Unexpected

So today I was helping my niece make a birthday card for her friend...that we will call Joe, just to protect the innocent (and because she is four). She was going to his birthday party. So she's making Joe's card, and she tells me that she wants it to say love and not just from. I oblige her, but my curiosity is peaked.

Then she is drawing pictures on the front of the card. And she wants me to draw a heart. Again, I oblige her, but I'm growing more curious.

You see, this Joe character, well, he's not the sweet little boy type so much as he is just plain all boy. You know? He doesn't mean to harm anyone. He's nice enough and all that. But he's an active boy, and he likes to rough house. And he's been known to sort of terrorize the girls. And so I'm wondering what is going through her head because I've heard her run screaming from him. I've heard her cry to her mommy about how Joe is being mean or rough housing or whatever.

Then she drops the bomb. She tells me she wants it to say "I love you." !!! WHAT? You're four. So I ask her, "Do you have a crush on Joe?"

She nods her head yes. I must tell you, the girl is not a bit afraid of boys. She likes them very much and is unafraid to announce that they like her, too. But Joe? Really? He's the last boy on earth I thought she would crush on. There are some others...and I could name them, but I'd have to protect their identities as well, so I won't bother.

Anyway, I told her that we'd already said love and not from, so that was probably good enough. And so she insisted a help her draw another heart. And I'm pretty sure that she did put her name + his name on the front of the card. It was pretty stinking cute. And Joe, for all his four-year-old rambunctiousness, is a pretty cute kid. Still, she seemed pretty opposed to that boy!

Not much else to say but that that was truly unexpected.