Children have a funny way of dashing your last bit of self-etsteem don't they. That is, what little is left after pregnancy and nursing.

But they do it so sweetly.

DS said to me the other day, as I was about to walk out the door "are you going to fix your hair?" My hair was fixed, really fixed, but he likes the "mommy pony-tail look" that I usually sport.

He also told me "Mom, you're a great mommy"

I pressed on: "why do you think I'm a great mommy?"

His reply: "well, because you're nice, but sometimes you're not."

Me: fake smiling. I should have stopped while I was ahead.

And...

I was prayed for the other day by the three year old. It was bitter-sweet in that she used what I guess is her new term of endearment for me. "And dear Lord," she said as she was finishing up her prayer, "thank you for my great big mommy."

Aren't they sweet?

Children and the things they say are sometimes like a great paradox. And my mind play tricks on me with it. You could easily say "oh they're children, they don't mean what they say" or you could also say "oh they're children, they say what they mean." Maybe you could sum it all up by saying this: children mean what they say, but do not know what they said really meant.

I feel better already.