3rd Grade Word Parade! Cute stuff!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cvZXtYSopJk

 Mima was watching Cara last night for me while I drove Ellie to Girl Scouts, Mima wanted her to come inside. She said “Cara, it is time to come inside” and Cara started crying and said “but I am playing with a BIG kid”….

 Cara was playing with a 10 year old neighbor…needless to say, Mima caved….she said she remembers that feeling from her own childhood.

 It went well. She did see a few little kisses and a fight but everything else was okay.  I said “did someone kiss you”? and she said “GROSS, no”…lol

Middle School

 This has been an adjustment.  Ellie will be 12 next week. She is still so young. She has been tormented in middle school by some mean boys.  They have called her “ugly” and said other mean things.  It is heart breaking to a parent.

 After much prayer by lots of good friends….Ellie had a better day yesterday. Yay! Her teacher moved her away from the bully boy. She didn’t even mind walking in today.

 Life is hard when you have a middle schooler. It is like you have to wait until 3 pm for your heart to get home.

Good Emma

 My middle child is 8. She is a perfectionist.  I don’t know how she ended up that way. I am not really a perfectionist and neither is Kyle. 

 Today, I received an email from Emma’s teacher saying “only 6 kids did their homework last night”. Evidently, the other kids forgot their homework.  I wrote the teacher back and said “was Emma one of them” and she said Emma forgot her homework too.  I knew this would kill Emma. I knew she would hold it in until she got home and then be a mess.

 She got in the van and said ” I forgot my homework”… then Cara talked (as usual) all the way home.  When she got to the sidewalk, she was huffing and puffing like a wild horse. She was stomping and I knew it was coming.  She sat down at the table and took her fist and started pounding the table, while still getting out her homework.. “My teacher doesn’t like me”, “I don’t want to go to school”…. finally, I just hugged her and she broke down and cried.

 I was thinking “I wonder how she got to be such a perfectionist”?  Then, I remembered “good Emma”..that was her nickname when she was a baby because she was a great baby…I think it carried on until about age 3…but I think we still would say “emma you are so good”.. We didn’t say it around Ellie but she probably picked up on the “good Emma” vibe…

 What if I ruined her life? What if she is going to feel like she has to be “good Emma” forever??  There is nothing I can do now except quit calling her “perfectionist Emma”… I really can’t believe how horrible I must be to label my kids that way….

 BUT- no use crying over spilled milk shake, even if it is the peach kind… All we can do now is be there for her and trust that God made her little personality and he will guide her and save her from any mistakes her parents have made.

Julia and Julie

 I really loved this movie! It was very uplifting…I think both women had amazing stories. It is a great chick flick!

Merry Christmas Friends!!!

Cara is empathy

 I have 3 very sweet girls. I try to teach them about their individual gifts so they will know they are each special…

 Today, I am talking about Cara. Cara has the gift of empathy. It amazes me how wise she is about the feelings of others.

 Last night I was watching TV and she walked through the room. There was a lady on TV crying. Cara stopped, got tears in her eyes and said “I feel sorry for that lady”.  I said “Cara, that means you have empathy for how she is feeling”. Cara said “yes, I am empathy”. I said “well, you are empathetic” and she said “I am empathy-etic”, I said “yes, you are”!

Emma’s pretend kitty story

 This is in Emma’s spelling too!!

 

 My cat is named Rainbow. She loves to look at rainbows. She is so so cute. I love her. When somewon pets her she lays down. She likes it. She does not like water. When we put her in water she will bite. She likes carots and selory and pickles and brocoly. She will be fun to play with.

What is wrong with me?

 I admit I must be crazy. I am sad Cara is starting kindergarten. I have been waiting for the day,

 I have a million things I want to do, but it is still sad.  When she gave me the little picture yesterday it almost made me cry.  She told me “that is you and me, mommy”. 

 She turned 5 yesterday, she is a baby no more.  I even considered for a brief moment maybe I should hold her back a year.  The moment passed quickly.  She is better off starting school because she is tall and she would tower over the kids next year.

 I guess it is hard to realize a part of my life is over. I will never again be a mom to a toddler, I am now a mom to school age kids. 

 So, even though it is a little sad, I know it is an important passage for Cara and I can’t let her see me cry.  I want her to know I am proud of her as she takes the step toward kindergarten.