Valentine's surprise

I have one more week until I can afford to send Bella back to preschool. One more long, busy, child-centered week that just happens to be the same week that I have three different projects and a fundraiser to complete. I watch every minute-hour-day tick by on the clock, knowing I'll be up at all hours of the night to complete my deadlines.

But those are adult issues that my sweet Bella Wayne isn't -- and shouldn't -- be affected by. Rather than attempt to work with her climbing on my shoulders, kicking at the laptop, or plundering through hidden recesses that only she can find, we decided to spend the morning making Valentine's Day crafts. We cut and glued and stamped and painted to our hearts' content.

But something heart-soaring happened in the middle of it all. On a whim, I asked Bella to draw me a B since we've been doing a lot of work on letters over the past week. She asked me, "What da B wooks yike?" I drew it and handed her the crayon. And there it was:

After much cheering and high fiving, I asked her to draw another B on the little Valentine's card she made for Grandma ... and she did:

I'm still watching the clock and my deadlines haven't moved, but I'm feeling a little less stressed out and harried about meeting them. The words will be written, the sites will be updated, and the world will keep turning. But my daughter wrote her first letter and I was right there beside her guiding and cheering her on. That's the point. The whole of it. Right there.

I know I'm a slow learner, but I may finally be getting it.

(This entry is linked to Wordful Wednesday.)