House of Estrogen

Letter to Nina, Age 11-ish

Dear Nina,

I seem to have completely dropped the ball on writing letters to any of you on or near your birthdays. In the grand scheme of things though, it really shouldn't matter when I write these letters, as long as I write them once a year or so. At least I like to tell myself that.  That said, you had a big milestone this week, so what better time to write a letter!  Tuesday, you graduated from elementary school.

 

(First day of kindergarten picture)

You couldn't be more ready for middle school. At 5'7, you are now taller than every elementary school teacher you've had over the past six years. Not only have you physically outgrown the pint-sized chairs and desks, I think you have mentally moved beyond it and have just been ready for this chapter to come to a close.

 

After the ceremony, as friends in your class shed tears about their last day at the school and posed for pictures with every classmate, you eagerly held on to your diploma and exclaimed, "Can we leave now?"

 
It wasn't that you didn't enjoy your time there or aren't going to miss your friends who will be attending different middle schools. You had many happy years there and will definitely miss certain friends. You are ready to move forward though. You have seen what a great experience middle school has been for Elise, and you are excited about this next stage in life. You are ready for new friends, new challenges, and new experiences in a new school. For some of your friends, graduation day was an emotional day filled with sad goodbyes, reminders of elementary school memories and a slide show that tugged at their heartstrings. For you, it was simply the last hurdle to cross on the way to the finish line.

I am excited for you. I love that you are open to the new adventures that await you in middle school. As you love tell anyone who mentions middle school electives, your parents are making you take band next year. You love to point out what cruel parents we are to force this on you, but secretly, I think you may actually be looking forward to participating in band. You are such a music loving soul. You love to listen to music, find new songs on iTunes, and you thoroughly enjoyed playing the recorder in music class. Your one and only aversion to band is the stage appearance twice a year for the concerts. Your dad and I are taking the "we know what's best for you" role on this one. I predict that you will love it. Band has been such a positive part of middle school for Elise - the fun, the music, the band director, the friends, and the performances. We are hoping for a similar experience for you, and I think the many pros of band outweigh the cons of a little stage fright twice a year. How it all plays out remains to be seen though. We have assured you that if you hate it, you can drop out after the first year.

Right now, your major love is volleyball. You play any chance you get. Your goal is to be a manager for the middle school volleyball team in 6th grade and then play on the team in 7th and 8th. I think it is great that you've found a sport that you love. It is definitely a good fit for you.

 

Like band, volleyball was another activity we "forced" you to do. About a year ago, you had become rather sedentary. There weren't any activities, hobbies, or sports that interested you. We told you that you needed to choose something to do outside of school or we were going to choose something for you. You never made a selection, so without even asking you, I signed you up for volleyball. I didn't necessarily think you would love it. I wasn't even sure if you would like it. I just wanted you try something new. Of course, there was also that little overly optimistic voice in my head that said, "She has the height for volleyball... maybe she will love it, get really good at it, and get a scholarship." We are all allowed those pie in the sky parental dreams occasionally, right?

You played in a fall league for the team with the most losing record in the league. You lost every regular season game, but it hooked you. You had the time of your life. Last week, you started playing for a new summer league team which encompasses an older age group and higher skill level. I think you will grow and learn a lot as a player in this league. You plan to play in the fall again too. Volleyball has been great for you. It gives you a focus, an identity, a team spirit, and a great outlet for blowing off steam and getting some exercise.

Your other big interest lately has been sewing. You received a sewing machine for Christmas and have spent many hours designing, creating, and sewing. I think you enjoy the design aspect best. You are going to a week of fashion design camp this summer, and I'm anxious to see what you learn there. You have taken to doing a lot of "upcycling" - taking old worn out, outgrown, or out of style items from our closets and upcycling them into something new. This is one of your upcycled t-shirt creations.

 

I feel like this has been a big year for you... you have grown a lot, matured a lot, and really turned into the middle schooler that you soon will be. You have taken on more chores around the house and more responsibilities for taking care of yourself. If I need help putting Addie to bed or making her lunch, you jump right in. Of course, with this new tween maturity, we sometimes get the tween attitude as well. You have perfected a grimace that I have interpreted as a cross between, "I hate you", "You are the meanest parent ever", and "This is my evil look". Your glare with those piercing eyes can be a bit disconcerting. I'm hoping it is just a phase. Fortunately, you don't use it on us too frequently.

This coming year will bring a new school, new adventures, new friends, and lots of change. You seem wholeheartedly prepared and ready to tackle all of it though. And that... that is awesome.

I love you, Nina!

Love,

Mama

 

 

 

Let's Jam!

"It was fascinating to watch the different approaches every child took. The way they played seemed to be a direct reflection/extension of their personalities, which is what I believe a true musician aspires to do. There were no ideas of, 'I don't know how to do this.' They did what they needed to do from inside themselves."

                                                    ~ Mr. B, Addison's preschool teacher

Current Events Haiku

A few days ago, Elise's teacher sent an email to parents about a homework assignment. The kids were to either watch the news, read the newspaper, or talk to their parents about current events. She suggested topics like the economy and presidential election. That evening, Elise and I watched a few clips on cnn.com, and then we talked. We talked about Romney, Gingrich, Obama, Santorum, Republicans, Democrats, voting, the economy, mortgages, foreclosures, unemployment, the war in Afghanistan, the killing of innocent Afghan people by a US soldier, and post traumatic stress syndrome in soldiers. I thought we did a pretty good job of covering all the big current event topics.

The next day, she was to write a poem about a current event. While politics, the economy, or war wouldn't necessarily be my first choice subject if I was writing poetry, it was her assignment, not mine. I'm just happy to be out of school and in a job that doesn't require any poetry writing.

Yesterday, we had a parent-teacher conference with Elise's teacher, and I asked Elise to show me her poetry journal. I wanted to see which of these serious topics she had chosen for her current events poem.

This was it. It is Haiku (5 syllables, 7 syllables, 5 syllables).

Star turns twenty-six.

The same age as Mrs. L.

She is a singer.

Mortgages? Obama? Afghanistan? Romney? 

No...

 

 

 

Lady Gaga's birthday.  I guess I need to broaden my definition of "current events", huh?

Just Because They Make Me Smile

I'm sharing a little more Youtube fun - Jake Bruene and Kurt Schneider. These guys make me smile. You don't necessarily need to watch every video from start to finish, but watch at least a little of each, and watch them in order. These guys are so flippin' talented and creative!

 

Sink or Swim?

Sorry for the lack of blogging lately, but right now I'm teetering between a desperate dog paddle to the side of the pool and lying at the bottom of the deep end with the weight of my world chained to my ankle. I thought my load was heavy before Monday. Then J.C. crashed, and the load just got exponentially heavier. The trashcan in the kitchen that used to empty itself every couple of days now overflows until I figure out I have to be the one to take out the trash. The kids who used to have a ride to track-out camp now depend on me for every ride every day everywhere they need to go.  The diaper pail that used to get dumped when the stench was overwhelming now stinks up the house until I find the time to take it out. The baby who cries during the night now has only me to comfort her. The dishes piling up in the sink don't get washed any more. I think I need to buy paper plates. I know we'll get through this, and I'm hoping J.C. will get upgraded to a brace with some range of motion in the next few weeks, but for now, things are hard. Most days, I feel like I'm drowning, but I'm clinging to a few floatation devices to keep me afloat...

1. Stronger, by Kanye West. Yes, I know he's an ass. I probably shouldn't support his music career, but I bought that song before he was such a jerk to Taylor Swift, so I don't feel too guilty listening to it. Repeating, "N-n-n-now that that don't kill me can only make me stronger" over and over to myself is a good mantra right now.
2. Starbuck's gingerbread - slices of heaven, that stuff. If I gain 50 pounds while J.C. is crutch-bound, you'll know why.
3. Addie's hugs.
4. The gorgeous Carolina blue skies that come out between the rainy days. There are also a few remaining trees with bright red leaves hanging on for me. Once the leaves are all gone though, I am done with fall and winter. Bring on spring, please.
5. Candy Cane Joe Joes - my other seasonal love. Trader Joe's and Starbuck's know how to nail seasonal comfort food. Part of the above mentioned 50 pounds can also be attributed to Candy Cane Joe Joes.
6. Friends and neighbors who have carted my kids around and brought us meals.
7. Hot baths at the end of a long day. If the baby cries while I'm in the tub, she just has to wait.
8. I Gotta Feeling, by the Black Eyed Peas because how can you not smile when you're singing that song? I haven't been smiling much lately, but that one still works on me.
9. McDonald's and Wendy's, while horribly unhealthy for my kids, I figure an overdose of fast food for a couple of weeks is better than their mother having a mental breakdown over trying to prepare a well balanced meal and clean up after it.
10. J.C. trying desperately to help out when he can. There's only so much he can accomplish from his perch on the couch, but he tries hard.

I bow down to all the single parents out there. Thankfully, I am not one, but I'm getting a taste of it with this injury. It is HARD WORK. I have an enormous amount of respect for moms and dads parenting solo. I'll be glad when my partner in parenting is back on his feet. For now, I'll just keep on treading water.