M. in love

I had a great little conversation with M., our eldest, tonight when I put him to bed: he is in love. I am mighty proud that it is something he will discuss with me and A., even though it is a big secret (thanks for putting it online, Dad....). Her name is Sharlene, also a child of a mixed marriage (mother Cameroonian, father Belgian), and he is in love with her 'because of her pretty hair'. But I think I know what he likes in her too: she's quiet, sweet, and very well-behaved, and I've noticed before that that is almost invariably the type of girl that attracts him (I am pretty sure that things will be a little different with T. and R. ...) . She has been sleeping over for pyjama-parties a couple of times, and T. also gets along with her very well.

I remember M.'s little girl-friend Aldora, an Indian girl, at the English school in Brussels. They got along so extremely well. She was just such an incredibly nice little girl, pleasant, well behaved and all, that the tribal elder in me was ready to start talking camels and cattle and to arrange the marriage... I know that when the time comes and they bring home boyfriends and girlfriends for real I will have a hard time keeping my judgments to myself and to let them make their own choices and errors...

Yesterday, M.'s been handing out invitation cards at school for his 7th birthday party next week. He had to spy on her ('espioneren' in his ever more French-tainted Dutch) to get her one-on-one for a moment away from the prying eyes of his buddies and those of her girl friends to give her her personal invitation.

So sweet all this, just priceless....