Goodbye Kindergarten

A year of Kindergarten is a growing experience for children and parents together.  Although I have done this twice before, I still had some learning of my own to do.  For one thing, I learned to accept that my daughter was not going to be the most well-behaved in class.  Nor was she at the top academically.  Being a "teacher-mom", this was hard for me but I came around.  MY child is the one sitting in the back of class because she plays around with friends.  MY child is the one pulling sequins off her shirt and cutting her bangs.  MY child is the one who spends her high-stakes testing sessions looking around at the walls.

Oh, well.  Jaden had an amazing year in Kindergarten, regardless of being a less than picture-perfect student.  She learned to be independent, she learned to read, and (most days) she learned to be a nice friend.  She loves books, loves friends, loves her teacher, and loves school!

The Kinder teachers planned the sweetest promotion ceremony.  Here she is receiving her "diploma"...

and three minutes of cuteness you just have to watch.  She's in the front row, just left of the girl with pink polka dots...

 

Have a great summer with all your graduates, 

big and small!

Important Things

Today was my school's annual Field Day.  It's kind of a big deal.  For Field Day, teachers have to place kids in many different events, and some teachers are quite competitive in how they place students for the win.  This year, like most years, I let my kids choose for themselves what they wanted to do.

We were so pumped to go out and have fun this morning!  Hats...check.  Sunscreen...check.  Enthusiasm...double check!  It's funny how we are already in the month of May and I am still learning new things about my students.  Today I learned that these kids are the most nonathletic, uncoordinated group I've ever had!

We came in last or almost last for eight events.  Finally, finally, in the ninth event we came in second place.  My boys were hooting and cheering and high-fiving me, shouting "We got second place!!" 

Speaking of cheering, I learned another new thing about my kids today.  I learned that, out of the last 13 years of Field Days, this class is genuinely the nicest, most caring group of children I've ever had. 

You'd think that coming in last and never winning anything would make them pout and complain, but they didn't.  You'd think that watching all the other classes return for yet another tug-o-war pull to determine the "winner of the winners" would make them kick the dust a little, but they didn't.  They spent the whole morning cheering for other classes and exclaiming, "That was FUN!" after every game.  While some other kids ran around throwing water bottles into the air and ignoring their teachers, this class sat in the shaded grass playing hand-clapping and circle games.

Could it be that not being a "winner" fuels great sportsmanship?  Could it be that cheering on a friend who has fallen down five times in one short race inspires empathy? 

Whatever the reason, these 7-year-olds already know more important things about winners and losers than many grown-ups in this world.   I'll take my class of happy non-winners any year.  Nice Kids...for the win!

Peace, Love, Happiness

Lots of people tend to become poetically reflective around the New Year, but not me.  I'm a birthday sort of girl.  Whenever April 18th rolls around, I find myself thinking a lot about my little world and my place in it. 

I've never been one for wistful thinking about what could be, if only.  I guess I just don't have an if only personality.  You know what I mean....if only I had a better job, if only we made more money, if only I had a nicer car, if only we could live in a better neighborhood....if only. 

Not that I don't have goals and dreams, because I do.  My head is in the clouds more often than not.  It's just that I'm not ruled by the if only thoughts that cause so many people so much unhappiness. 

Want to know the secret to happiness?  Learn to love what you have, while you have it.  Dream big and work hard for those dreams, but find contentment along the way. 

I love my life.  Love it.  I have a wonderful husband and family, a career that gives me joy, a nice place to live and raise my littlest daughters.  If this is all I ever had I would be content.  And yet, every time another birthday rolls around, I find that more and more of my dreams have come true.

Life is good.

I Am The Fat One

I've been reading a lot of blogs lately about women who are struggling with weight loss.  Some of my favorite bloggers are on a quest to lose, and are being pretty successful too.  When I read them, I am amazed at how open they can be about it, posting pictures and talking about their feelings. 

They talk a lot about losing, but nobody ever talks about being fat.   I think in our world, it's only okay to address the issue of fat if you are already trying to lose yours.  Hence, the weight-loss blogs. 

I've always been really uptight about discussing weight.  It's a taboo subject.  It hurts people's feelings.  It hurts my feelings.  Honestly, who wants to be the center of negative attention?  It's really hard to be a fat person in a thin world.

Thin people always wonder; why doesn't that fat girl just exercise more self control?  If she would only stop eating, she'd lose weight.  Calories in-calories out.  Simple.

Hmmm.  It's not quite that simple.  There are many, many reasons why a person might be overweight besides the desire to gorge herself. 

Everyone in my family is slender.  Everyone.  Except me.  I'm the fat one.
They never say anything, and they love me just the same. Well, sometimes my mother says things, but whose mom doesn't?   But, it's the way it is, and we all know it.

When you're the fat one, you spend a great deal of time holding your stomach just so.  You try on lots of clothes and adjust waistbands, stretch the edges of t-shirts, look for well-placed pockets.  If you are lucky like me, you have larger breasts that can take some of the attention away from the behind area.

When you're the fat one, it feels like everyone scrutinizes you to see what you put in your mouth.  I'll tell you, I'm surrounded daily by people who eat worse diets than I do.  What the hell?

When you're the fat one, many thoughts are centered around what hairstyle or makeup or clothing or shoes will not contribute to the appearance of fatness.

Here's the thing, though.  I've been thinking about it for a LONG time, and I've finally figured out a major reason why I don't attempt to thin myself out a little more.  It's going to sound conceited, but it's not really.  The truth is, I forget I'm fat most of the time.  I feel thin.  I feel beautiful.  I feel sexy.  I really, really do.

I'm a big believer in loving oneself, and in the idea that how we feel inside is how others will see us.  The mind is such a powerful thing.  My husband is the only one who sees me naked, and since I think I'm sexy, he thinks I'm sexy.  I love myself and believe I'm worthy, so he does too.  My little girls cuddle with me and snuggle into my curves, and are perfectly fine with it. 

So to all my fat girlfriends... screw it.  Eat healthy foods and get moderate exercise, but if you still have curves, embrace them.  Who cares?  Love yourself, and surround yourself with people who are worthy of you. 

We are all so much more than a number on the scale.

Cobwebs

My poor little blog here has been suffering some serious neglect.  As in....I've actually been forgetting about it most of the time.  My life is so full and so busy and SO happy.  I have hundreds of things to write about and so much to say.  If I remembered to say it...hahaha.  We are going to get reacquainted, my little blog and I.