a better end to a crummy day

the day started off pretty rotten, but i have to say that, without going into the long story, that things are looking up.

and i scored some cool mom points today whilst picking up the kiddo from school. she has been dealing with a rotten kid who likes to tease classmates. my kiddo, being the sweet, kindhearted soul she is, stands up for these teased kids, only to have this monster begin harassing her. today she received a mean note from this monster kid. i sent kiddo on her way to do crossing guard duties and, as i was reading the note, i looked over at the monster child and gave her the patented look of parental disapproval. not a sneer, but a definite stare. i told kiddo of this and i received not one, not two, but THREE high-fives!
nobody messes with my kid.

think about it, though -- if there had been even a few times where someone had stood up for the columbine kids, or any other kids who freaked out because they were being teased too much --- maybe it would have made a difference. i like to think that my kiddo is a difference-maker.

but the downside of this sensitive-soul child is that when the harassment is aimed at her, she has a really hard time letting go of it. just as she feels deeply for the kids who are being teased, she feels 10 times that when her feelings are hurt. and she doesn't forget it anytime soon.

case in point: i went to a wedding a few years ago with dustin. our main duty there was to babysit my niece and nephew, therefore it was easier to not take kiddo. kiddo went to her dad's a couple of hours early, and we figured that would be the end of it.
six months go by and one day i find a framed photo of dustin and i from that day flipped down. why? because she didn't get to go, and the photo reminded her of that.

a chip off the old block, she is.