Tweedy Girl

A parent on La Nina's team snapped this picture of her on Saturday and I just had to share it.  As of today, she wants to play soccer again next year.  Judging from this picture it looks like she's having a good time.  And of course, if you're familiar with soccer, you'll love that 7 of the 10 players on the field are visible.  Gotta love the Under 7 bunch.

I was just kidding....

A while back I wrote a post about Saturdays being busy from the time of my post (March or April) until August.  (I tried to find that post, but I couldn't...I hope I didn't dream it.)  As I remember the post I can't find, I was sort being sarcastic, but truthful.  Anyway, it turned out I was right and we had one free Saturday, August 16.  It wasn't completely free, the Dad was out of town, but the girls and I didn't have to be anywhere, so that is about as free as things get for us.  We haven't had a free Saturday since thanks to Giant games and soccer.  

Soccer season ends in three weeks, and I looked forward to a Saturday where I could do nothing again.  Saturday, November 22 looked so promising.  After that, maybe I'd have a free day in January.

Then this week Trump's Dance Academy shattered my hopes and dreams.  They had the nerve to schedule a Nutcracker practice on November 22.  So, soccer ends now on November 15, then dance dominates our lives for the next three weekends, leaving us at December 13-14.  Now, what do you think the odds are that weekend is going to remain commitment free?  Yah.  I'm looking at January.    

This and That

As it is every year, La Nina is miserable whenever it is her sister's birthday.  The inhumanity of her sister taking the spotlight tortures her.  But today, there was a bright spot.  La Nina won a good character award at a school assembly.  We're very proud of her and grateful to the school for letting her light shine some right now.  

Speaking of La Nina's light shining, twice in the last two dance people have commented La Nina's physical coordination.  Yesterday her soccer coach brought it up and today her teacher did.  (The PE teacher said something to her.)  The story isn't however that La Nina's an athletic little kid.  It's what she was as a baby.  La Nina didn't walk until she was nearly 18 months old.  The doctors were warning us she could be sent to early intervention if she didn't get off her duff.  While I was worried, she was a great crawler and climber. I suspected she was not interested in walking.  Now, whenever anyone comments on her coordination, I laugh to myself.  All that worry.  Who knew?

I've been writing freelance again since the kids went back to school.  I turned in my third story earlier tonight.  Let me tell you, the best way to improve your writing is to write some fiction.  After mostly writing fiction for two years, writing non-fiction is a delight.  I love the fact there are facts and I don't have to make everything up.  What a treat!

Birthdays

Well, today we began celebrating Maggie's 5th birthday.  I can't believe she turns 5 on Monday. It seems like just yesterday she was a crazy little baby who clung to me, refused to nap in her crib and ate only sugared formula and crackers.  Now she's a kindergartner, a soccer player and a pop culture maven.  Of course, I still can't get her to eat, but that's another blog.

It really is remarkable how far she's come and how much she is the same baby we met in China nearly four years ago.  I remember her as a fierce baby.  Man, she fought us with all her might at first.  Now, when charges down the soccer field with the ball at her feet, her head bent in determination, I see that fierceness in her and I know exactly where it comes from.  

In the first few days with us she wouldn't walk, but I was pretty sure she could and was just being stubborn.  Sure enough, by the end of the first week in China she was running everywhere.  She needed to do it in her own time.  Now, I see that stubborn will when she chooses not to talk in situation when it would be very beneficial if she did.  And all I can do shake my head and explain to the other adult she has frustrated, that she can be stubborn about talking.  (Don't tell Maggie this, but I find it sort of amusing.)  

I also remember how intense Maggie was as a baby.  No child could sustain a screaming session like Maggie.  She outwitted the Ferber method by simply crying through the night and falling asleep in my arms at 6am.  I was exhausted by that point, and it was the last time I tried any documented method on her.  But you know, now I see that intensity when she's coloring.  She focuses so hard, that she tunes out everything but her art.  

The funny thing is when I write about her as a baby, the words fierce, intense and stubborn do not tell the whole story.  Because the word that best describes Maggie is happy.  She is truly a joyful spirit on this planet.  And when I think back to her babyhood, I see that child too.  There were moments when she'd let down her guard early on with us, when we'd catch her playing with the mirror or pounding a bottle top.  In those moments, we'd see her smile, and I'd hope I could know that baby too.   Now when she giggles with her sister or smiles back at me from her seat in class, I see that happy baby too.  

Mostly, the happy baby is who lives with us these days.  Yes, she'll always be fierce, stubborn and intense, but she's also mostly joyful and we're so very glad she's ours.   Happy 5th Birthday, Maggie! 

  

Spelling Words

La Nina's reached the age of spelling tests.  Each week she's assigned Spanish five words to study and on Friday she's tested.  (She's also given five English words.)  So, far these tests have been a breeze, the challenge has been in the practice with Mom.  Below is a conversation from earlier tonight.  

Me:  Reading spelling words..."tiena"

La Nina:  "Mom, that isn't a word in Spanish.  Do you mean 'tiene'?"

Me:  Oh yeah.  You're right, tiene.

La Nina:  Huffs loudly then writes the word.

Me:  "grande"

La Nina:  Do you mean 'gran-they', because you said your "d" like English and if the word is grande, then it has a softer d.  

Me:  (getting grumpy)  Yes, yes...that's right.  Just write the word.

La Nina:  Huffs loudly then writes the word

Me:  "otra"

La Nina:  Let me see that paper.  I'm pretty sure you mean otro.  

Me:  No, really, it's otra.  

La Nina:  Okay, but that better be a word. 

Me:  Trust me, it's a word.

La Nina:  Shoots me a look that says, and you think I should believe a woman who says tiena?   

The rule is that if she aces the practice test, I sign it and her spelling homework is done.  So, she takes these practice tests very seriously. (And accent marks count as a 1/2 point off, so she has to get it right.)  Luckily, the kid is a good enough student that she can spell despite her mother's deficiencies in Spanish pronunciation.  I thought my Spanish was at least second grade level.  Guess I was off by a year.  

School Lunches

For the first time ever, I'm dealing with school lunches.  Packing them, buying them, figuring out how to keep them cold and hot...oy vey...what a pain.  La Nina mostly takes her lunch, but two days a week, she buys.  Here's the kicker, La Nina comes home from school famished whenever she buys.  

So, I've been quizzing her about what she buys, how much she eats, if she's getting fed at all.  She usually buys a sandwich and a piece of fruit with milk, yes she eats it all, and yes she knows how to pay.  Then today, in the paper, I found the reason my baby's so hungry.  To curb childhood obesity, all school lunches are mandated to serve low calorie, small portion of health food, regardless of the kids' activity levels, weight, etc.  It's one size fits all whether it's a good size or not, and no seconds if you're still hungry.  God forbid, you might make a kid fat.  

Now, here's my beef.  If I'm paying for the school to feed my kid, I want her fed.  And for crying out loud, she's not over weight.  She dances four hours a week, plays soccer, takes PE, jumps on a trampoline and she needs to eat.  Why the hell are they feeding her diet food?  Don't get me wrong, when I pack her lunch, it's healthy:  a sandwich on wheat bread, yogurt, fruit and water with some crackers or a granola bar for a snack. And everyday after school, she munching her snack on the way to the car.   It's healthy, well balanced and enough food.  So why has the school decided if she buys, they know better than me?  

I know, I know, if I don't like it, don't let her buy.  But common on, every kid wants to buy on pizza day.  

What I don't understand is this:  The majority of kids are not obese.  Can we please remember this fact?  Yes, you do see obese kids, and more than I remember than from when I was a kid.  But why the heck is the state legislating for the minority?  Why aren't we outraged that kids show up at school with jumbo sized candy bars and cans of coke tucked in their backpacks from home?  Or lay around all afternoon playing videogames and watching television?

Somehow if the State thinks it knows better than parents--something I suspect they truly believe in the state of California--why don't they create some laws I could use? I hope to they can give me some help when it comes to getting La Nina out of bed in the morning.  Why not establishing a law that she needs to be out of bed 1 hour before school starts because some kids are late?   And while the State Assembly is at it, could they please make up a law about the type of shoes she may wear to school?  Some kids wear flip flops and that's never appropriate, but it would cut down on arguments if I could tell her those kids are criminals.  

Well, I guess I can keep hoping the state will make my life easier, but that is just never the case.