Wind Down to Graduation

Time is growing short and Word Girl is gearing up for graduation. It is hard to believe that this child of mine will be graduating from High School in three weeks. Yes three weeks. May 23, 2010. Sometimes I just feel old.

But all the exciting things are starting to happen, awards banquets, prom, senior breakfast and of course the all important graduation party. Word Girl will be having an afternoon party over labor day weekend. Since we don't have a lot of room we will be having the party at a local park. I am just hoping for a cool weekend. Here in the Chicago land area Memorial Day can be cool, muggy, hot, rainy... we never know.

Word Girl is the original I can do it all by myself girl. Coming as she did after two older brothers and yet being very close in age, the three of them are barely 3 years apart.. 20 months each, she tended to tomboyish behaviour. While we did have the request tea parties and such it was just as likely that she could be found climbing on the top of the RV (at 2) with her older brothers.

My favorite story about Word Girl is when she was learning to ride a bike. She was just three and she wanted those training wheels off. Both of her brothers could ride without so she should be able to as well. I agreed to let her try and took of the training wheels. All prepared to hold the bike and run behind her as I did for her brothers but no.. she looked up at me all earnest blue eyes (she claims they are green) and said "no mommy I can do it all by myself". Sure enough she learned. That was on Friday, on Saturday we all rode our bikes into town, I had her sister sitting in the baby seat (so believe me I was glad she was riding on her own since before that I had Blond Girl in the baby snugly and Word Girl in the child seat.. it was work), and the three of them rode along side me. It was a couple of miles. We went to a pool party and had a blast I was soooo proud. The problem came on the way home..This poor baby was so exhausted there was no way she was going to be able to ride her bike home. We had to have a friend throw our bikes in the back of the truck and drive us home. Where I carried this poor exhausted child up the stairs and put her to bed.

It was a long day but she definitely did it all by herself. I am going to miss that determined little girl, I already do.


PS.. just in case there was any doubt she's the crazy one on the left Hair Boy is the crazy one on the right.. Since he was her first influence I decided to include him in this blog.

Senior Year

Word girl is going through her senior year. This is such an incredibly fun time filled with so many promises of things to come yet saying goodbye to what has always been. She is anxiously awaiting responses to her applications (ok, mailing them out then anxiously waiting). Currently she is hoping for UC San Diego or Hawaii Pacific. Me, I want, UC Santa Barbara or University or Oregon. The girl wants to study Marine Biology and she wants to escape the midwest so her choices stand to reason... (OK she wants to escape mom, I won't tell her that is how I ended up in the Midwest and yet mom is still there, leaning over my shoulder telling me how to breathe.. it is just life).

For each new adventure there is a bittersweet goodbye, I know she doesnt get it yet.. and since she has lived in a small town all of her life, everyone knows everyone else's business.. she isn't aware of the fact that sometimes you are alone, you actually WANT your family around. Of course if she attends Hawaii Pacific I can pretty much gaurantee monthly visits from some member of my family or other.. anyway, Friday night is Senior night for Marching band. It is when we get to stand up there and be acknowledged both the parent and the student. It is really the only time it happens. Most of the time the senior is acknowledged but not the parent so this is fun. After band night it will be senior night for swim team.. one more child to say goodbye to competitive swimming. This will be a tear jerker for me, it always is.. Of course Blond Girl will continue but she has always swam because well the rest of them did it and she looks great in a bathing suit.

Soon, there will be college ads and senior announcements, we already went through Homecoming, Prom is next.. what's a mom to do when all of her babies are suddenly all grown up.. Word Girl will be 18 this month... OGL.. world look out!!