Just Another (Green) Day
We did a little St. Patrick's Day celebration tonight. I decided to make an "Irish" themed meal, and it wasn't half bad. After the day I'd had -- I decided that a celebration was in order. Not because it had been such a banner day, but because I felt like we needed to have a light-hearted meal. So what did I make?
I made a cottage pie. It's basically Shepherd's Pie. It was pretty good. I added some peas. I know, go figure -- ME?!?! Adding ingredients to a recipe? Why, I never.
I also made an easy Irish Soda Bread recipe. It wasn't the greatest bread ever. Hence, no recipe posted here. But, it was good. I also made "Frog in a Blender" salad. (Pistachio pudding mix, Cool Whip, Crushed Pineapple and Marshmallows). Hey, it's green. I also made cupcakes with white frosting and green sprinkles (by the kids). They were good. Still are, actually.
My day kinda got hijacked in a phone call from Caroline's teacher. We needed to talk about the transition for her entering Kindergarten. The phone call was going fine until her teacher started talking about the fact that Caroline is shy in (certain) social situations.
She shared an incident from last week -- an all-school assembly. I guess it pretty much shook Caroline to the core. She ended up sitting on the teacher's lap the entire time--literally shaking.
I know this is true. It was just hard to hear her teacher say that she thought this was going to be an area where Caroline was going to be challenged and could begin falling behind her peers.
Please don't get me wrong -- we know Caroline faces challenges. We've faced a bunch of them. We have bounded over some hurdles that other children still face -- even children that are older than her. But my inference from her side of the conversation was that this was something that was, or is going to hamper her for a long, long period of time.
I fell apart. Figuratively and literally.
I'm still not sure that I've pulled it all together. I think my "over the top" dinner prep was part of my coping mechanism for the disappointment from that phone call.
Hey, don't judge me. I could have taken up smoking. I'm just saying. . .
In the meantime, we've got to start coming up with creative ways to try to bring her out of her shell -- in public. She's fine at home. She never stops talking. . . dancing. . . singing. . .running. . .jumping. . . reading. . . stacking. . . eating. . .
It's just "those" places (school, church, football games) where large crowds scare her. . . those places have got to become more comfortable for her. And, when they become more comfortable, maybe she'll develop some confidence.
In the meantime, at least until we come to another hurdle, you'll probably find me -- quietly pondering this amazing little person that God gave me (us). I'll be trying to figure her out, and seeking ways to bring out the best in her--helping carve out the path that God has laid out for her--and pushing her to be the exciting, fascinating, phenomenal young lady God has destined her to be.
Yes, of course, I know it's a daily activity with regards to both of my kids -- bringing out their best. But, it comes with the territory of cooking, cleaning, shopping, bandaging. . . . it's called mothering. (Or, parenting -- I'm gratefully not doing this by myself)
Other times you may find me screaming, crying, and complaining. As I recall -- to date, none of the other Ds parents we've met since we had Caroline have told us that "once you get to Kindergarten, there are no more challenges!" Nope. No one has said that.
But, my wonderful, wise friend, Beth shared with me that Mark and I --
". . .always have to have higher expectations than the world... because when it comes down to it... their life (their being teachers, educators, doctors, girl scout leaders) isn't impacted if Caroline doesn’t go the extra step... it doesn’t matter as much to them... it doesn’t change their future at all."
She's right. We do have to. Because, when you get right down to it, her future -- although being strongly supported by God's hands -- is in our hands. And, we don't take that lightly.
Yeah. Big day.
Lots of people wearing green.
People starting to talk about NCAA brackets.
Oh, and then there's this silly thing about my child's future. . . .yeah, it was just another day.
I made a cottage pie. It's basically Shepherd's Pie. It was pretty good. I added some peas. I know, go figure -- ME?!?! Adding ingredients to a recipe? Why, I never.
I also made an easy Irish Soda Bread recipe. It wasn't the greatest bread ever. Hence, no recipe posted here. But, it was good. I also made "Frog in a Blender" salad. (Pistachio pudding mix, Cool Whip, Crushed Pineapple and Marshmallows). Hey, it's green. I also made cupcakes with white frosting and green sprinkles (by the kids). They were good. Still are, actually.
My day kinda got hijacked in a phone call from Caroline's teacher. We needed to talk about the transition for her entering Kindergarten. The phone call was going fine until her teacher started talking about the fact that Caroline is shy in (certain) social situations.
She shared an incident from last week -- an all-school assembly. I guess it pretty much shook Caroline to the core. She ended up sitting on the teacher's lap the entire time--literally shaking.
I know this is true. It was just hard to hear her teacher say that she thought this was going to be an area where Caroline was going to be challenged and could begin falling behind her peers.
Please don't get me wrong -- we know Caroline faces challenges. We've faced a bunch of them. We have bounded over some hurdles that other children still face -- even children that are older than her. But my inference from her side of the conversation was that this was something that was, or is going to hamper her for a long, long period of time.
I fell apart. Figuratively and literally.
I'm still not sure that I've pulled it all together. I think my "over the top" dinner prep was part of my coping mechanism for the disappointment from that phone call.
Hey, don't judge me. I could have taken up smoking. I'm just saying. . .
In the meantime, we've got to start coming up with creative ways to try to bring her out of her shell -- in public. She's fine at home. She never stops talking. . . dancing. . . singing. . .running. . .jumping. . . reading. . . stacking. . . eating. . .
It's just "those" places (school, church, football games) where large crowds scare her. . . those places have got to become more comfortable for her. And, when they become more comfortable, maybe she'll develop some confidence.
In the meantime, at least until we come to another hurdle, you'll probably find me -- quietly pondering this amazing little person that God gave me (us). I'll be trying to figure her out, and seeking ways to bring out the best in her--helping carve out the path that God has laid out for her--and pushing her to be the exciting, fascinating, phenomenal young lady God has destined her to be.
Yes, of course, I know it's a daily activity with regards to both of my kids -- bringing out their best. But, it comes with the territory of cooking, cleaning, shopping, bandaging. . . . it's called mothering. (Or, parenting -- I'm gratefully not doing this by myself)
Other times you may find me screaming, crying, and complaining. As I recall -- to date, none of the other Ds parents we've met since we had Caroline have told us that "once you get to Kindergarten, there are no more challenges!" Nope. No one has said that.
But, my wonderful, wise friend, Beth shared with me that Mark and I --
". . .always have to have higher expectations than the world... because when it comes down to it... their life (their being teachers, educators, doctors, girl scout leaders) isn't impacted if Caroline doesn’t go the extra step... it doesn’t matter as much to them... it doesn’t change their future at all."
She's right. We do have to. Because, when you get right down to it, her future -- although being strongly supported by God's hands -- is in our hands. And, we don't take that lightly.
Yeah. Big day.
Lots of people wearing green.
People starting to talk about NCAA brackets.
Oh, and then there's this silly thing about my child's future. . . .yeah, it was just another day.
posted by Angie at 10:42 PM
7 Comments:
my mom did a green dinner once...baked chicken with parsley on top, green potatoes and gravy, green jello salad, and green milk. the funniest part was my brother insisting that the milk tasted funny, haha!
i know what it's like to have a kid who is shy, javen just about wrote the book on it. and if he did, he wouldn't go to the book signing at the local barnes and noble, ya know?! i wish people could see the way he is at home, just running around being himself and doing all the silly stuff he does. but then i'm the same way so, maybe there's not much hope for the boy!
This really touched me, Angie. You are so right . . . Caroline's future does depend so much on you (and, of course, a faithful, loving God).
If it makes you feel any better, my kids are all homebodies who feel so much more "themselves" here at home than out there in the world. And I wouldn't have it any other way. I think it says a lot about the haven you have created for your girl that she's bubbly and herself at home.
I'd try applying logic to it - at what size does a group of people become too big - but it's not a logic problem.
I think always having that safe place she knows she can return to could be a key to allowing her to venture out.
Sort of like us and God. "The warrior is a child."
I'm with Steve on this...
One of my kids was so shy he cried the first 2 weeks of Kindergarten...I never knew until 3 months later at conferences. Caroline will do fine and so will you.
On to the recipes...What is Frog in a Blender?
You mentioned before that she doesn't like loud noises. Could that also play a part in her challenge?
I don't like large crowds either, but my reason is for invasion of my personal space. I detest large gatherings/ Prefer more intimate venues.
"I think my "over the top" dinner prep was part of my coping mechanism for the disappointment from that phone call."
hey dinner in a blender is better than smoking... girl you crack me up... and as for writing emails when upset, I say do it.... still better than smoking... i love you... love the girl even more and still not as much as God does
We're dealing with social "stuff" too. Partially because WG hasn't had much experience with her peers due to RSV isolation and partially because of sensory issues. Sigh. Never easy, is it? We've been told to keep up the socialization over the summer in prep for Kindy in the fall.
Katy (the violist-blogger from the KSO)
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