This Is Starting to Be a Regular Feature
Thursday Placeholder. I should make a button for it. Oh, look. I did.
Quick notes:
1) The Child was finishing up her applications the other night (a painstaking process for someone with dyslexia and who has to also really concentrate, like a monk at vellum, to make her handwriting legible). She got it done, though, and smiled up at me broadly. "You know what I am really looking forward to about high school, Mom?"
I love these moments. She'd been copying out her very thoughtfully written entrance essay about her love of the arts and the importance of academics within the context of a faith-filled environment...
"What are you looking forward to, honey?"
"Decorating my locker!"
b) Then yesterday we drove up to First Choice High so she could drop off the last of her application bits. She went in by herself while I sat in the car and looked for my gas card which I had seen in the bottom of my purse just a few hours before . She returned, very pink and bright-eyed.
"Oh, Mama, everyone is so nice. There was a student who offered to show me to the office and when I got there I gave them my papers and then I asked if they had everything else they needed and then they checked and it took a while and I was nervous but then they said, 'Yes, we have everything! You're all set!' and I said, 'Oh, good. Now all I have to do is wait' and then, Mommy, they all applauded for me!"
After that she took a breath and then she started to quiver a little and dab at her eyes, having a very physical response to the relief of having completed the process. Because it's been arduous. It has weighed on her mind, sometimes more than I realized.
(Silly mommy...if it was weighing on me, surely it was having some effect on her. But kids, you know, sometimes they are very good at masking things. They watch Hannah Montana and listen to their iPod in the dark when they are supposed to be sleeping and sometimes snap at their parents but they don't come right out and say, "This is really weighing on me". And a better mommy would look at her own worries and wonderings and then go to said kid and say, sweetly, "You know, this whole thing sometimes keeps me up nights. You?" To which the kid more often than not will reply, "What? High school? Sheesh, mom". Eyes would probably be rolled. Can't really win for losing with them at this age. Just saying.)
Point is, she is finished, she's done the best she can do and all that's left is the waiting. (That and me making sure our priest's number is on my cell phone speed dial in case he has to pull strings. Oh, yeah. I'm not above that. At all).
I've got a few hours with my client this morning so you'll have to check back this afternoon for the Project Runway recap. All I can say is, remember the recap spoof JP did last week? Yeah. Well. Prophetic.
Quick notes:
1) The Child was finishing up her applications the other night (a painstaking process for someone with dyslexia and who has to also really concentrate, like a monk at vellum, to make her handwriting legible). She got it done, though, and smiled up at me broadly. "You know what I am really looking forward to about high school, Mom?"
I love these moments. She'd been copying out her very thoughtfully written entrance essay about her love of the arts and the importance of academics within the context of a faith-filled environment...
"What are you looking forward to, honey?"
"Decorating my locker!"
b) Then yesterday we drove up to First Choice High so she could drop off the last of her application bits. She went in by herself while I sat in the car and looked for my gas card which I had seen in the bottom of my purse just a few hours before . She returned, very pink and bright-eyed.
"Oh, Mama, everyone is so nice. There was a student who offered to show me to the office and when I got there I gave them my papers and then I asked if they had everything else they needed and then they checked and it took a while and I was nervous but then they said, 'Yes, we have everything! You're all set!' and I said, 'Oh, good. Now all I have to do is wait' and then, Mommy, they all applauded for me!"
After that she took a breath and then she started to quiver a little and dab at her eyes, having a very physical response to the relief of having completed the process. Because it's been arduous. It has weighed on her mind, sometimes more than I realized.
(Silly mommy...if it was weighing on me, surely it was having some effect on her. But kids, you know, sometimes they are very good at masking things. They watch Hannah Montana and listen to their iPod in the dark when they are supposed to be sleeping and sometimes snap at their parents but they don't come right out and say, "This is really weighing on me". And a better mommy would look at her own worries and wonderings and then go to said kid and say, sweetly, "You know, this whole thing sometimes keeps me up nights. You?" To which the kid more often than not will reply, "What? High school? Sheesh, mom". Eyes would probably be rolled. Can't really win for losing with them at this age. Just saying.)
Point is, she is finished, she's done the best she can do and all that's left is the waiting. (That and me making sure our priest's number is on my cell phone speed dial in case he has to pull strings. Oh, yeah. I'm not above that. At all).
I've got a few hours with my client this morning so you'll have to check back this afternoon for the Project Runway recap. All I can say is, remember the recap spoof JP did last week? Yeah. Well. Prophetic.
Labels: high school, JP rules, The Child
cobbled together by Moi at 6:19 AM
9 Comments:
You should save this blog post for when she has a daughter in the same situation. Really. It'll be priceless.
Fingers crossed but not figuring it's necessary. Child sounds like a student #1 High would be looking for.
Bravo on leading her to such important moments as this- handling things that truly make her nervous but understanding the concept she must handle them and why. ( Did that make sense?). I got all teary reading about her experience.
Isn't life grand?!
No kidding, Buck.
Thanks, Greeny. Personally, I think First Choice would be insane not to admit her.
Life is grand.
I'm sitting at my desk at work, crying tears of joy and amazement and pride...your girl is growing up. The Child may yet need a new name here: the Co-Ed!
Here's praying for First Choice admission...
I don't think you will need the speed dial....you've got a winner in that girl.
(catching up)...As for losses. ten years ago I might have said some of those things like "He had a long full life.....he was a good man....the fight is over." I also used to say "My gawd, please don't jump on my chest and prolong my misery." Now, I want every single second, I want to hear a million I love yous and say it back twice that, I hope I am around for a lot longer and I hope I am celebrated. You gave that to Uncle Gib I am pretty sure. Don't fret.
you're daughter is so precious.
Remember how it USED to be the waiting that was the hard part? Maybe this is really one big well-orchestrated conspiracy to wean us off that useless anxiety.
Probably not. She's had to do too much.
You have a whole month of praying ahead of you, SCG!
She is pretty great, Rosie. You just never know who else is going to notice.
As for the other stuff you said, I love you.
You just want to pinch her cheeks, Monica. Except for the times when you want to slap her.
Word, Booda. In this case, I don't think the pins and needles is going to start until the middle of February.
exhale.....
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