A Red-Letter Day

I developed this habit a few years ago of marking a red X on my calendar at work to designate a good day. I disliked my job so much back then, I started to try and accentuate the positive. Everytime I got a little down about the current day, I could look on my calendar for a red letter and remember the reason(s) I put it there and feel a littler better.

So, in keeping with that, I would like to share my wonderful red-letter day this past Sunday with my daughter. It was one those rewarding, rare moments you need to document to make up for the HOURS of torture and hard work that child-raising can be. Our daughter is a strong, free-spirited, must-be-the-lead-dog kind of child. She is only 3 and we are always butting heads on just the basics of the everyday....like washing hands after going to the bathroom, saying "please", getting dressed, don't run off in the mall ... the list is endless! However, from what I hear, this is common of all 3 year olds.

Back to that red-letter day. She woke up in a wonderful mood. We were going to spend the day putting up the Christmas decorations. She said her pleases with no queenly proclamations such as, "I am thirsty!" She picked out clothes to wear that were actually appropriate for the weather and matched. She dressed herself. She announced that she washed her hands after going potty (and she wasn't lying about it). She combed her hair all by herself. She was grinning with pride at all these accomplishments. I heaped on the praise for all the jobs well-done. She says, "Mommy, you are not made, are you?" I said, "Nope. You are being such a big girl today." It was so pleasant, practically perfect.

Christmas music was playing and she loved it. The decorations were going up (only a few minor curses from the husband dealing with lights blowing fuses). The sun was shining on a crisp day. Ahhh, just a brilliant red-letter day. (Can you see me smiling?)

Then, later that night as we sat in the living room admiring our Christmas decorations, I jokingly asked, "So, do you think we have enough decorations up?" My husband said, "You mean we actually have some left?" (Of course not, silly!) Our daughter puts her finger to her chin and says, "No. We still need pink presents." (Pink is her fav color and her grandparents said they are sending her "pink presents" for Christmas).

I'll be smiling over this day for quite awhile.

PS: Out of curiousity I wanted to know where the expression "red letter day" comes from and found this site: http://www.theanswerbank.co.uk/Article1391.html