Smart AND Beautiful

We think the babies are just beautiful and we even love to hear this from total strangers. Over the weekend we took the babies to Costco. Daddy was pushing the babies ahead in the cart and Mommy was in the next aisle. An older couple had walked past the babies and were walking toward mama. They were remarking to each other just how adorable and beautiful the twins were. Totally unsolicited, and they were not aware that mommy was listening to the whole thing. Now I might have had to beat them with a gallon of milk if they said the babies were ugly.
Grandma Val heard this story and remarked "there is more in life than being beautiful, they are smart too". She doesn't want them to get too used to hearing just how beautiful they are. She'd like to remind them there are other qualities for them to develop and nurture which are beyond their outer adorable sweet little mugs. Grandma Val is right, we have to strike a good balance and be sure to give them a good sense of self esteem without going too far that it is false or place a value on their outer beauty over the inner. Let's be fair to the other kids...There is just never going to be a more beautiful, smart, sweet, talented, adorable little boy and girl than our little boy and girl. We know this, it is just so tough to keep it a secret from them... Now in Jewish circles, this would be a moment where we'd pause and "fake spit" into the air and say "Kaynahorah". GG (Great-grandma) would happy that we did this to ward off the evil eye.