Isn't she lovely?

Today my daughter launched her modeling career. At 5'7" and magnificently beautiful (no bias here!) she was asked to participate in a program at our church called "Girls by Design." Sixteen junior high and high school girls were asked to be models for the "Modest is Hottest" fashion show. One casual outfit and one dressy outfit were chosen by each girl with the help of a personal shopper at a local department store. What fun!

Beautiful girls, all of them. Tall, short, slender, plump, white, black, one in a wheelchair, the girls were between 11 and 18 years of age.

Yes, I think my daughter is beautiful. I tell her everyday how wonderful she is. However, the speaker pointed out that there is more to building our daughters up than telling them what we think of them. She said that we must be careful what we say about ourselves as well. When we say that we hate our thighs or our legs or our necks, our daughters look at themselves in the mirror and begin to think the same thing. Or worse, they think that since they look like us and will probably continue to look like us as they grow older, then perhaps their thighs and legs and necks aren't beautiful after all. And perhaps we aren't telling them the truth when we say that they are beautiful. All of us Moms gashed when she made that connection.

Per the suggestion of the speaker, I plan to institute MoSo and MoDa days with the kids within the next couple of weeks. What do MoSo and MoDa mean? MotherSon and MotherDaughter outings that aren't just the ride from here to horseback riding or here to baseball practice, but rather special time set aside for me to hang out with each of my children. To talk, to connect, to make sure that I have my finger on the pulse of their lives. To sit across from him and across from her at Starbucks or Carvel or at a playground table and talk. What was the best part of today? Who are your five best male friends and best female friends? What can I pray about for you? Good questions that will prompt good discussion. One child at a time, alone with one parent at a time.

Motherhood is the toughest thing I've ever done. Teaching and learning with them, talking and listening to them, laughing and crying with them, cooking and eating with them, playing tennis and Uno with them, hugging and disciplining them, wiping their tears and cleaning up their spills, putting them to bed and being here when they wake up - there's nothing harder, nothing more demanding, nothing more draining, and nothing more rewarding, nothing more fulfilling, and nothing more important than bringing up this boy and this girl to be all that they were born to become. All that God created them to become.

Yes, she is lovely.
Yes, he is lovely.
I am thankful. I am blessed.
Right now I've got a little boy to go kiss and cuddle with.
What about Kristiana? She's at a NASCAR race with neighbors.
Yup, we're in the South now.