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Bookworm Bean

27 Feb

Nia has always loved books. She was entertainingly reading to us by memorization at age 3 and often carries books with her wherever she goes. But it wasn’t until the other day that she began talking about what she’d read in a book with such excitement and detail.

She didn’t just say it was really good or funny. She started to give us a “response to literature” – something she’s learning in school. She was so into it and full of animation when describing it to us. It was adorably awesome and gave us the idea to have her review them on video. (Partly as a learning experience but also because I wanted to capture this part of her life.)

She was so pumped about the idea of Bean Book Review and couldn’t wait to start. Who knows? Maybe it could even help someone who’s thinking about buying a book for a child. I mean, she relates things to iCarly so it’s a pretty expert opinion, if you ask me.

She had so much fun doing this and sitting next to me as I tried to edit it. She was such a little producer too. Telling me that I need to add music and that her eyes were closed on one starting clip. She and I had a great time! I find some parts of it so endearing. Like, the popcorn she tries to free from a tooth while talking and her reenactment of a snippet of one book. I hope some others enjoy it as much as we do. (It’s five minutes long so we’ll see!)

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You Look Like a Mom

23 Feb

I remember when I first heard that. I was 28 years old. I was, in fact, a mother. Of two. I remember that I didn’t know how to take it. In that moment, it felt like an insult. Thinking, “What does that even mean?” I was at a bar, with my husband, thinking I look pretty nice in my black sweater and jeans. Now, I wish I could go back and react to it differently. How could that be an insult? I look like a mom. Without hesitation, I should have taken it as a compliment. It’s who I am.

I find it interesting how much I realize that even when I’m not with my kids. When I am by myself, I feel like I’m missing a piece of me. I don’t remember what the me in me was like before Nia and Nate. When they’re with me, I feel like I can do anything. I feel strong. Protective. Smart. Beautiful. When they are not with me, I feel insecure. Small. Even if it’s just going to the store by myself. I need my shopping buddy, Nia. Sure, I can function without her and not have a meltdown but – it’s just – I feel her absence and I notice the difference in me.

I’ve figured out that it helps if I remember that I “look like a mom” even when they aren’t with me. That proud and heartfelt feeling is invigorating. Best. Compliment. Ever.

You're so mom.

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Valentine Views

15 Feb
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Nia's Pile of Sweet Sayings

I can’t believe I’m just now realizing how Valentine’s Day brings out some interesting opinions and reactions in people – even at a young age. There are those who are anti-“Hallmark” holiday. Those who do just enough to swoon their significant other. Those who may go overboard. And those who are encouraged to participate. I suppose that last category can apply to adults too but I’m thinking about it more related to kids.

Like many young kids, both Nia and Nate had valentine exchanges at school. They were given a list of all the children in their class to make sure no one was left out. I always enjoyed doing these exchanges as a kid and remember all the fun and creativity that went into the boxes for collecting the treasures. I remember how extravagant some of the boxes were. I have a memory of one child’s being not a box at all but a mini-Love Boat. (Mine was always a shoe box covered in construction paper with hand-drawn crooked hearts and predictable love messages on it.)

They don’t ask us to create boxes like that now – just have the kids write out their card of choice to all the other children. Some people add to that with candy, scrapbook-type elegance or even individual goody bags. Others don’t give any valentine at all. It made me wonder if their parents just didn’t take the time to do it with them or maybe they can’t afford such a treat-type thing or maybe the child/parent just didn’t want to buy into the “Hallmark” holiday. Whatever the reason, for future V-Days, I plan to donate a few boxes of blank cards to the classroom so that all kids can participate if they’d like. After all, soon enough the exchange won’t be mandated so that even the little mean Johnny/Suzy gets a Be Mine card. It will be more strategic. Where only a someone special is wished Be Mine. Picking and choosing a Valentine. What age does that start?

It seems Nia is already creeping toward that. While writing hers out, she was so concerned about running out of the standard “Happy Valentine’s Day” cards and having to give a non-BFF a BFF card. Nate wanted to make sure all of his friends would like the card they got. He was worried about giving the girls a Buzz or Woody character card because, “they’re girls.” When I told him that they will love to get any card he gives them, he relaxed a bit but still made every effort to give them either the cowgirl, Jessie, or the horse, Bullseye.

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Nate's Love Wishes

I suppose I remember reading into my mandatory valentines some when I was a kid. Is so-and-so really “head over heels” for me?! He must be! I mean, he picked this card just to give to me, right?!

Glad I kept that all to myself. That would have been embarrassing to admit out loud.

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Homework, Honesty and Hush!

9 Feb

The case of Nia’s misplaced homework has been solved. Turns out, her BFF thought it was hers. When she realized she had Nia’s, the sweetie asked her teacher if she could bring it to Nia in the other classroom. I so love that! Also, Nia’s teacher told us having Nia create the homework herself was “good improvising.” Love that too!

As her school day went on, Nia was tested on a few other responsibility areas and I actually like their outcomes and her reaction. One involved her running in the hall to catch up to the class line. Her teacher heard someone running but didn’t know who it was. When she asked Nia if she was the one running, Nia told her it was. She was punished for breaking the running rule but her teacher wrote to us that she appreciated Nia’s honesty. I know she shouldn’t have been running but I’m proud of her for telling the truth.

The second issue involved lunch and a “mean” (according to Nia) teacher (Nia says, “She’s only nice to the adults.”) who made Nia have what’s called “silent lunch” for talking too loudly.  I don’t have a problem about the punishment, nor do I believe this teacher is only nice to adults. I just found her interpretation and commentary of what happened kind of precious. I mean, “She’s only nice to the adults.”

Oh, Bean. You make me proud, laugh and shake my head all at the same time. Now, stop breaking those rules!

A Worrier’s Daughter

7 Feb

I saw Nia have a minor stress freak out tonight and I felt it. In fact, I’m pretty sure I’ve lived it before. I know exactly what she was going through and I hate it. She’s too young to know that kind of worry yet. Too sweet. Too child.

While I’m glad that she cares, I’m concerned about the amount of worry she showed for such a thing. Misplacing her finished homework sent her on a stress spiral. She actually held the sides of her head in worry that she was going to get in trouble.

Did I do this to my child with all the worry I carry? She’s told me before that I worry too much. She even wrote me reminders that I shouldn’t worry. She knows it’s not a good thing yet it came so naturally and quickly for her. It makes me wonder about people who don’t worry as much. Were they raised by easy-going people? Did they train themselves to say, “Oh well. What can I do?”

I wish I had more of that in me. For me, I have to come up with positive thoughts or a solution to ease my stress. Luckily, it helped Nia. We decided that she would re-do the work, since she remembered it and it would give her something to give to her teacher. I was amazed by how much detail she put into it. She was so relieved to recreate the lost work that when Andrew told her she could go watch Nate play Wii she said, “I’m doing homework first.” Her stress was gone. I hope it stays away. After I finish worrying about her worry, I vow to ease mine to help heal hers.

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Beauty Marked?

5 Feb

I don’t remember being self-conscious about all the moles and freckles that graced my skin growing up. Looking back, I’m sure I was but I think my feelings about them changed because my grandma would always comfort me and boost my esteem by telling me they were beauty marks. Marks that God wanted me to have. I shouldn’t be ashamed of them, my beauty marks.

Through the years, many of them have changed. Cautious that those marks could be a sign of cancer or for appearance’s sake (I was very aware of a few), some were removed. Now, more need to meet that fate.

This is where it becomes difficult because Nia has a very special beauty mark on her forehead. Yet, she hides it beneath her hair because she doesn’t like it. She says she doesn’t want people to make fun of her if they see it. I tell her over and over again that it is special. It’s a sign of beauty. Don’t hide it. It’s part of who you are. But as I say that, I know I’m soon going to hide a few more of mine forever. What is that teaching? They’re beauty marks until you don’t want/need them to be anymore? I suppose beauty really is in the eye of the beholder. I just hope the one on my lip stays the same. I especially love that one…

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Baseball Weather!

30 Jan

The months of cold, rainy and snowy weather may have kept Nate from playing baseball outside but he never really did put away all the baseball gear. He would still bring the hats, gloves and cushioned baseballs out of his room to convince Andrew to throw with him in the living room. That really wasn’t cutting it though. This weekend’s beautiful weather was just what he needed. Spring Ball can’t get here soon enough!

Swing Away!

He "Crushed" It

 

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Speed Test Stress

29 Jan

It was time. I told myself I knew this stuff. I got it. I stuffed the inside of my Second Grade desk with the books and paper from our last subject. All that remained was my pencil, a sheet of paper with my fat-fonted name across the top and my fidgety hands as I waited for the teacher to slide the cassette into the top of the hand-held tape player and press down the button. I can do this.

The voice began. Math problems were slowly and robotically spoken to us. We had seconds to write the answer. There was no pause, stop or rewind. My palms sweated. My leg shook. I bounced in my seat like I had to go to the restroom. I blanked.

Speed math tests were painful for me. Pain. Full. It wasn’t that I didn’t know math. Me and math were cool. It’s just, when you add the element of time, well, I lost it. I used to study/train just for these tests. My friend, Eleni, would help me practice. Her mom had some speed math tapes and we would play school. I think I was actually being tutored but it was playing school, in my head.

I got through it all ok and actually forgot about the panic I’d feel until Nia started bringing home half sheets of paper with math problems and the words “speed test” on them. I worried for her. Would she stress out like I did?

I’m relieved to say, this picture sums it up:

No Speed Test Troubles

Phew. I can’t help but flashback each time I encounter one in her folder though. I think I’m already stressing for Nate’s.

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Keeping his enemy closer?

22 Jan

Nate’s relationship with his glow-in-the-dark Hulk has taken an unusual turn. He used to have a fear of his glowing green guy. I wrote about it almost a year ago when we caught him on hidden camera escorting Hulk from his room.

Now, he requires us to “charge” Hulk each night so that he can have him nice and bright. It is such a necessity to have Hulk bright that he will often tell us that there is still “green” on him. That means Hulk is not glowing to Nate’s satisfaction.

I can’t figure this new night-night obsession out. I really believe it is a “keeping his enemy closer” thing. Why else would Hulk often be found buried way under the covers (like foot-of-the-bed-buried) in the morning?

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“I’m a Girly Tomboy”

21 Jan

Just be you. That’s what I told Nia tonight when she told me she’s a “girly tomboy.” She insisted, that is what she is doing. She is a girly tomboy. Here’s her 7-year-old reasoning:

Because I like dresses but I like pants. And I like to play with my Barbies but I like peace signs.

When I asked her why she considers peace signs a tomboy thing, she said it’s because boys are usually saying things like peace out. I told her that girly girls can say that too and that she doesn’t have to call herself girly or tomboy. She just needs to be Nia. Pink peace sign and all.

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