Gifts from a Little Girl

Yesterday was the first time I received a gift from Abby that surprised me, as in, she didn't just wrap up a toy from her toybox and call it a present. We were eating at Roby's with Eric's parents, and while we graciously allowed them to pay for our meals, I was under the table scooping up various baby items and didn't see Abby loitering by the little quarter machines by the register.

Then we got into the car, which is no small feat with two carseats and winter gear for all four of us, and Eric was pulling out of the parking lot when we heard from the backseat, "Here, Mommy, here," as Abby passed a square, colored piece of gum up to me. Then, "And here's one for Daddy," as she passed another one up; "And here's one for me!" as she ate the last one.

I was so touched by her sweet sharing that I didn't even dwell on the question of whether they were still in the silver dispensing door or on the floor when she found them.

Then, today she made a Valentine for each of us out of the supplies we had lying around from making Valentines for other people. Around 3:00 she looked at me and said with wide eyes, "Mommy, we forgot make a Valentine for you!" (her use of the infinitive is shaky yet)

She disappeared for awhile to return on a mission for a Ziplock bag. She opened the correct drawer, muttering about a plastic bag and I somehow sensed that I shouldn't ask why. A few minutes later she was back with a red rectangle of paper, cut into twice with a zigzag scissors, with blue pen scribbles and a heart sticker, all zipped up in the baggie for me! I'll admit I teared up.

She made Eric's blue, then (same decorations and zipped up in the same baggie I had sneakily returned to the drawer), and he put it in his front shirt pocket until her bedtime. He's already sleeping now, and I just walked by the fridge and saw it neatly pinned up with a magnet.