In Gan yesterday, Raphaela's teacher told the story of "Stone Soup" ["Button Soup" in Hebrew] and cooked a Button Soup for the kids for snack.  Raphaela looked at me with a very practical face and said, "Mommy, it's actually only a vegetable soup."

When picking up Raphaela from English class, I hung out on the side a little while my daughter wrapped up her day with her friends.  Soon, like the Pied Piper, I had a group of boys and girls coming over to me and telling me jokes and playing with me; I was then declared by Raphaela's friends as "the cool fun Mom."

I will remind Raphaela of that assessment when she enters her teenage years.