Let's Lighten Things Up A Bit...

I've been much too dark lately, I know this and I apologize to all of you wonderful people who have been reading all this downer stuff - commenting so nicely - and probably feeling like "Shit, when is she gonna stop?!?"  Well, that time is now!

My eldest and middle child started back to school yesterday, for my middle child it was his first day of Kindergarten.  Of course, I had planned to hang around long after the bell rang - my daughter had, after all, almost blown a blood vessel when I tried to leave her on her first day - but my son, he is a different beast all together.  As I stood there clasping his little hand in mine, he looks up at me and says "Mommy, why are you still here?"  Isn't he sweet?  I stifled my smile and said, "I'm here for you, when you are ok with me leaving; then I'll leave".  He dropped my hand faster than a hot potato and said, "I'm fine, Mommy - you can go".  So I left, and the tears slowly ran down my cheeks as I walked to the fifth grade classroom where my daughter was waiting to go into class.

As I approached her, I saw that she was crying; but my husband was there and she hadn't seen me yet, so I slowed down and moved out of her line of sight.  I know, it sounds bad - right?  I wanted to give him the opportunity to handle it and I knew that she would lose it even worse if she saw me (to be fair, we recently moved and so she is starting a new school as a fifth grader with no friends).  My husband was dealing with the anxiety; but the teacher came out, recognized the situation; then instantly fixed any and all problems...YAY TEACHERS!

I went and spent the next few hours chasing my littlest one around the house, cleaning where I could.  When I went back to pick up my son, the teacher pulled me aside.  I'm thinking..."Crap! What could he have possibly done?"  She then tells me that my son is (and I am quoting her here) "Probably the nicest, most well behaved boy I've ever taught" HOLY SHIT!!!  She then went on to explain what a "bucket filler vs. a bucket dipper" is (if you are as confused as I was, click here), and then told me that my son does this naturally.  She used words like "loving" and "kind" and "sweet" and "thoughtful" and "helpful", then the final coup de gras..."wise beyond his years".  I was floored.  It seems my son is a bucket filler and NOT a bucket dipper.

I have to tell you that I am exceedingly happy.  The book in question, "Have You Filled a Bucket Today?" by Carol McCloud, is used at my kids school in conjunction with their anti-bullying education; it's a pretty straightforward book that gets right to the heart of the matter.  I am glad that I've been introduced to it, and I think perhaps it should be used in a more widespread manner.

So here is the point of this post (besides a bit of bragging on my part)...

Do you, gentle readers, know of other children's books that have an excellent message?  I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE, message books - and I especially love clever authors that hide their message in a fantastically entertaining book that children adore!

I can't wait to hear from all of you!

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