Happy Napkins

Every Monday night as part of Family Night, we practice some behavior or skill that needs work. One week it was getting in the car quickly after school; another it was getting out of it and taking your stuff with you after we got home from school. Tonight it was napkins. I will admit, I rarely set napkins at the table--mainly because I forget I have them or I don't have them at all--and the need for them arises at the same time Warren is wiping his face or hands on his shirt. (This drives me crazy.)
So I decided we would start using cloth napkins. At Montessori House, that is what the kids use. Tonight at dinner I set some cloth napkins out--ones I had but never used, probably because I was waiting for something special or didn't want to stain them--and then went back into the kitchen to bring out dinner. The kids all wandered in, as they do when food is on the table, and from the kitchen I heard voices exclaiming in wonder--no exaggeration--"Wow! Napkins just like school!" "Napkins we can set in our lap just like at school!" "Special napkins!" "These are so great" and then, "Wow, mom, thanks for setting out napkins for us to use." That last one was from my 3 year old, Abigail.
The biggest surprise, well, I guess beside all the gushing words, was how much Avery got into it. She loved wiping her hands on the cloth napkin all throughout dinner, and later at dessert when we ate pineapple (real pineapple is so messy). She even wiped her face numerous times. It was so cute to watch. I found a tutorial online for making cloth napkins, and so I've pulled out all these random fat quarters I have and intend to make our family several sets, since they seem to work, and delight my children.
Later at family night, when Andy announced the song, "Count Your Blessings" as the opening hymn, Avery spontaneously burst out singing the last few phrases. I love that she is singing so much more now. The words are not always intelligible, but the tune generally is. I love watching her little victories each day.