Ruthie Grows

When she gets up in the morning, she can now peek over the edge of the playpen and make noise until we notice her. It's wicked cute.

Awhile back, Kristin Putchinsky (also known as ellen cherry), who I met while teaching at Park Camps, was telling me that she thinks the most important thing to teach kids is not to be smart, or to change the world, but to be kind.

I couldn't agree with her more. I don't care if my little girl gets a degree from Harvard and starts a foundation for some grand cause that's guaranteed to tug at people's heart strings and solve world hunger. If she's a nasty person, it's not going to mean much in the end. If, in everything she's done, she's steamrolled over others and ignored their needs for her own agenda, I will be a very sad mother.