The Boy is sometimes too sweet for his own good, I think. “Perhaps all seven-year-olds are like this,” I want to say, but I know it’s just not true.

This is not to brag on our child, for we’ve certainly done little, I think, to develop this side of his kindhearted demeanor. And this is not to suggest that he’s always like this: he can be as selfish as any other kid his age, but those moments are often short-lived and his sense of generosity and fair play returns.

He often comes with a snack and offers to share with anyone around. When he was collecting rocks today, he wanted to make sure he shared with everyone in the family.

But it often shows in places one wouldn’t expect, like normally-competitive situations — boardgames.

Tonight, while playing Monopoly, K was hemorrhaging cash. She was down to a few ones and fives. Sure, she had a fair amount of property, but she had a definite liquidity problem. E, on the other hand, literally had a pile of $100s. He grabbed a few from his pile — not even counting — and gave them to K.

“Here, Mama.”

“No, honey. That’s very kind, but you don’t need to do that,” she smiled.

“But it’s my money. I can do what I want to with it,” he protested.

Later, he tried to do the same with me.

He did not, though, ever offer L any money, so I suppose the generosity doesn’t always overcome sibling rivalry…