As a mother, most of my day is spent teaching, everything from how to zipper a jacket to why we say "thank you."

But I never realized just how much my children would teach me.

Here are a few life lessons, courtesy of Emma, 5 ("and three-quarters"), and Benny, 2.

Dandelions are beautiful.

The cure for sadness is twirling, if you do it fast enough.

Everything tastes better with cheese or chocolate on top. Just not both.

If you're feeling miserable, chances are you're hungry, you're tired or you smell bad.

If you see a ball, you should kick it or throw it. It might end up being an orange, but you should try anyway.

Ants are amazing.

Even though Mama tells you an ant won't come back to life if you accidentally-on-purpose step on it, you still should put it on a tissue paper pillow and sing it a song. Just in case.

Puddles are meant to be jumped in, even if you are wearing brand-new sneakers.

Sometimes, if you want to be happy, you should just laugh. Eventually, other people will laugh with you and then it won't sound so weird.

If someone is your size, he is your friend. If he's bigger or smaller than you, he is your friend, too.

When someone is mean, stop playing with him.

Fairies are real.

Nightmares are real, too, until you tell someone about them. Then they stop.

Horses, dust bunnies and worms are creepy up close. So is Santa.

If you're going to build a castle, you're going to have to sit down in the

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sand.

When you love someone, you should sit as close as possible to her.

Sometimes you just need a hug from your mom.

Beth Vrabel lives in West Manchester Township with her children, Emma, 5, and Benny, 2. Read more Smart Mama columns at www.SmartMamaPA.com.