Sleeping Angels

The girls like to sleep in the same room whenever we will let them. Usually they sleep in Hannah's room because she has a trundle bed under her bed. We add an air mattress so they each have a place to sleep. On this night they ended up together on the floor so they could sleep side-by-side. We thought it was so cute we took a picture. If only they were this peaceful when they were awake.

Field Trip with Grace or Facing My Fears Part II

The Monday after our camping trip I chaperoned a field trip to Kentucky Down Under with Grace’s third grade class. It is a good thing that Grace isn’t embarrassed to be with her mom (yet) as three days of public togetherness may have put Grace over the edge. It was a beautiful day and I enjoyed being outside away from work. The schedule taking us from one attraction to another was poorly planned. We went back and forth retracing our steps multiple times. It was good exercise – especially the uphill part but it did cause us to miss at least one event. Grace had recently been to Kentucky Down Under with her sisters and Nana during Spring break. The map we were given wasn’t clear so Grace stepped forward and offered to lead the group. I was proud of her for offering to show the way and relieved to see she has a better sense of direction than I do.

I think Grace’s favorite activity was watching her teacher try to shear a sheep. It was very funny. For me the highlight was the Kentucky Caverns. Yes, I am also afraid of confined spaces. This one is bigger for me than heights. I handled the caverns well and didn’t let on to any of the kids that I had a fear. Of course Grace made sure they knew but I didn’t act afraid or uncomfortable. Grace’s Brownie troop is planning a camping trip to Mammoth Cave in the fall and Grace wants me to go with them. If the Kentucky Caverns didn’t kick my claustrophobia I guess Mammoth Cave will!

Camping with Grace or Overcoming My Fears Part 1

For Mother’s Day weekend Grace’s Brownie troop went on a mother-daughter camping trip to Judy Layne Girl Scout Camp in Morgan County Kentucky (east of Lexington.) The theme for this weekend was adventure. We stayed in cabins (rather than the platform tents we have used previously) and cooked our own meals at our camp fire (instead of eating in the mess hall.)



The highlight of the weekend was using the 35 foot climbing tower. On one side of the tower the girls tried out rock climbing. On another side they experienced prusiking. What is prusiking you ask? (I sure did!) Prusiking is ascending a rope with the use of a harness and mechanical devices. The person utilizes two hand grips that can be pushed up the rope but have teeth to keep them from falling back down. You start in a seated position and push up with one grip going to a standing position. Push up on the second grip and you pull up your legs back into a seated position. You do this over and over again inching your way up the rope.

THE TOWER

This camp also has a zip line at the top of the climbing tower. The girls were disappointed to learn that you had to be 13 years old to use the zip line. Our instructors informed the mothers that we could use the zip line. I told Grace that if she got to the top of the tower rock climbing and prusiking I would go on the zip line. Sounds good right? One more piece of information - I have a pretty big fear of heights. I will go to 50th floor of a building but don’t ask me to look out the window or worse step out on a balcony.

So why did I say this to Grace? Well several things went through my mind at the time:

1. Despite the height, for years I have thought that going on a zip line looks like fun.
2. I knew it would be safe as the Girl Scouts fear liability and spend a lot of money to make sure everything is safe. There was a lot of equipment there and I felt the instructors were good and since they normally work with kids they would be patient with me (i.e. they deal with chickens all the time.)
3. I thought this was a unique opportunity; I am not around a zip line very often after all.
4. I didn’t want my fear to keep me from a new experience – I can’t tell you how many times certain members of my family have told people about my not going to the top of the Eiffel Tower because of my fear of heights.
5. I work hard to keep all my promises to my girls. I knew once I made the promise I would have to keep it and there were witnesses. Backing out was not an option.
6. Finally I wanted to take the occasion to show Grace you can overcome your own fears. Hopefully she will use my example as she deals with her own fears of spiders, being along, and elevators and so on.

Of course Grace made it to the top of the tower for both the rock climbing and prusiking. She was really fast with the rock climbing – I think she set some kind or record. Once she got the rhythm of prusiking there was no stopping her. She loved both activities and did each several times that day. Although Grace made it look easy these events are not. Some of the girls had some trouble and faced their own fears. I was proud of how all the girls supported, encouraged and took care of each other.

When the time came for the zip line three mothers decided to give it a try. I volunteered to go first and received a lot of encouragement from the girls and mothers. To go on the zip line you have to climb 35 feet up a telephone poll on what they called staples. The VERY SMALL metal hooks made the climb a challenge. I am sure it was a lovely picture – middle aged woman wearing a harness that looked like big black underwear over your clothes and a bright red hair crushing helmet hugging a pole with feet pointed out to the side trying to not miss the next metal hook.

Going up I was shaking with nerves which didn’t make the climb any easier. When I got to the top the instructor realized she forgot a harness and sent someone to go get it. Great – waiting at the top of a tower for your impending doom. It felt like 10 minutes but in reality I am sure was only a few. Once we had all the equipment. I had to climb over a wall and sit on a SMALL triangle of wood. While holding the rope I had to lean forward and fall off the “seat” to go on the line. As I sat there my brain kept telling me to lean back – something to do with self preservation I am sure. It took a few minutes to work up to it but I finally forced myself to lean forward and fall. The first part of the ride was frightening, shocking and bumpy. Once I leveled off it was a lot of fun. The ride was short and honestly for all the work I would have liked it to be longer. Grace tried to take pictures but her camera died before she got anything good (see prayer does work.) Someone else may have a picture but I haven't been given a copy yet. I do have witnesses and I swear I really did go on the zip line - ask Grace!

The other fun thing the girls did at this camp was to go on the jumping pillow. I can only explain this as a safer, lower to the ground version of a trampoline. The girls loved it. It was the last thing we did before leaving to go home. If we knew a traffic accident would essentially shut down New Circle Road in Lexington making our final mile home last over an hour we would have let them jump longer!

Hannah goes bowling

At Rosa Parks Elementary Hannah and Grace participate in a program entitled Accelerated Reading (A.R.). They read books from a list then take a test on the book and earn points based on the test score. The program includes incentives for reaching certain point levels– a popcorn party in the winter and an end of the year bowling party. As you move up a grade the points required increase. For Hannah it was 12.5 points for the popcorn party and 25 for the bowling party, Grace had to have 25 for the winter party and 50 by the end of the year. For three years Grace has earned the needed points by Christmas. Hannah didn’t have all her points until February and only after I pushed a little bit. Hannah is her own best motivator so I was a little concerned. I found out that she didn’t want to go to the bowling party. Hannah is resistant to try new things – especially in front of her peers or in a large crowd. At least weekly I heard her say she didn’t want to go to the bowling party. I decided she and I would go bowling together so she could learn about bowling and spend time alone with Mom. Craig told her he would go with her as a chaperone on the day of the bowling party. Never did we say she had to go to the party but it was pretty clear that we were not giving her that option.

She and I went the weekend before the school bowling party. After acquiring the necessary and fashionable shoes I asked for the lightest weight ball and had the gutters pulled up. I showed Hannah how to bowl (okay more like how I bowl but to her it looked right.) Even with the lightest ball she had trouble “throwing” the ball with one arm. I told her we were there for fun and there were no bowling police watching us. Whatever worked for her was just fine. We decided the best way for her to bowl was two handed between her legs. With the gutters up she always hit at least one pin. She even had a couple of spares. The big smile on her face told me that I had changed her mind about the bowling party. I am sure the tater tots and candy didn’t hurt either.

The day of the bowling party I made sure Craig knew about the gutters needing to be up, getting the lightest weight ball behind the counter and to let her bowl any way she wanted. She bowled in a lane with several of her friends and her Dad cheering her on. That day she not only had spares but strikes. Now that we have her comfortable with bowling my next challenge is to get her to go camping – say a few prayers for me - this one will not be easy!

Rachael and Mommy's Day Out

The Lexington Children's Theatre recently put on the play "Lilly's Purple Plastic Purse" based on the character from Kevin Henkes children's books. I thought that the play probably was geared to children Rachael's age and that it might be a good opportunity to have some time for Mom to focus on Rachael. I bought tickets and we made a big day of it. We went out to lunch first and then to the play. The theatre is a simi-circle and very intimate - a great location for kids to see a play. Part of the story was about Lilly's new baby brother and how after he arrived Lilly wanted to send him back. I told Rachael that Hannah felt the same way about her when she was a baby. It gave us a good opportunity to talk about the importance of valuing her sisters and to try to understanding why sometimes they might be jealous of the attention she gets from Mom and Dad - but that in the end they still love each other.

Rachael loved the show and talked about it for days afterwards. At the end of the show she collected some autographs and took her picture with one of the actresses in costume. In the fall Rachael will start to attend several plays at the theatre as part of field trips with her kindergarten class. Parents don't get to go on those trips. I was glad I was able to take her to at least one.

Grace's Passion

For as long as I can remember Grace has loved horses and dogs. We have made it clear that as long as she lives under our roof we will not have a dog or a horse. That hasn’t stopped her from adding a dog and/or horse to the white board on the refrigerator where we list things we need to buy (ex. Eggs, milk, baking soda, dog.) Dog shows up almost daily. Grace has checked out every book the local public library and her school’s library has on dogs and horses – many of them more than once. Her room is decorated in horses and she owns multiple toy horse stalls, plastic horses and dogs. She spends some time with my brother’s dogs which helps alleviate her need for a dog but not the horse.

Last fall Grace’s Girl Scout troop went on a weekend camping trip to Camp Cardinal, a Kentucky Girl Scout camp that focuses on horse back riding. I went on the trip to spend some one on one time with Grace and to see if extended contact with actual horses would dissuade Grace’s interest. I was curious, how would she handle the smell, dirt, etc? On that trip she was very unhappy about the bugs in the bath house but nothing about the horses made her love them any less. The first time on the horse I watched for several minutes looking for a reaction. After about a half an hour and no smiles I was sure this was the end. When she got off the horse she immediately ran to me with such enthusiasm I realized I was wrong. I had just seen a new side of Grace – complete focus and concentration. Grace elected to write about her first time on a horse (other than a pony ride at the pumpkin patch) for her third grade personal narrative. I have typed in her work as written.

Trotting
By Grace Kelly

Neigh, Neigh said the horse as I walked to it. I was very nervous. I thought I was going to fall off. I was very high off the ground. When I got on it felt like a hundred feet up. This was the first time I got to trot on a horse.
As I started walking my leader asked some questions. I could hear the horses hooves walking against the field. Soon I found out the horses name was Playboy! Then we started playing some games. We played Simon says. As we started walking faster I heard the head of the horses say we were going to trot on a horse.

I started walking faster and faster. I was very scared because I had never trotted on a horse. The helmet felt itchy against my head. Somebody started talking about how to stop and turn around. I heard my mom calling me and her camera snapping pictures. Finally we got to trot.

I waited for my turn to trot. I say people in my group go up and down. Finally it was my turn. My leader started running beside the horse. My stomach flipped flopped. It was fast paced, bumpy and scary, I stopped what a relief. I got back in line. Suddenly I heard the leader say I needed to stand up while trotting!
After I stood while trotting I quickly got off the horse. I started walking back to the campsite. My mom asked what I thought about it. It was awesome! Even thought it was two months ago I still remember trotting on a horse like it was yesterday.

Once it was clear that Grace wanted to spend more time with horses her Nana looked into riding lessons as a gift for Christmas and her birthday. She found a great farm in Versailles, Kentucky where Grace started taking lessons in January. http://www.bluewillowfarm.org/ It was immediately clear that she was a natural and that she loved it. Grace is transformed on a horse. The child that can not sit still through a meal is composed, focused, and driven.

Pictures from first lesson:

Grace now has a lesson once a week. She had her first show in April. She is riding English Saddleseat on an American Saddlebred and competes as part of a lesson program at academy horse shows. During her first show in April she competed in two classes and placed fourth and second. The other girls at the show had all shown at several competitions and had been taking lessons much longer than Grace so Grace did very well. We look forward to seeing how she does this coming fall where we hope she will experience a more level playing field.

Checking on Sofie before her first horse show