Ellie has a new affinity for Altoids. She informed me that Altoids are not really candy. Eating them helps improve her bad breath. She carried a tin with her throughout our tour of the Arch. At the top of the Arch we met the cutest little two-year-old girl. With a little bit of prompting, Ellie told the girl her name and said hello (so proud of her) and everyone went on their merry way.

Some time later at the Arch museum, Ellie saw the girl playing an iPhone game with her Dad from across the lobby. Ellie looked at her beloved tin and then at the girl and said to me, “Mom. I’d like to share my candy with that little girl.” My heart jumped and I took her gently by the hand to ask the girl’s father if she could have a peppermint that might permanently freeze her esophagus.

Ellie approached little Raven and asked her if she’d like some candy. Raven came over, gently helped herself, and gave Ellie a hug. As we returned to our seats, I was fighting with the lump in my throat and just when I thought I’d lost my battle with it, Ellie said to me, “I think that mint is really going to help her bad breath”.