Wednesday Thingy Things
* It is raining here today. Not actually raining so much as misting with intention. But it's cloudy and damp and I like it. Coffee tastes better when the weather is cold. It's time to pull sweaters out from the bottom of the pile. Plus, I fully expect that we will still have an Indian summer, that the last of my tomatoes will still get to ripen and there might even be one more dinner on the deck. Or not, and we crank up the furnace and I make a batch of fried green tomatoes. Either way.
* My email isn't working. AGAIN. I shall rise above this annoyance and use the time that I would otherwise spend, you know, reading and writing email, to do useful things. Paying the mortgage, for example.
* The Child and I are batting .1000 on getting her to school on time (which means before the first bell rings). I can't tell you how awesome that makes both of us feel. Plus, she woke up sure that she's going to get an A on the essay she wrote for Language Arts. The subject was "What I Didn't Do this Summer". She wrote an elaborate tale of our family trip to Hawaii, which included a close encounter with a shark, palm trees in the hotel rooms and eating roast pork at a luau which, she said, "Tasted like chicken". That kid cracks me up.
* The Child's mission this year is "stepping up". In our morning conversation I was able to articulate that I have a mission, too, which is "stepping back". She was complaining about her volleyball coach, who you may recall, has not exactly been on my list of favorite people in the past. I listened to her frustration and then said, "You know, I think you need to talk to him. At your next practise do everything you're supposed to do, pay attention, show respect and work hard. And listen. Listen for him to say 'good job' or something. And if he doesn't, and you know in your heart you gave your best effort, then go to him afterwards and say, 'Coach, I'm feeling discouraged. I know it is your job to help me be the best player I can be and I appreciate it when you tell me how to improve. But you know, I'm really trying and sometimes I need you to encourage me, too'."
I thought that was a nice little speech. She was quiet. I could tell that what she really wanted was for me to do the talking to him. So I explained about my goal of learning to step back. I told her that I won't always be able to be her advocate, that she's got to learn how to respectfully do that for herself. Because she does. I'm not going to be able to follow her around and take on every college professor or boss or boyfriend who isn't treating her right. That's not true. I'll take on the boyfriends. Well, actually, what I'll do is call JP and ask him to handle it.
* So, I finally busted a move and went to the eye doctor the other day and got myself back into contact lenses. Which makes me so, so happy. Except that when I wear contacts I have to use reading glasses and sometimes that makes me feel a little seasick. The good news is that means I have to take breaks from reading and writing so I don't have to wear the glasses. This means that I'll probably get the ironing done today.
* My email isn't working. AGAIN. I shall rise above this annoyance and use the time that I would otherwise spend, you know, reading and writing email, to do useful things. Paying the mortgage, for example.
* The Child and I are batting .1000 on getting her to school on time (which means before the first bell rings). I can't tell you how awesome that makes both of us feel. Plus, she woke up sure that she's going to get an A on the essay she wrote for Language Arts. The subject was "What I Didn't Do this Summer". She wrote an elaborate tale of our family trip to Hawaii, which included a close encounter with a shark, palm trees in the hotel rooms and eating roast pork at a luau which, she said, "Tasted like chicken". That kid cracks me up.
* The Child's mission this year is "stepping up". In our morning conversation I was able to articulate that I have a mission, too, which is "stepping back". She was complaining about her volleyball coach, who you may recall, has not exactly been on my list of favorite people in the past. I listened to her frustration and then said, "You know, I think you need to talk to him. At your next practise do everything you're supposed to do, pay attention, show respect and work hard. And listen. Listen for him to say 'good job' or something. And if he doesn't, and you know in your heart you gave your best effort, then go to him afterwards and say, 'Coach, I'm feeling discouraged. I know it is your job to help me be the best player I can be and I appreciate it when you tell me how to improve. But you know, I'm really trying and sometimes I need you to encourage me, too'."
I thought that was a nice little speech. She was quiet. I could tell that what she really wanted was for me to do the talking to him. So I explained about my goal of learning to step back. I told her that I won't always be able to be her advocate, that she's got to learn how to respectfully do that for herself. Because she does. I'm not going to be able to follow her around and take on every college professor or boss or boyfriend who isn't treating her right. That's not true. I'll take on the boyfriends. Well, actually, what I'll do is call JP and ask him to handle it.
* So, I finally busted a move and went to the eye doctor the other day and got myself back into contact lenses. Which makes me so, so happy. Except that when I wear contacts I have to use reading glasses and sometimes that makes me feel a little seasick. The good news is that means I have to take breaks from reading and writing so I don't have to wear the glasses. This means that I'll probably get the ironing done today.
Labels: volleyball
cobbled together by Moi at 9:40 AM
13 Comments:
"What I Didn't Do this Summer"--what an excellent idea. Snaps to the teacher for the assignment, and snaps to the Child for running with it like a pro.
And what the heck--snaps for your tomatoes, however they turn out.
Me, the shotgun, and the pickup are ready for your phone call.
LA, Snaps duly noted and appreciated.
JP, I'll have the hotline installed as soon as you find an apartment.
Oh, Lorraine, I wish you had been my mommy. I would be the bestest kid in the whole world by now....
Sounds like you are really doing a great job.
Don't kid yourself, Greeny. I would have made you clean your room, wash behind your ears and go to bed at a decent hour. You would have turned out as wonderful as you are in spite of me. Much as I hope will be the case for The Child.
It's a bit on the blustery side here as well today, though no precipitation has fallen, and it's kind of warmish. I suspect we'll have your today weather here tomorrow.
The Child is so clever! What a great essay. I'll bet she got an A on it too! And congrats on the being on time part. That's a toughie.
Contacts - I've had to forsake mine for lo these past several weeks as I prepare for my Lasik consultation in just 8 days! I HATE glasses, but these days I see so much better with them than with my contacts. It's the astigmatism. They just don't make toric lenses like they used to, and the ones I've tried refuse to sit on my eye properly, so I see everything blurry anyway, so what's the point? Like you, wearing my contacts means reading glasses are required, so if I have to wear them for most of the day anyway, why not wear regular glasses through which I can see everything, near and far, pretty darned well - at least until I can throw them away forever after my Lasik surgery!
As a former volleyball star myself (okay . . . according to my Mom), I appreciate the way you handled the Coach. He clearly didn't know how to handle his job properly because any adult not missing the sensitivity chip knows that it is about the teamwork, improving your game, and having a good time with good sportsmanship.
It's coaches like him that make parents like us "mix it up in the parking lot!
Gina, Good luck on your surgery. I think you are very brave. I'd love to be able to see without aids but the thought of a laser freaks me out! You're a brave one.
Jlow, Thanks for the affirmation. Maybe you can come with to the first game, you know, for backup.
anytime, Lorraine. you know if you need to "throw down on him," I got yer back!
PS-I got my Top 100 done. I daresay I do feel rather more "renaissance" than before!
Chicago is becoming Seattle of the midwest lately. No sun, just water falling from the sky constantly.
Please take your weather back.
I wondered what happened to the rain. I'll get it back, I promise, because Lord knows we don't want all your snow.
I'll be glad to assist JP with any nasty boyfriends as well. I'm from Texas where we don't mess around with nasty boyfriends, you know.
Consider yourself part of the posse, Jon.
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