and some grandkids. I put Ellie down, because let's face it...she's gettin' heavy!! I looked down at her and I saw she was fixated on something on the floor. I got a better look, and I realized it was a potato bug (rollie-pollie). The only problem, a little boy was playing with it.

Ellie watched the little boy continually run over the potato bug with his toy car. As soon as he walked away from the potato bug, Ellie hurried and swooped it up. When he returned he demanded that Ellie give him the bug back, because he had it first. Ellie hid it behind her back, but reluctantly gave it to him when he grabbed her hand. Not wanting to intervene, I just watched. The little boy continued to hit the potato bug with his car. I looked down at Ellie and her eyes had welled up with tears, so I picked up that heavy girl and hugged and love her while she cried about the poor potato bug.

I thought the one occasion was just a fluke...sure she's sweet and all, but she's a kid, right? Well, last night Dan was gone at an RSL game. Ellie and I decided to make some Muddy Buddies. She was being so good that I decided I would let her stay up a little later than planned.

I was channel surfing and stopped on Little Women on the movie channel. We were just catching the tail end of the movie when Jo returned home to be with her ailing sister Beth. Ellie was asking me lots of questions like "what's wrong with that girl in bed?", "why is she sick?", etc. When Beth died, I looked over at Ellie, and she was crying!! She looked at me and said, "This show is making me cry!!".

And I thought she only cried about going to her room!!