SHAPESVILLE...

Husband and I volunteer as Boy Scout Leaders. Last night, we had a ceremony for the boys who have graduated from our program and are moving onto the next. One of my 11 year old scouts has a little sister who is 6, we'll call her Jane. Jane, for some reason, has befriended me and has become my little sidekick. She is adorable. She loves that her hair is now long enough to put in a bun so she looks official in her ballet class. She loves that I used to do ballet, and asks me ballet questions all the time. Last night, we served peach cobbler and ice cream. I handed Jane a bowl of cobbler and ice cream. She frowned and told her mom she wanted more than was served to her. Her mom bent down, to be on Jane's level, and whispered loud enough for me to hear- "THAT is a big serving! You don't need more. DO YOU WANT TO BE A CHUNKY BALLERINA??"

My stomach dropped to my toes upon hearing this. This is the problem! This is what we, as a society, have become.

Jane is coming to my house tomorrow while her mom runs errands. I plan to make cookies with her, and in the process I also plan to have a POSITIVE BODY IMAGE TALK WITH HER by reading her my ALL TIME favorite Children's book. SHAPESVILLE. If you haven't read it-- you've got to! YOU WILL LOVE IT!! I read it to most the children that I become close to in my life. I think it's SO important to begin teaching them EARLY about the importance of POSITIVE BODY IMAGE. *more on Shapesville Later*

Here's to being positive influences on the little people who watch so closely.

xx-GRAYCE

**Oh, & currently, I am eating lunch BY MYSELF at a local sandwich shop. Can I just simply say that I LOVE doing things by myself!? Eating out, going to movies, sitting in the book store for hours... etc. It's, for some reason, really liberating to me. A few years ago, I wouldn't have been caught dead eating by myself, or going to a movie by myself... but these days, I LOVE IT.