Strangers are evil, or so Alexis believes. She really is a very shy kid and rarely will even make eye contact with a new person. However, every once in a while, her spidey senses tell her that someone is an exceptional person deserving of her undying devotion. It's always a little weird when it happens. It's very sudden, and when it happens, I totally get a little teary.

I recently watched it happen when Alexis and I met my friend Heather for lunch. Heather is one of those really amazing people who is perpetually in a good mood, even when she's not. She can find the sunny on the cloudiest of days, and can bring a smile to your face instantly with one of her trademarks chuckles. I don't see her nearly often enough because she lives in the wrong part of town (totally her fault, you know), and Alexis hadn't seen her in YEARS. Literally, years.

It took less than five minutes for Alexis to go from the kid cowering to hide her face on my shoulder to the kid climbing all over Fedder (Alexis renamed her. It's sticking.). Fedder was kind enough to teach Alexis a new goofy face which Alexis has been practicing non-stop ever since. Since that little lunch, Alexis has made it a daily habit to ask if we can go see Fedder again.

Alexis lurves her some Fedder.

It's because I just saw that happen that when daycare told me a little story today, I was able to instantly believe every word of it. It's not that I would doubt them, but the idea of Alexis quickly making friends with a new person is *odd.* I can only think of about five times total that it's ever happened, and I tend to forget that she has that magical way of spotting exceptional people.

The story, according to the teacher, is that last week the preschoolers walked next door to the assisted living home. It's literally 50 feet away from daycare, and they frequently go over there to participate in an Art with Kids program. The residents pick out a craft to do with the kids, and then help them do it. Alexis usually stands with a teacher, not participating, and observing from afar. It's the shy kid way of dealing with a room full of strangers.

Last week, however, Alexis found one of her exceptional people. In just a matter of minutes, she had climbed up into her new friend's lap and was giggling and laughing and having a great ol' time working on an Easter project. In turn, her new friend was also giggling and grinning and having a great ol' time.

As fantastic as it is that the kid found a cohort to giggle with, that's not the part of the story that made my all weepy. That happened when the daycare teacher told me that the director of the facility literally dropped everything to run and grab a camera so she could capture the moment. It seems that the particular resident Alexis had taken to had never been spotted smiling. Ever. In her many years living there, the woman had never once smiled.

I already loved my kid to pieces, but I love her even more knowing that she has the ability to bring joy to people like that.

"Fedder Face"--Alexis really can't figure out how to do it, but she's going to practice and practice and practice until she does.