Cookies for compliments?

My daughter notices things that I often overlook. She sees which houses have 2 chimneys and which ones don't. She sees the kitty cat in someone's window or that a storefront in town has changed since the last time we passed by.  She knows how to read people's faces and can see when they are sad or mad because of how their eyes look.  She can tell when I have on new socks. She sees everything. She notices everything. She tells me everything.

Today Emalee wasn't feeling well so she stayed home from school.  Poor little dear, her little eyes were watery and I can't tell you how many times she has sneezed today.  We are on box #2 of Kleenex and she just feels rotten.  We made a trip to the drugstore to pick up a different kind of allergy meds than those she had been taking and I promised her a milkshake when we finished up at the store.  While waiting to pay the cashier in the drive-thru, Emalee says, "Tell her I like her necklace.  It's really pretty."  So I do just that.  Again I hadn't even noticed the necklace.  This changed the girl's face from sad or unfeeling to the brightest smile you have ever seen.    Emalee then says, "Mommie, I think I made her day!  That made her smile!"  The next thing is what is unexpected and sweet at the same time.  She gave Emalee some cookies.  Now I am thinking to myself - oh great... now Emalee now thinks that compliments equal cookies.  Then she amazes me yet again, "Mommie, I would have told her I liked her necklace without the cookies. That was really nice of her.  I made her smile and now she made me smile."

Every day is like that with my sweet girl.  There is always something for me to learn from her. It  has been that way since she was born.  I thought parenting would be so much about teaching my children but I am finding each day that it is completely the other way around.

Today I learned that I need to notice more.  And that cookies given from a compliment taste even sweeter.