This Girl...and Other Thoughts

This child, the one that keeps me young and makes me old.

The one that thinks of interesting ways to dust the furniture.

The one that can throw an amazing tantrum and thirty minutes after said tantrum-when I am still reeling and trying to think what to do about "this kind of thing"- she comes with 

the most angelic smile and apologizes.

This girl who worries a bit.

The other night at bedtime--"Mom, I wonder what my teacher will look like this year? (she is new for our school so I couldn't help her out) Do you think she will wear earrings? I hope not, I hope she wears a veil--like you. Do you think she will be strict? Like 'sit down in your seat right now' strict?"

I'm glad you would like your teacher to look "like me" and I think that with twelve boys in your class

you will need a sit-down-in-you-seat-right-now kind of a teacher.

This child who sometimes gets called "handicapped" by well-meaning individuals. One day one of the girls came home from school and asked "Is Shekinah handicapped?"  I turned the question around to them and they agreed that some people might think she is, but really, she's not.

I get tired of having to be PC (politically correct) all the time, but in the case of "handicapped", I do think "differently-abled" might be a better description. 

The other morning she was DETERMINED to crochet some yarn as she had seen me doing the night before. Quite frankly, I wasn't sure it was possible.

Good old YouTube to the rescue  "one-handed-crocheting" Yup, it can be done.

Of course, by the time I had looked up the procedure and we had watched the videos, she was on to something else. I will store the information away for the next time she wants to give it a try.

"Four-fingered-typing" will probably be a search for the near future.

"Left-handed piano pieces"

and "how to catch a softball when your hand is quite small for a glove".

Our school gives parents the opportunity to write a bit about our child for the next year's teacher...I'm just not sure what to write. Depends how the teacher reads into it, she will think Shekinah is helpless. And yet, there are things to think through....

Songs with sign language have been a big hit at our school.

Signs involving the ASL letters are normally done with the right hand.

My daughter's right hand is not her most capable hand.

Please let her use her left hand when doing signs with songs.

Hope is doing school work through the summer and she is taking Greek for her foreign language.

She gained new respect for those first graders that stumbled over lists of words during "Victory Drill"

Might be a good exercise for first grade teachers too?

"Looks like Greek to me"

Another experiment by the crazy lady.

I was determined to try this and see if I can make dress-fitting a less stressful procedure.

I really should give her a name and finish the armholes.

She has been called some not-nice names when she startled some jumpy half-awake children.

It kept them busy for half a day.

They mixed water colors in buckets of water and offered them for sale.

They do have imagination.

QOTD Shekinah "Mom, come sit on this chair" indicating the office chair

Me:" why?"

S:" Just sit on it."

I obliged and she pushed the lever, I sank down to the lowest setting.

S:" Now get off."

Me:"what was that all about?"

S:"Thanks, I wasn't heavy enough to make the chair go down!"

QOTD: Both girls were talking about "smelly socks" in a British accent. I asked what they are talking about. "you know mom, Mrs Collins in 'Pride and Prejudice' , she wanted her "smelly socks"

"Smelling salts, girls...smelling salts!"

Then I had to explain that to them...they thought smelly socks would do...they'd eaten the jelly beans that had that flavor....kids!