From the mouths of babes
Well, she is supposed to be my baby… but at 10 years old she doesn’t like to be called that any longer. I accept that I have to come to terms with that. But worse than that (for me), she acts and speaks a whole lot more mature than even her 10 years! What do you think? Let me give you some examples:
Exhibit 1 – After taking her to a Newark Bears Game (her 1st baseball game), that the Bears lost (by a lot).
Me: I hope you still had fun even though the Bears lost.
Her: I had a GREAT time. I got to spend time with family and friends, and that is always fun. The final score doesn’t matter.
Exhibit 2 – After I try and select a movie to watch for Daddy-Daughter Night
Me: What do you think of this one?
Her: This is PG-13… are you sure it is age appropriate for me?
Exhibit 3 – After her aunt asked her if she still was watched Hannah Montana
Her: The show isn’t entertaining any more, and her music isn’t as good as it used to be, so I’ve moved on to other things.
Aunt: So what do you like now?
Her: Bad Romance by Lady Gaga (this one just about killed me on multiple levels)
Exhibit 4 – After seeing a commercial for Zhu-Zhu Pets
Me: Have you ever seen them before?
Her: (Unenthusiastically) Yeah, I’ve seen ‘em
Me: Not interested, huh?
Her: Nah, maybe when I was younger, but now I don’t think I would play with them enough to justify the expense.
So, like it or not she is growing up… far faster than I would like… but fortunately not as quickly as her maturity level would suggest. Is it just her? Is it just me being in denial? Do your kids act far more mature than you would expect for their age?
A Decade of My Princess
It was May 30th, 2000 when you burst onto the scene. Game 1 of the Stanley Cup Finals that night would pit the New Jersey Devils against the defending Stanley Cup champion Dallas Stars (a series the Devils would win in 6 games, a fitting tribute to your entry into the world).
At that time, the world still seemed much more secure than it does today. I fully expected Vice President Al Gore to become the next President of the United States.
We were still just getting over the fact that all the fears of Y2K disasters, and tales of doom and gloom were not going to happen.
Only a month before the biggest news around was Elián González and the SWAT team that came in to take him back to his father, and his return to Cuba.
So much has changed in the world since then. But it pales in comparison to how much you have changed and grown. Perhaps that is why the time has seemingly slipped by me. I have been so busy watching you grow and change into the smart, beautiful little woman that you are today that I didn’t notice the time going by.
Hence, I ask that you forgive me for still considering you my “baby.” Because to me it seems like only yesterday that you were just that helpless little baby, and yet that is clearly not the case.
Many milestones have passed. But they seemed to be coming faster and faster as time goes by. I can still remember your “graduation” from Pre-School, and now you are finishing the fourth grade.
It doesn’t seem all that long ago that you were learning to walk without holding on to something, but now I am watching you do Salcow’s, Lutz’s, Toe Loops and other jumps and moves on Figure Skates. It seems at times like this, that I am no longer teaching you as much as you are teaching me.
And it is true. I don’t feel so much that I need to teach you, or even tell you right from wrong most days. You steer yourself quite well, and all I seem to need to do is provide some guidance and support so that you can be all that you wish to be.
Your demeanor, your charm, your smile are all so disarming to most that you get along with (virtually) everyone, and makes you a pleasure to be around. I can’t believe that 10 years have gone by, but with all that you have accomplished, and with all you the potential you have, as much as I lament 10 years being gone, I love watching you soar to new heights on a regular basis, and I can hardly wait to see what the next 10 brings. Happy Birthday to my Princess.
She knows how to butter ‘em up
LatteGirl: We have a new girl in our class
Me: Oh, Yeah?
LatteGirl: Yeah, she is from Korea and she is real nice. But my teacher says she needs to be fattened up a little.
Me: Why is that?
LatteGirl: Because she is so tiny and skinny. She is almost as skinny as mommy.
And I am now pretty sure anything LatteGirl asks for from now at least through the end of the week, her mom will be more than happy to indulge her in getting.
Medals gained and friendships lost
Well, as I mentioned last week (has it really been a week already? I have go to find a way to find more blogging time), LatteGirl went off to Lake Placid to compete in the ISI Lake Placid Championships. Without trying to sound to braggy (but how could I not be at least a little braggy), she came home with 3 gold medals and a silver in the four events she entered.
Obviously, she was also thrilled. But besides being tired (on the last day they went snow tubing before a 5-1/2 hour ride home), there was a certain… I don’t know what to call it, really… listless undertone to her mood. What could make a child who just did so well in her competition, had fun swimming (she has continued her streak of swimming in every hotel pool she has ever had the opportunity to swim in… be it frozen for ice, or warm for swimming, apparently you just can’t keep my child away from water). So what could this reservation in her jubilation be? She denied it at first, so I didn’t push the issue.
The following morning, I inquired again, and I found out the problem. It seems there was another girl that is from her skate club that was signed up and in all the save events (and same “flight” as they call it), as LatteGirl… meaning they were competing head to head in each of the 4 events along with other girls from other skate clubs. As I pointed out earlier, LatteGirl came home with 3 gold and a silver. This other girl, whom LatteGirl only knows because they have the same coach, but LatteGirl still considers a “friend” came home with 3 silver and a bronze. Do you see where this is headed?
Yeah, by the time the trip was over and they were heading home, her friend was no longer speaking to her, and in fact was giving her dirty looks whenever LatteGirl looked in her direction. This troubled her. She didn’t like that fact that her friend was mad at her, but couldn’t reconcile what she should have done differently. She believes you should always do the best you can, and besides, this competion, the judges just decide on a winner… there is no scoreboard of points to look at to judge a “level” So she really couldn’t throw one of the events if she wanted to (there was no way that was going to happen, she is every bit as competitive as I am, and letting up is just not her style), and besides just because she may have thrown an event doesn’t mean that the judges might not have given the medal to somebody else anyway.
It is a shame. I have always tried to instill good sportsmanship in Lattegirl, but it seems to me that this girl’s parents didn’t bother to teach her good manners or how to be a good sport.) I tried to reassure her that eventually this little girl would probably move on and eventually forget all about coming in behind LatteGirl at every event this time, and who knows, at the next competion she may be the one that comes out on top.
["Not a chance," she says, "next time I will be even better." ]
Yup she is my child alright
Yes, more ice skating posts
I am sure some people will be getting sick of these posts, but I still get quite excited when LatteGirl has these ice skating events. Every event (so far) is bigger and more special than the last. I guess I will stick on this course for about a year (so let me apologize in advance), and then once these get into re-runs, it won’t be such a big deal.
But I feel bad that I cannot attend this one. LatteGirl and TheWife have headed off on their own o Lake Placid. This is not really all that much different than the event she went to in Yonkers. Except it is bigger, with far more competitors from all over the country.
So they are there, and I am here. I will be missing today’s competition due to firewall issues, but tomorrow I will get to watch her skate via Webcast (Yes, this event has a webcast that they sell tickets to). So, at least I will get to see it even if I can’t be there in person, but I still really wish I could have made the trip. Of course somebody has to pay for all these excursions… so I will try to enjoy it as best I can via the Webcast.
There are definitely some benefits to leaving me behind. I have been such the nervous one since she started competing. She has managed to be as cool as can be. So far, she has manged to avoid picking up my nervousness, but if I was around, it would probably only be a matter of time until she decided that if I was so nervous, that perhaps she SHOULD be, and I don’t want that to happen.
Of course, I can try and console my “poor me” factor (and after the expense of this trip, I really mean POOR me), with the fact that I have the house to myself for a day and half (they come home on Sunday). Well, only me and the dogs, and fortunately they are not talking. (Oh, please lord don’t turn this into a Bush’s baked beans commercial on me). So perhaps I will drown my “sorrows” by stopping for a micro-brew or six, order in some sort of greasy foodthing in and pretend like this was my plan all along and this is how I really wanted it to be. Yeah, that sounds good. And besides, I will see her tomorrow… even if it is on a webcast.
-
Sponsors
