Marcia! Marcia! Marcia!

It is strange when your kids get old enough to be better than you in some areas. Aside from surpassing me in the ability to remember things, I'm pretty sure ARG exceeds both Hubby and me intellectually. He's got the smarts - ya know? Book smarts. Idea smarts.

I don't write much about my middle daughter, Rosie. She almost 9 and is about the sweetest, most innocent, friendly, easy going kid you can imagine. But what is really a trip, is that she has people skills galore (something I seriously lack). And she (I know this sounds so Little House on the Prairie) is a giving person. She has an emotional maturity that blows me away.

A few examples:
- she plays games with her little sister, and lets her win!
- she writes letters to her 90 year old great Aunt - who had curls like Rosie's when she was young
- she reads to her little sister
- she makes love notes and cards (and emails) for us all the time
- she bathes and puts little sister to bed
- she rubs my feet - because she knows I like it

When Rosie doesn't get what she wants out of me, she doesn't fight me. She'll say, "Yes, Mom. OK. But is it all right if I.......? At church, ballet and swimming she is well liked and sought after. She has good friends and makes new friends. Teachers always tell me how sweet and involved she is. And she is awesome with little ones. It's like she learned the art of interpersonal Tai Chi somewhere (not from me).

Now don't get me wrong, she's no saint. She can bicker (only with siblings) with the best of 'em, and regularly forgets to clean her room. I've even seen the occasional eye roll.

I probably don't write much about her because she exasperates me the least of all three kids. She's the helpful one. The considerate one. The one in the middle.

Remember the Brady Bunch episode when Jan is so jealous of Marcia and is sick of being the middle child? Jan was fed up with everything always being about "Marcia! Marcia! Marcia!"

The Brady Bunch may not have been good for much, but I have always remembered that episode. And I take it to heart. I must always remember to single Rosie out and make her feel special.

Because she IS.