Recently in Gracie Category

Gracie wrote me a poem in the last days of her 9 year old glory.

Holiday Poem

Roses are red, Violets are blue
I like candy canes, How about you?
They come in colors red, green and blue,
It makes me think of Christmas
I love you.

I love her, too.

This little girl waited until we were literally walking out the door to tell me she was opening the school holiday program. She plays the viola. And so she did with a small group of other 'strings' players.

Afterward she participated in the program as a singer.

We could not stress enough to her how important it is that we know these things at least a day in advance.  I was holding my breath that the charge on the video camera would hold out through the program.

Tonight we are off to another program. This time it is a Christmas concert. The same little girl will be playing her viola. The camera is charging right this very minute.

Why does every school program require white shirt and black pants? Seriously. In some places I am sure it is easy to find black pants for girls. Here? Ha! I have had to hunt down and try to catalog order a simple pair of black pants. She was mortified when I suggested we go to boys department and just grab a pair of black jeans.

Persistance paid off. We found one pair of black (not too dressy) trousers after hours of looking through mall stores.

After you having moments of feeling as if everything is rushed this Christmas Season?

XXXXX County Public Schools

XXXXX County Administration Center

123ABC Road

XXXXXX, Virginia

 

Dear Steve and Angie XXXXXX

Your daughter, GRACIE, earned a perfect score of her Standards of Learning tests (SOL) last school year.*

Blah blah blah blah special awards ceremony by school board blah blah blah blah.

Blah lots of big smart words to describe my child's genius.

Your child's advance range qualifies her to register for the Center for Talented Youth, CTY, screen at Johns Hopkins University.

Blah blah blah blah blah blah award ceremony time date and place blah blah blah

Respectfully,

Some Guy Paid to Write Letters

Director of Something Which Sounds More Important Than It Is

The reason I am posting  this is - Gracie goes to school, she enjoys school to a point but mostly it is her time to make a fashion statement. Ha! Yes, I said Fashion Statement.

She could care less about anything else at this point. We have to stress to her the  importance of her education.

Her response?

Do I have to go? That's when my show is on.

 

*Tests where taken at the end of May a couple of weeks before summer break.

"When you cross two goats* how does that work? Do you put them in a machine?" -Gracie, age 9, backseat of Ford Excursion after leave the farm supply store where we made purchase of feeding pails and electric fencing for our 6 new milk goats. *The birds and bees.

With the ice storm and being frozen in solid Gracie only went to school one day last week. Valentines Day came and went and there were not valentines from school mates to be looked over. Friday came and the little school dance was not to be as the school was closed. Finally, Monday came. Monday was to be a holiday but instead was reclaimed as a makeup day for the ice and snow. Gracie came home with her Valentine's mailbox where all the children had deposited cards for her. As she did similarly with their own. One card in the box stood out from all the others. It is a homemade card. Constructed of a folded over index card. Not decorated with a commercial cartoon or other childish interest as found on store bought cards for children to exchange. This one was written with red marker. Addressed clearly to Gracie. Decoratively ornate, yet very simple with a sticker on the front as if they were sweetheart candies. I present to you possibly one of the best Valentine's day cards ever gotten by a girl in third grade (and for some maybe in their lifetime - even if he can't spell - yet). Grace your ... beaiteful funny smart He did not sign it. She thinks she knows who gave it to her. No one has confessed. She feels special, beautiful, funny and smart. That is indeed a wonderful gift to recieve at anytime in your life. I think she is speshul, beaiteful, funnee and smart, too.

Guess What the weather is doing here? We even had snow flurries last night. Maybe Jack Frost will stay awhile. Finally! Guess Who got an academic award at school for her very good grades? She forgot to show it to us friday - :-/ Guess Who is walking now? Here we go! Young Frankenstein's Monster All of these have helped to lighten my mood just a bit. The fireplace is flickering. Steven is playing at my feet. Life is good.

"And I blew them all out with just one breath!" My sweet asthmatic girl declared with a great big smile. Some of you will know just how big a success one deep breath can be.

December 17th - Today Gracie is 9 years old. I have been present for each and every day of her life and can hardly believe this is the nineth birthday. We have nine lovely red birthday candles we will light this evening. (Red is her favorite color.) She could not decide between coconut cake and red velvet cake. She finally chose coconut cake saving the red velvet cake for Christmas. This has been a trying last few months for my Gracie. Out of nowhere she was diagnosed with asthma. She has been doing daily treatments. She remembers without having to be reminded to take her inhaled medication each morning and night. She is growing so tall and beautiful. I love her laugh and the twinkle in her eye. I love the way she smells when she snuggles up warm and close to me. I love everything about her. I am amazed daily, even now, nine years later, at each and every new things she learns. I love watching her with Steven. She is an amazing big sister. She is so loving and kind. She dotes on him and protects him like a mother lion. She excells in school. Her math is consistantly 100%. And she can solve those problems in her head without the need to write it down. She isn't a great speller but this week she impressed us all, including her teacher with a 100% on her weekly spelling test. She is loud. She is what I call my little bohemian. She is a fashionista. She is not a follower. She is a trend setter and moves on when the girls begin to copy her 'style' of dress. She is my wild child. She is my sweet baby girl. She is my heart. She is often the vert breath I breathe. She is and always will be my everything. Happy Birthday, my darling girl. **She has chosen ice skating as her birthday activity. I am so glad she didn't ask for a big party. We have never been ice skating. It will be a fun birthday week leading up to Christmas. Monday we bring cupcakes to school -chocolate cupcakes!

Me: Gracie, what will you have for dessert? Gracie: Hmmm, what can I choose from? She shifts Steven from one hip to the other. Me: Chocolate cake or ice cream. Gracie: I think I am going to have sweet baby sugar. She begins to kiss Steven all over his face and around his neck making him giggle. Gracie: It's the rarest form of sugar in all the lands. She grins at me while trying to balance a baby half as big is she is in her arms. Me: Silently weeping watching my baby girl love my baby boy. Raising children who love and care about one another is one of the most beautiful things in all the lands.