A Big Heart

I didn't think it was possible for Maddux to shock me anymore, as she finds new ways to surprise everyone around her each day. But in the last few weeks Maddux has shown some crazy empathy and proactive kindness and protection in unexpected ways. Yes, she gives her brother random candy 'prizes' she earns at church, and yes, she hugs the bus driver when she boards in the morning (just because), but she's taken this compassion to a new level. I've been trying to explain 'big heart' to her as I always say it to her, but she keeps asking about the physical size. So far, all I've been able to do for her is say that the love in her heart is big.

No doubts about it, Maddux will be a great big sister, she is already an amazing little sister, and one day she'll be the best mother any child could hope for. (Sidenote: when we talk about where Maddux was when Eli was born, I always tell her 'my heart'. She knows she wasn't in my stomach at the same time as he was, but she was already in my heart. The other day she told me she has 100 babies in her heart. I don't doubt it.) Also, she is a cool friend. Two things came up recently that she did on her own, with no teaching:

• A week or so ago, Maddux lent one of her prized Disney princess dolls to a friend (Merida - the newest 'princess'). She was happy to do it and offered the doll up on her own. When it came time for her friend to return the doll, her mother saw a small rip in the doll's dress and asked me if it was already there. I honestly didn't have any idea. The parents know Maddux very well, so they asked her (when I was not there) and Maddux hemmed and hawed a little, saying, "No, but it's ok...REALLY! It's not a big deal." Seriously? How does she know to downplay something like that to spare their embarrassment or bad feelings for having slightly damaged one of her toys? 
• Maddux has a friend in her class that gets a little anxious when her mom comes to visit. She loves the visit but does not love the departure. When said mom has come into the class to help in the past, Maddux has reassured her friend when she starts to cry, "Don't worry - you'll see her at home real soon!" This last week, she stepped up her game. The mom (a friend of mine) told me that her daughter was fine through the time she was there, but when she stood up to leave, Maddux immediately found a classroom task that needed to be done and called out to her friend to help her with it, almost as a distraction tactic. The mom even said Maddux brushed off another child who was offering to help since the little girl wasn't responding to Maddux. I wish I knew where she got it, and I wonder how much of it I can learn from her.