Abby loves people...

Not just boys... that's another problem altogether we might get to later.

She just enjoys connecting with people. Again, I think she's an extrovert.

So we're driving to swim class and I stop at a stop sign and out of the corner of my eye I notice a woman stopped at the bus stop. Abby laughs:

That Lady waved at me.
(Did you wave back?)
Yeah. (giggle) She was nice.
a few moments later.
And pretty. She was nice and pretty.
a few more moments pass.
I wonder if I could play at her house.
a pause
I wonder if she has any kids I could play with...


And the boys... how did I do this? Believe it or not, Abby was not witness to me flirting up dozens of men during her formative four years on this Earth. And yet, it is obvious, clearly obvious that she is a total flirt. Today in swim class was the first day Steve came by to watch and the first thing Abby does when a new little boy entered the pool was slide up to him with an encouraging smile and a friendly little back pat.

This doesn't actually worry me because (paranoia alert) though I know perverts and the like think kids flirt with them etc, I also think Abby is much too centered to seem like the right target. I mean OBVIOUSLY no one is totally safe - but what I am saying is that I'm not bringing this up because I'm afraid of that factor as much as because it's just... okay, well now that I've brought that up it worries me.

But the MAIN reason I bring it up is because even though I think it is totally sweet and funny I do feel like wearing a shirt that somehow defends, "I didn't coach my daughter to go after boys" even though obviously if I have it would have been through unconscious ways. But REALLY!!! I haven't!!! And I don't protest too much either!!

The funniest thing of all, besides the somewhat dumbstruck look on some of the boys faces, is the look on Steve's face. Which, as you may expect, is a mixture of helplessness and acceptance that his life from here on out is going to be protecting this girl from the boys she most certainly is going to reel in throughout her life.

I really do love that she loves people and I even love that she loves boys (yes yes I see you two with the psychology degrees nodding knowingly - pshaw I love it because she does it on her own, I do not encourage her!! even simply by thinking its sweet and funny). It can obviously be terribly heart wrenching when she's rejected by little friends but its also very heart warming to see her connect with someone. Of course then it goes back to heart wrenching when she is parted from that someone. Oh geez. Parenthood.