More than Just a Pretty Face

When I was growing up, I had a very close friend who was always referred to as being "so pretty."  I'll admit it, I was jealous.  She was always the pretty one, and I was referred to as the smart one.  For the longest time, I thought that I wasn't pretty, because I was just the smart one.  Then one day when I was in my early twenties, I woke up one day and realized, it wasn't that I wasn't pretty as well.  It's just that my friend wasn't smart, so they had to make her feel special, too. 

Keeping that in mind, I've realized lately that I spend a lot of time referring to Sophia in terms of how beautiful and pretty she is.  And just as I spent my whole childhood thinking that I wasn't pretty, I don't want my daughter to spend her childhood thinking she isn't smart.  Therefore, I've been making a conscious effort to praise Sophia in different ways as well.  I tell her how sweet she is, how smart she is, and what a ham she is. 

And now I'd like to brag about how creative she is!

See, Mom - it's not just a basket to hold toys!

I can dump it out and pretend it's a chair or a car, too!  Pretty creative, huh?

Oh yes, and I'm pretty, too!