The Promise

It has been a little over a month since the Sandy Hook shootings and not a day goes by that I don't think about the 26 lives lost that day. Each day as I step foot into my workplace, my mind almost immediately goes to Connecticut, and I think of that horrible day.

Unusual, you may ask?  Not if you find out that my workplace is an elementary school.   I am a "special area" teacher at a local elementary school and spend my weekdays teaching students in  grades K-5, working with close to 150 different kids in one day.  Thirty of the kids I see each day are first graders, the same age as the 20 sweet children who lost their lives at Sandy Hook Elementary School.

Just days before that dreadful day in Newtown, CT,  our school had a safety drill. For the protection and safety of our students, I cannot and will not give details on the actual drill or procedures, but I will tell you that every time we have this drill, at least one student asks why we have it.  My answer is almost always something like, "to practice being safe" or to "help keep you safe."  Many times students will discuss among themselves before or after the drill that we have it to practice "hiding from the bad guys" or to "lock the bad guys out."  Many times I've had first graders or kindergarten students during one of these drills, and I always have a few that are scared, even though they know it isn't real.   I've always reassured them that they are safe, that we do the drills to help to protect them and that they are in one of the safest places they could ever possibly be.

When I've had to review procedures for the drill, I've seen and felt the wide eyes staring back at at me, filled with either fear or wonder.  I know they are thinking, "What could be so bad in school that we would need to hide in the first place?"  I know some have to be imagining what the "bad guy" looks like or what he might do to us.

I've even likely said to a few of them "nothing bad would ever happen here." Or other similar words.  I know I've thought many times in the past that this type of thing would never even happen at elementary school. It isn't likely or common for elementary students to bring guns to school to shoot other students, right?   And who else would want to shoot a bunch of elementary school kids anyway?   *sigh*

I can't help but think that the teachers and staff of Sandy Hook Elementary had those same thoughts and uttered those same words whenever they had to reassure children during their school safety drills.  I can't even let myself go to the place they might have been mentally on December 14, 2012,  when "all hell broke loose."  Whenever I even start to think of what that must have been like I just about lose it.  I know I am not the only teacher in my building who thinks this way.

I also know I will be thinking of them next time (and the next time, and the time after that. . .) we have one of our school safety drills.  How could I not?  And I know I won't be the only one. 

And then I think, "How did we get here?"

How did we get to the point where those types of drills are even needed in the first place?  Why is it that we have to teach our children to hide from "bad guys" in one of the places they should feel safest?  The "real world" can be a scary one to elementary school students.   Heck the real world can be scary for students of all ages! That "big scary world" isn't supposed to invade their schools, playgrounds or homes!  They should always feel safe at home as well as to go play outside or go hang with friends at the local mall.  And children most certainly should feel safe when they go to school every day. 

I remember being in elementary school (it was just yesterday after all, right?) and the only drills we ever had to practice were the ones to protect us if the school should catch fire or a bad storm were to develop in the area.  I never ever once worried about someone coming into school to hurt me or my friends or teachers.  Sure there were times when walking home I looked around and made sure no "bad guys" were following me, wanting to kidnap or hurt me.  But then even that was rare and typically only after we'd had seen a "stranger danger" program at school.   And I know I didn't think twice when walking into any school building about being safe.  The only time I was probably ever scared while at school is if we had a tornado warning and had to take cover,  yet I was always confident my teachers and principal would keep me safe.

What has become of our society that children now have to worry about being safe at school in addition to all of the other scary "real world" places? What has become of our society that when parents have to kiss their kids goodbye in the mornings,  before putting them on the bus or dropping them off at the school door, they have to hope and pray they will have the chance to kiss them again at the end of the day?

I am just in disbelief that we have so failed as a society that many of our children can no longer truly feel safe anywhere anymore.  That thanks to some crazy people, our children have to worry about this happening at their school, the movie theatre, or the mall.

I thought about making this post about gun control,  because all of the "latest talk" has gotten me really thinking about all of this again today. However,   I am not writing this to start a debate. Guns after all, are just part of the problem.  I just want to make people stop and think, to stop arguing and to listen.  Is that too much to ask? 

Yet I will say, we have failed as a society when we care more about our rights to own guns and stockpiles of ammunition,  than we do about keeping our children safe, giving them proper health care or keeping them warm at night.  I reeeaaaalllly don't want to make this post about gun control, but I don't think I will ever understand why so many people are so against having tougher laws when it comes to buying and owning guns? So many times I've heard, "What about knife or rope control?  Those things can kill people too. What about that?"  Well, the last time I checked, knives and ropes are tools that were designed and are MAINLY used for a different purpose.  Unfortunately they are also used by a some people to kill sometimes.    However, a gun is a WEAPON, not a tool, that most people use to hunt for food or for sport, but unfortunately too often are used to KILL PEOPLE.  Big difference.  And what about those special guns that kill bunches of people all in a matter of minutes? Do we really need to own those? Really??

I don't want to hear the argument or the saying that "guns don't kill people, people do" ever again.  It is true, guns don't kill people all by themselves.  However SOME of the people operating the guns USE the guns to kill people WAY TOO OFTEN.  And many of those that use the guns to kill people are mentally ill or just plain bad and evil and hey,  they can buy guns at Walmart or on the internet (without anyone ever checking to see who they are)!  Yes, we as a society have failed them too.

And again, I don't want to make this about gun control, because like I said, guns are only PART of the problem.  We have failed as a society when we care more about ourselves than each other and don't want to take the time to look more closely,  to take our noses away from our computers, video games,  smart phones (guilty as charged) and other devices to notice the people around us.

When is the last time you really got to know all (well most) of your neighbors?  I think I have people on my block that have lived near me for over 10 years that I've never talked to, not even once.  FAIL.

How many of us would even recognize a nearby neighbor if we saw them in the grocery store?   That is not how it was when I was growing up.  Granted, I know we didn't know everyone, but we knew most of our close neighbors, had block parties and other get-togethers, and ran around outside for hours with our friends.  It is not like that anymore.

And don't get me started on how we really fail as a society when it comes to helping each other.  Sure we are great at helping in times of disaster or sickness, but what about all of the time?  So many of us don't want to help the poor, the homeless, the sick, the mentally ill, the elderly,  or our children - I could go on and on - not if it means giving up some of our hard earned money. We are too selfish.
This goes beyond gun control. We need to take a long hard look at ourselves, stop being such a selfish "all about me" society and start caring more about each other, just like we did in the "olden" days.  Not just in times of need, but all of the time.

After the Sandy Hook shootings, I loved hearing about how so many people across the country and the world, were participating in "26 Acts" of kindness,  to honor the memory of those 20 children and 6 adults taken from us way too soon.  I even did some of those "kind things" myself.  But I couldn't help but thinking how great it would be if we could act this way all of the time.  That maybe if we were a kinder, more caring society, that we wouldn't have as much of this "bad stuff" happening.  That our children would feel safe to go to school again and no parent would ever have to worry that when they kissed their precious little ones goodbye in the morning, it would be for the last time.
 And that if there were someone thinking of hurting our children (or hurting any human being for that manner) that we'd recognize right away that something was wrong, we'd know the "warning signs," that something wasn't quite right, get that person help right away, and maybe even prevent anything bad from happening!  Wow, what a thought! You mean if we care about each other and take care of each other, of EVERYONE, we might actually stop something bad from happening?

Don't get me wrong, I am lucky enough to live in a community where I see a lot of kind acts going on around me all of the time.  I know so many caring and giving people,  I am proud to live where I do. But I also know we could do more.

I know I am going to make a promise to myself and to my community.  As a teacher, I owe it to my students to do what I can to help keep them safe both in school and in our community. To start with,   I recently made a special promise, in honor of the Sandy Hook Elementary victims AND survivors, and I'd love to see you do the same.  Please click here for more info and please help spread the word.  This is the least you can do. We all have to work together to stop this sort of thing from ever happening again. 

Their Feet Were Made for Dancin'

This is what happens when the girls get together with their Ohio cousins. . .

Girls' Best Friend

 

Need I say more?

She Shines Like A Star

Just eight short years ago, on January 4, my little fighter was born.  Boo arrived eleven days late,  without breath or heartbeat, and fought for her life in the NICU.  Even though the doctors gave every worst case scenario (I know, they have to), she proved them wrong, won the fight, and is now a strong (and stubborn!), smart, spunky and healthy child.

I often feel Boo is our miracle baby, and because she had a rough start to her life, shouldn't have to ever fight that hard again in anything she does.  Life however, has already been full of challenges for her.  I know that many children go through so much worse, but as her mom,  I can't help but feel badly for her when she has these experiences.  I sometimes feel like she has gotten and continues to get the "short end of the stick."

Her most recent challenge happened this past December, just before Christmas. Boo was part of a local dance company's production of The Nutcracker.  Her older sister, Kiki, was in the same production in 2009 and just minutes after Boo watched her perform, she knew she wanted to try out the following year.  She almost immediately announced that she wanted to be a Gingersnap, the Nutcracker role this dance company often gives to dancers Boo's age.  She talked about being in The Nutcracker off and on from December 2009 until auditions this past August.  Boo auditioned, was chosen to be in one of two Gingersnap casts and was simply over the moon with excitement.  Nothing (except maybe a pet pig) could have made her happier.   Boo cheerfully looked forward to and attended every rehearsal, and like a child anticipating a birthday or Christmas morning, frequently asked how many more weeks/days/hours/minutes/seconds until her performance.

Finally "Nutcracker week" arrived.  Boo danced her way through the week, practicing her part in the kitchen, prancing down the hall into school every morning, and asked to listen to "her"  Nutcracker music over and over (and over and over) again.  Soon the night of dress rehearsal arrived and she was literally dancing for joy before, during, and after it was over.  Not even a late night of rehearsal made her tired, and getting her to go to sleep afterward was a challenge.  I truly believe she ate, slept and dreamt Nutcracker that whole week. 

Finally, performance day arrived.  Boo woke up slightly grumpy - I assumed at the time it was due to being up a touch later than normal the night before at a family birthday party.  Looking back I wonder if it was a sign of things to come that day.

Even though Boo's call time wasn't until 6:30,  I had to get her ready in the morning  (Bill is bun-challenged) before taking her sister,  who was a mouse in The Nutcracker,  to her Saturday afternoon performance.  Because Boo's part was double cast, she was only in half of the shows, and her cast was to perform Saturday night and Sunday afternoon.  When I left to take Kiki to her call time, Boo was a little disappointed she had to wait until much later to go, but she was otherwise perfectly happy and bouncing off the walls, bubbling with excitement.  Little did we know, that was all about to change.

Saturday night finally arrived.  After dropping Kiki off for her curtain call time, I waited in the lobby for my husband to bring Boo, who had a much later call time.  She arrived on schedule, full of excitement and so happy to finally have her chance to perform.

Fast forward to show time. . .  As The Nutcracker opening music started, my heart started pounding with excitement (and a touch of nerves) anticipating watching the girls' performances.  I was especially excited to see Boo, whose Nutcracker moment finally arrived.  Bill and I sat in the audience with my Dad, who had flown in from North Carolina, and with the majority of Bill's family, who had trekked in from Ohio.  All of them made the special trip to see the girls perform.  More guests, including my Mom, were due to see the Sunday afternoon performance the next day.

Just as The Nutcracker party scene was ending, my phone (ringer off) started buzzing in my pocket.  I ignored it, figuring whomever was calling could wait.  A few seconds later, the phone buzzed again, so I pulled it out thinking "Come on! Who doesn't know I am watching my girls dance tonight!"  I didn't recognize the number of the "unknown caller, " rejected the call and put the phone back in my pocket, only to have it start buzzing again!  I started to worry - what if one of the girls was hurt or sick? Maybe someone backstage was calling?

Sure enough, just as that thought crept through my brain, I got a text message from someone working backstage saying Boo had just thrown up twice. My thought was "Seriously!?" Then they asked us to come and get her.  My heart sank.  I showed my husband and he shook his head in disbelief.  I was so torn:  my older daughter, Kiki, was just moments from taking the stage, and I didn't want to miss it, yet I knew either Bill or I had to go take care of Boo.  Before either of us could get up, someone came to get us.  Bill decided he would just go and leave me to watch Kiki dance.  I stayed and watched the rest of the show, but it was really hard to enjoy it when all I could do is think of Boo missing her performance.  I cried when her Gingersnap cast took the stage and I saw a different dancer in her place.  I was thankful we had tickets for Sunday, hopeful that she would bounce back quickly and be able to make her 2nd performance. Knowing that no matter what happened with Boo,  Bill would at least have another chance to see Kiki perform so I prayed hard that she wouldn't get sick too.  

Fast forward to Sunday. . .Boo was still horribly sick with a nasty stomach virus, and had to miss both of her performances in The Nutcracker.  We were all so heartbroken for Boo, knowing how hard she had practiced, and how badly she had wanted to be in the show.  She was too sick to think about it on Saturday,  but when she realized on Sunday morning she was going to miss both performances, she was distraught.  When she realized she would not get to perform, she wailed,  "I did all of that practice and now I don't even get to do the show!" Then she put her head in my lap and just sobbed.  To see her that way was so heartbreaking, and I cried right along with her. I tried my best not let her see my tears. While I did want her to know I felt sad for her, I was afraid if she saw me cry, she would be even more upset. 

Heartbreak and all, Boo did not let that whole experience get her down for long.  After the final performance on Sunday, her sister Kiki brought home a special surprise for her - a Get Well Card signed by the entire Nutcracker cast. Kiki told us how one of the dancers, a 5th grader, had the idea to make the card and have everyone sign it.  That same sweet girl wrote this note to Boo, "You will still shine like a star even if you aren't here."  I teared up when I read it, and Boo just beamed.  Despite knowing she missed her performances,  the act of kindness shown by this girl and the rest of the cast made her feel so special. She hugged that card as if it were her most prized possession (at the time, I really think it was).

  

Soon after The Nutcracker was over, winter break and Christmas came,  providing a great distraction from Boo's sadness.  She still did have a few moments when she thought of something else she missed out on, and would say things like "I didn't get my picture taken with Mother Ginger!"  and "I didn't get to sign autographs on stage!"  But her sadness gradually morphed into determination:  Boo says she is definitely going to try out for The Nutcracker again next year and even wants to audition for the spring ballet production of Cinderella. She is not going to let anyone, or anything - not even a stomach virus - keep her for having her chance to shine.  What Boo may not yet realize is that she already shines and has for eight years now.  She IS a star in our eyes, whether she is on stage or right here with us. We are so proud of her and love her very much.  Happy 8th Birthday, Boo!

*I started this blog post on January 4, determined to follow in my annual tradition of writing each girl a birthday post.  However, I realized that I won't do those posts any justice if I rush to try to get them written in time for their birthdays. That was the case with this one. I had too much of  a story to tell and the perfectionist in me just couldn't get it written and edited in time to put it up on her birthday.  My tradition will change a bit from here on out - I will try to post something about each girl sometime around her birthday, in addition to my sporadic posts throughout the year.  

The Thanksgiving Pig

I've always wanted to write a Thanksgiving post, but never have, since we are typically with our extended family. This year we are on our own (first time ever since we've been married I think!), which gives me a little time to write.

I thought about listing all of the things I am grateful for, but thought it would be more fun to share a Thanksgiving story that Boo wrote for a project at school.   She is a great storyteller, and has an active imagination.  Mix that together with her great sense of humor and the result is some pretty funny stories.  One of these days I need to videotape her telling one of her stories - to have me retell her stories by copying her words on to my blog, just doesn't do them justice.  You have to hear and see her tell her stories to truly appreciate them!

Boo is a second grader now and her class is currently learning about creative writing, something she really enjoys.  For her class Thanksgiving writing project , the teacher sent home a drawing of a turkey.  The students were told to decorate the turkey anyway they liked, and then write a story about their turkey.  Something to keep in mind while reading her story is that Boo LOVES pigs.  She has loved them since she was about 3 years old and if we'd let her, would gladly have a pig for a pet. I also included her original misspellings of words (there weren't many!), including the word "saw", which she spelled s-a-l-l.  When I helped her proofread her story and told her she had spelled that wrong, she just didn't believe me.  Took showing her the correct word in the dictionary for her to believe me.  She had thought all of this time that "saw" was something you cut wood with, and that "sall" was a form of "see." Tee hee! Anyway, now that you know the background,  here is her story:

The Thanksgiving Pig

Once opon a time there was a turkey sitting outside on his porch.  He sall a pig walking by.  He went inside and looked at his calender and sall that Thanksgiving was coming up.  The turkey went down to his basement and went over to his table.  Then he made a sign that said "Eat Pork."  When he was not looking, the pig snuck in and glued a feather on the turkey's sign.  The pig made a new sign saying, "Save Our Pigs, " then he snuck back outside.  When the turkey turned around, he axedentley grabbed both signs and he went outside.  Everybody walking by saw the signs, but they still ate turkey on Thanksgiving.  That turkey never lived again.

Happy Thanksgiving, Everyone!!

Gone Fishin'

Crazy, Lazy Days of Summer

Summer, as usual, is flying by at great speed.  Hard to believe it is already late July!  With Indiana's  backassward  school year calendars,  the girls'  "summer"  break started May 26 and will end on August 11,  just when the heat really fires up.  In in a little less than three weeks, my girls will be in school all day.  You would think I would be thrilled to have some peace and quiet, and while I will find it nice not to have to hear the constant bickering, I will miss our days at the pool, sleeping in and pretty much doing whatever we want with little worry of a schedule.  


We have had one crazy busy summer this year!  Since I unintentionally put my blog on hiatus from March until just a few days ago,  I am way behind on updating everyone on all of our adventures.  We enjoyed a nice vacation, dance gala, summer dance camps, and of course frequent trips to the pool.  Instead of trying to play "catch up" and trying  to write a post about each one those adventures (I may not finish until next summer),  I thought I'd just show you. I do think I will have to do a separate post about our vacation because there were so many little adventures during that week,  the two pictures I included in this post just don't do it justice.  I hope you enjoy the pictures as much as we enjoyed experiencing all of the fun!

Crazy, Lazy Summer - 2010

Taylor's High School Graduation

Keeping cool in the pool!

Indy Zoo Trip

 

Dog days of summer

Vacation in Southport, NC

Vacation pose with Grampa Jack and Grammalene

Yes, We think We Can Dance. . .

 Happy Birthday to America and Laci

"Starry Eyed" in the 4th of July Parade

"Little House" on the Conner Prairie

Summer Dance Camps

Playing with our friend, Jack

The Farthest Star

One of the my favorite things about the girls' elementary school is the way the teachers and staff involve the parents in the education of the children. The school hosts several events at school throughout the year, and the teachers often invite parents to participate in activities in the classroom and to work on projects at home. The staff also encourages parents to volunteer and visit the classrooms and be an active part of the learning process. I really feel our school is successful because of this type of parent involvement.

Kiki's 3rd grade teacher recently assigned the parents "homework", asking us to write an encouraging letter to our child, to help boost her confidence during the week of ISTEP testing (Indiana's assessment tests for school children). Bill and I took this homework very seriously, as we wanted to help encourage Kiki without making her too nervous. She already tends to be a "Nervous Nellie" when it comes to assessments and tests, so we wanted to do what we could to ease her mind.

I couldn't believe how tough of an assignment this was. I write Kiki and Boo notes all of the time and put them in their lunchboxes. I am forever giving them pep talks and doing what I can to make sure they feel confident in their intellectual ability. I often tell them things like "You will do great" or "I know you can do it" before they have a test or when they are working on a project for school. So why was this so hard? Maybe because we wanted to find just the right words, knowing she would likely read that letter over and over again.

Bill and I talked about what we wanted to convey in our letter, and then I sat down to write it. At first I just sat there and didn't know exactly what to write. But as I thought about my beautiful, smart, 3rd grade daughter, I couldn't believe all she had accomplished in her short nine years! My heart filled with pride, and the words started flowing from my mind with ease.

Here is what we wrote:

"We are so lucky to have you in our lives. We are so proud of all you have accomplished in your 9 years and are especially proud of what a great student you are. You work so hard everyday and are a great example to others, including your sister.

ISTEP is your chance to show off all you’ve learned this year. Relax, take your time, and just do your personal best, just as you do everyday. We know you will do great!

We love you all the way to the false planet Pluto and back a million times!"

Kiki didn't tell me when she read her letter. I knew the teacher would be handing out the letters sometime during the first couple of days of testing week. A couple of nights into testing week, after the girls were in bed, I found an envelope addressed to me in Kiki's handwriting on my bathroom sink. Bill found a similar letter on top of his computer keyboard in his office. We knew that meant she had read our letter.

As you can imagine, those few sentences we wrote meant the world to her. She loved the letter so much, she keeps it in her desk at school where she can read it anytime she needs a little boost to get her through the day. I also keep her letter near my desk, right there and ready for when I am needing my own boost:

"Dear Mommy,

I love you a whole bunch! Thank you for that nice letter. It made me so happy that I cried a little bit. I am so happy that you are in my life. Every morning I read the letter that you and Daddy wrote me. I love you up to the farthest star from home and back to you. "


*sniff*

Go Clots?

In honor of my favorite Indianapolis Colts and Super Bowl Sunday, I thought I'd share what my Kiki wrote at school on Friday:



In case you can't read it, this is what she wrote:

"I think the Clots will win! If the Clots don't win my mom will fell happy for a person how (who) is on the Saints that useds to be on Purdue."

Well, spelling may not be her strength, but she sure knows me well! Go Colts, or should I say, Clots?

The Brave Nine

Kiki was born nine years ago today on a cold, January day. She didn't want to come into this world, or at least tried her best to stay in the womb. Which meant seventy-two hours of labor for me. Yeah, you read that right. SEVENTY-TWO. And from the minute she was born, she wanted to be held, and as you would expect, found the most comfort in my arms.

Nine years have passed now, and I find Kiki is very much the same way today. Each year she gets a little more self-sufficient and seems to need me less and less. Yet there are times (mostly at night) she turns back into my baby again, and wants to cling and be held. I can't even count how many times I've heard her say "Mommy, I want you." I go to school to help out and her teacher is amused at how the independent, confident child he sees everyday, suddenly attaches herself to me minutes after I enter the classroom.

That same child didn't blink an eye this past August when she auditioned for a local production of the Nutcracker. Kiki walked right into the audition like it was just another day at school, with only a "Bye, Mommy." Didn't seem bothered at all that I couldn't go back with her, or watch, despite the fact that it was a completely strange, new place around a bunch of people she'd never met before.

That same, (almost) nine year old child, bravely danced on stage five times in a matter of three days. FIVE TIMES. Kiki danced in front of an auditorium full of (mostly) strangers, and enjoyed every single minute of it. During one of those performances, a fellow dancer accidentally stepped on her dress, causing her to trip and fall, just when she was to leap across the stage. Despite the fact that this was her turn in the spotlight, that very brave child did not stop. She did not shed a tear, nor bat an eye. She never once cried, "I want my Mommy!" That soon-to-be nine year old stood right back up, and continued dancing, never missing a beat, with a big smile on her face. My child. *Heart swells*

I have never been more proud of Kiki in all of her nine years. I truly don't think that as a grown adult, I could have handled myself as well as she did. She is so brave but fortunately for me she is still a Mommy's girl. The night she fell on stage, Kiki came home, curled up in my arms, just as she has done so many times before. I heard the all too familiar words, "Mommy, I want you." She may be nine, but she is still my baby.

Happy Birthday, brave girl! I love you and am so proud to be your mom!

A Hair Raising Experience

Kiki has had long hair since I can remember. Last time it was short she looked like this:

Kiki - 18 months old

Her hair made it past the shoulders when she was about two years old and just kept on growing. Sure we would take her for haircuts, but they were mostly just "trims" and the most she'd ever get cut was 2-3 inches. Part of the reason we never cut it any shorter is that I was enjoying all of the things we could do with it; learning to braid it, put it in a bun, etc. The other reason is that her daddy loves the long hair on his girls, and he really wanted her to keep it that way. She looked so darn pretty with it, who could argue with that!?

In Kindergarten, Kiki had a friend with the condition, Alopecia areata, a common autoimmune skin disease resulting in the loss of hair. When I learned of this, I mentioned to Kiki that maybe she could someday get a big haircut and donate her hair for some little girl who couldn't grow her own, or who had lost her hair due to an illness. Of course Kiki was only five at the time and was a bit horrified at the idea of someone else "wearing my hair, " so I let it drop.

Flash forward to second grade, year 2008. That same Kindergarten buddy was in her class again and the whole topic of donating hair came up again, but this time it was Kiki who came up with the idea. She told me how her friend was "better" and now had all of her hair back. But she knew there were other little girls and boys who had lost their hair due to similar circumstances, namely one little boy with cancer. This boy was the son of a childhood friend of mine, and Kiki had seen enough pictures of him to know he had lost his hair during cancer treatments. She also realized there were many other children like him and she wanted to do something to help. "Maybe I can cut my hair short and give it to someone who needs it, since I can always grow mine again and little kids shouldn't have to go without hair." *Mom's heart melts*

However, while Kiki's hair was quite long, it wasn't long enough to meet the requirements of the different hair charities that accept hair for donation. So Bill and I told her to wait. Take some time to really grow it long, and then maybe get it cut before third grade. Finally that time came and it still wasn't quite long enough. There was probably the minimum ten inches to donate, but Kiki wanted a certain style and we knew that she would not be able to if she had her haircut then. So, once again, we talked her into waiting. I told her that she should easily have enough hair by Christmas vacation.

Flash forward once more to December 2009, just before Christmas. I measured Kiki's hair and, lo and behold, it was finally long enough. So I scheduled an appointment and just a few days shy of 2010, she finally got her big haircut. Let me just tell you, I've never seen a child so excited about a haircut. Kiki was so excited she practically skipped into the beauty salon. This was the same child who I used to have to hold on my lap while someone trimmed her hair. The same child that loved braids, buns, curls, bows, and ponytails. I kept asking her if she was nervous about cutting so much off (I know I would have been) but she insisted she was not. After the haircut was finished, she kept admiring herself in the mirror and swinging her head around, enjoying the way it felt to have her hair bounce around at her shoulders. I can't imagine how much lighter her head felt. I've had long hair before, but nothing close to as long as hers was.

I think what I loved most about this whole experience for Kiki, was how excited she was to do something for someone else. She wanted to do this all on her own. Every time we talked about getting her haircut, she'd mention how she couldn't wait donate her hair. She said she didn't have money to donate, but she had a lot of hair, and she knew that would make some other little girl happy. Kiki asked if she would get to see who got her hair, and was disappointed when I told her "no", but she understood.

We mailed her hair off to Locks of Love on New Year's Eve. Kiki chose that one because she knew the charity specifically helped children, and while she understood adults sometimes lose their hair too, she wanted to help someone closer to her age.

I am so incredibly proud of my daughter. Kiki already has said she is going to grow her hair out again, and donate more when she has enough. She's inspired her little sister, Boo, to want to do the same. Who knows, maybe I will follow suit. . .

Kiki before the big cut

Anticipation. . .

Here we go. . .

Boo can't watch!

Halfway there

Long gone. . .

Kiki checks it out. . .

View from the back

Kiki's new "do"

All ready for the mail

Seven Things I Love About You

Sweet, smart, silly
Energetic
Vivacious
Enthusiastic
Nurturing

A year ago I wrote a post saying, "I can't believe my baby is six years old." I feel like a broken record because I can't believe Boo turned seven today. I might as well get used to it, because I know I will be repeating myself annually on both of my girls' birthdays.

Because of Boo's difficult start to her life, I really treasure each year we have with her. There are too many days I know I take her for granted. She has gone through some tough phases recently which have really tested my patience. She is strong-willed and there are days I am just emotionally spent by the time she goes to bed. I sometimes lie awake at night wondering what the next day will hold for us, and just praying it will be a better day, that I will be more patient and hoping for a better day. Sure enough, nine times out of ten, she wakes up bubbly, full of energy, all ready for the day, and I quickly forget whatever trouble we had the day before.

Boo is unbelievably smart and she doesn't let anyone forget that. She rarely lets anyone make a mistake and will be the first one to tell you when you are wrong. Boo is full of attitude and spunk, yet one of the most sweet natured, happy children you will ever meet. Most of the time, she just goes with the flow and does what she can to make others happy. She can be so stubborn, yet will be the first one to meet you halfway. She will gladly compromise just because she knows when she does, she's made someone else happy. Boo has the best laugh which is so unbelievably infectious and can really light up a room. She loves art and is crafting or drawing whenever she can, even when it isn't the most convenient time. The walls and tabletops in my house are proof of her constant creations.

I know I may sound like a broken record by repeating some of these words I've said about her in the past. However, I feel it is important to write about these things every year, if not every week or every day. I know someday Boo will read the posts I've written, good ones and bad. I'm hopeful though that no matter how she feels about herself at that moment, she will know how much she is loved. And I also know that writing them down just makes me appreciate her even more than I already do, so that I never, ever, take her for granted. Happy Birthday, Boo! I love you more every day!

Jumpstart Virtual World

The kind people at Knowledge Adventure recently offered me a free membership, and asked me to try out and review JumpStart's 3D Virtual World for kids. I have used JumpStart products in the past, both as a teacher and a parent, and always have been impressed with their games, which reinforce and teach skills that children are learning at school, yet are fun to play. From their website: "JumpStart is an award-winning adventure-based 3D virtual world that is super-personalized, wildly imaginative and really fun, but don't let that fool you - it also teaches math, reading, and critical thinking skills so kids get a real jump start in life."

My girls have never been big computer or video game users, so I was curious to see how they would like the JumpStart website. We've owned a few of the popular gaming systems, yet they just don't ask to play any of them that often. They'd much prefer to play with their toys. However, after spending just a few minutes on JumpStart, they were hooked.

Boo played first and loved that she could create her own "Jumpee," (avatar) character, picking out everything from hair color to clothing and choosing a name. She spent quite a long time doing this, wanting her Jumpee to look just like herself. Instead of going off and doing something else, her older sister Kiki was right there next to her watching, and helping her as she needed it.

After Boo created her Jumpee, she immediately went off exploring. There are many areas to explore, including two virtual worlds, "Storyland" (ages 3-5) and "Adventureland" (ages 6-8). I started Boo off in Storyland, even though she is 6, since this was her first time playing. She doesn't play computer games that often and I wanted her to feel comfortable and get used to the game first before having more challenging activities thrown at her. I like the ease of navigation in this software. In Storyland, for example, the child can just use the mouse instead of navigating a keyboard to find her way around.

Kiki started off in Adventureland first, and had no problems at all figuring it out. Like Storyland, the child is first prompted to create a Jumpee character. Since it is geared towards older children, the challenges are a bit harder, and the keyboard and mouse are both needed to navigate the world. There is also more reading involved, and of course the learning games are a bit harder.

I really like the way JumpStart caters to different age groups. Storyland is very simple for kids to explore, yet challenging enough to keep their interest. I also like that they get oral instructions and can ask for help, just by clicking on a question mark symbol in the corner of the screen, as frequently as they need it. They also have tasks to complete and are rewarded with stars when they complete a task. When they finish one of the many learning games within their "land," they are rewarded with coins, which in turn they can spend on virtual clothing and objects for their Jumpee.

I also like that as the child completes tasks or "missions" the game gets a little harder, and keeps the child's interest. Because it is online, the game continues to change and be fun for kids to play, unlike CD games which often come to an end after a child completes all of the tasks.

The fun is just beginning, as JumpStart creators are continuing to add more to the site, including "Futureland," which will be geared toward kids in 3rd through 5th grade, and "Marineland," an extension of Adventureland. They also recently launched a multi-player feature, which allows the Jumpees to interact with each other and chat for even more fun. Because real names are never used, and the chat is "canned" (children pick from a menu of phrases, such as "Hello, how are you today?") this keeps the conversation safe and secure for your little ones. With all of these features to explore, I know my girls will never be bored again on a rainy day!

The wonderful people at Jumpstart.com have offered to give away a free 3-month membership (value of $24) to one lucky reader. Membership includes access into a members-only area, software downloads, and more!

To enter, go to Jumpstart.com and check out the free areas in the virtual world, and then come back here and leave a comment telling me what you/your child liked about it. You can also earn additional entries by tweeting about this contest/post using the hashtag #momexperience with a link to this post.

Contest is open to US residents, and ends at 11:59 EST Sunday, September 13, 2009. The winner will be contacted via email (so be sure to leave me a valid email address) within two days of the contest end. Good luck!

As of 9/14/09***This contest is now closed***

CONGRATS to DesignHERmomma for winning my first ever giveaway! Thanks to everyone who participated!