You started gymnastics this month, and you couldn't be any more excited if I paid you in cupcakes to go. There are several classes offered throughout the week, and we can go to one or several of them. For now, we're sticking with once a week. And it's in the early afternoon, so your class is comprised of six cute little homeschooled girls. You knew two of the girls already from our homeschool group so that made you a little less nervous. The class is an hour long ("a super boh-wing [boring] hour," according to Charlie) and your teacher keeps you working the entire hour. You were drenched in sweat after your last class, partly because you were introduced to the heinous world of sit-ups. "What are those, Momma?? My friend was pushing on my feet and I had to sit up without using my arms. I mean, can you believe that?!" I immediately flashed back to elementary school PE and those fitness tests (that I consistently failed. Being inflexible with zero upper body strength and zero endurance doesn't equate to a successful fitness test.)
We've been having a lot (like, a LOT) of conversations about listening more and talking less. You know, the whole "God gave you two ears and one mouth for a reason. Listen twice as much as you talk" thing. It doesn't seem to have sunk in quite yet though. You seem very dissatisfied with simply sitting and listening and not being a part of every single conversation that goes on in our house. If Daddy and I are talking, you interrupt and want to know what we're talking about. If Charlie and I are doing something, you interrupt and want to know what we're doing. If I'm on the phone, you wave your hands wildly around to get my attention so I'll tell you who I'm talking to. It's as if it physically pains you to hear something but not be directly involved in in. So we'll continue to work on it. (And frankly I'm surprised I typed out this paragraph sans interruption.)
You're still really enjoying school (thank you, Jesus). I'm fascinated by watching you work out problems. Math seems to come fairly natural to you (your nerd DNA is clearly showing itself). Manipulatives (Cuisinaire rods, base 10 blocks, pattern blocks) have worked wonders for you. You still work too fast and make silly mistakes, and I have to often tell you "Listen, kid. You're the only student in this here school. If you take 10 minutes to solve a problem, you'll be the fastest. If you take 1 hour to solve a problem, you'll still be the fastest. So stop rushing through things to show me how fast (and often incorrect) you can do things."
You love having Girl Time while Charlie's at preschool, so after school on those days, your first question is always "So! What fun girly thing do you think we should do?" Sometimes we make something pink and princess-y out of your Legos, sometimes we go to Hobby Lobby and look at all the pretty fall decorations.
Funny note - you walked into Hobby Lobby and we're all "CHRISTMAS decorations? They have CHRISTMAS decorations out? It's only SEPTEMBER!" So I got to be all "Oh honey, Hobby Lobby puts out Christmas decorations in May. If not sooner."
You're convinced we should decorate our entire house (inside and outside) for every holiday. I broke it to you gently that however fun decorating is, it's expensive and impractical to do it for every holiday. But since I'm a sucker for fall decorations, we came out of the store with bags of little pumpkins, vases, and fall flowers. We've also checked out some local boutiques ("Oooh, Mommy, Charlie would HATE this store! But I LOVE it!!") and admired their assortment of monogrammed dresses, monogrammed purses, monogrammed hats, monogrammed scarves, monogrammed cups, monogrammed napkins, and monogrammed monogram machines (just kidding on the last one. But maybe not.)
"Mommy, is everything monogrammed?"
"We're in south Alabama, love, so yes. Don't stay still for too long or your forehead might get plastered with NSJ."
Hugs and smooches,
Mommy & Daddy
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Headlines for October 1, 2015:
- Umpqua Community College Shooting Leaves at Least 10 Dead, Police Say
- Hurricane Joaquin at Category 4
- 14 Dead After US Military Plane Crashes in Afghanistan
- FBI Director Confirming Inquiry Into Clinton Email Setup
- College Student Writes Heartbreaking Note to Family After Failing to Save Son
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