2010: 40...Fit & Fabulous

Kenzie is not like me...

or at least not like the child I was.

She went to a sleep over last night.  She's been friends with an older girl in the neighborhood since the day we moved in.  Bailee is more Jake's age but she clings to knowing McKenzie.  In the last few years I've kept a tighter eye on the friendship...as a teen kids are a little less innocent...last night is a prime example. 

So, Kenzie goes off to Bailee's, we pick Jake up from a friends and have dinner out with Frank's brother, Topher.  We come home, Topher starts watching movies, the boys (we've picked up Jake's friend Eyan by now for a sleep over at our house) are downstairs cranking on the new 360, Frank is upstairs finishing his computer backlog of side jobs and I'm reading my book on the couch when the phone rings, late, like 10p???  Frank answers and trots down the stairs to give me the phone.  It's Kenzie but she needs to speak only to me and only in private...now I'm thinking a host of things...she's pulled out an earing again?  Woman stuff is starting wayyyy too early?  What could it be? 

So I get on the phone and she's absolutely SOBBING.  I can barely understand her.  But finally she gets out in stuttered, sobbing breaths, "Mom, I *67'd some people but no one answered and I know you're going to be SO mad at me..."  Star-6-7?  What is THAT?  "Kenzie, what does that mean?"  "I called some people but blocked my phone number and I know you're going to be mad and I'm in big trouble!" 

"So, let me understand...you were prank calling people and blocking your number?"

"YES, but no one answered."

"So you blocked your number in the hopes of prank calling people, but no one answered and you didn't actually get anyone on the phone?"

"Yes.  I'm so so so so so sorry.  I'll never ever do it again.  I promise."

Now, I'm trying not to laugh.  Not only is she calling to confess, she didn't actually get anyone live on the phone to prank call...and she's totally devastated.  Certain she's losing her cell phone for this offense. 

I calm her down and very firmly, sternly even, let her know that it's not okay to do this.  Ever.  That I am disappointed that this is how she would use her phone the first time she gets to take it out of the house, but since no one answered and no harm was done...if she PROMISES to never do anything like that again, I can let this one time pass.  She shudders with relief.  It's palpable.  She continues to promise and beg and apologize.  She feels better though, I can tell. 

We hang up, I relay the story to dad and uncle and we all crack up a little.  Confessing to a crime she didn't fully perpetrate.  So not the child I was.  I was the child who spliced her phone line back together after her father cut the line going to her room because I was on the phone too late, to some random boy I'm sure.  Not only didn't I apologize for things I did wrong, I was pretty well in my parents face about it...Daring them to stop me time and time again. 

I feel blessed to have such a sweet, and as of yet, innocent little girl in my home.  She's learned a lot from church I think -- coming forward, admitting when she's wrong, asking for forgiveness...she's a good little egg.  And I love her to pieces.

41.5...and a sex talk...

41.5 hours...not quite my record for no sleep, but pretty dang close.  I was so riled up from all the caffeine to stay awake for New Moon that I never really could fall back asleep.  And then last night was Bunko, which was great fun so not too hard to stay awake through. 

I tried to nap a little yesterday, but mostly laid awake in bed.  I was in and out for a few hours.  When I got home from Bunko my face was tingly and my body tired, but my brain was ON which is never a good thing.  I came in, chatted with Frank for a bit and relaxed on the couch...then I started feeling tired.  I popped 2 Tylenol PM's just in case they decided to work and I slept from midnight'ish to now, 8:30a...better!

Today's a big day for Kenzie.  Ear piercing day.  She's finally ready.  I thought she would be ready at 8, but she was terrified.  She's been working her way up using magnetic earings (which are painful after a while), clip ons (about the same) and going without.  Her vanity has finally won out over her fear of pain...that's my girl.  So, today we'll go. 

And the sex talk...last night Kenzie played at her friends house.  There was another little 7 year old over playing with one of her friend's sisters as well.  Somehow they all started talking about sex.  How you have sex.  Not an inaccurate description, mind you...just not something you use to educate a 7 year old with.  It reminded me of the time Kimmy's brother asked me what a Virgin was and I made him go look it up and write down the definition and bring it to me.  Boy was I suprised when I opened my front door to find Mikey there with his dad holding him arm with one hand and a piece of paper with the definition on the other...whooops.  ;) . 

Frank tried to pry the story from Kenzie this morning, gently, but the tears.  Kenzie still cries at the drop of a hat.  He couldn't get out of her who started it by asking THE question or who gave the description, but through the tears, Frank was a little suprised to get the feeling that it was our angel who did the talking...so, I am now left with the unpleasant task of opening the wound again until I get the details...girl-to-girl I think I may have better luck! 

Piano

Kenzie has started learning piano.  Denise and I are bartering the skills with our kids as I blogged about the other day.  Usually lessons are on Wed's, but Dee is going out of town for a few days and got crazy yesterday so she came by this morning at 8am to fit in Kenzie's lesson.  I'm sick with my first viral crap of the season and so I was pretty much laid up on the couch while the lesson ensued. 

I have to say, it is joyful to hear her play.  She's just starting so its not like we're into playing classical music, but just listening to her count and get the notes and make sounds that work together is wonderful. 

I will forever regret being such a strong-headed child.  My mother put me in lessons, organ lessons when I begged and begged for the instrument.  I managed 8 lessons and then refused to go anymore.  I just didn't like discipline of any kind.  I couldn't fathom sitting down to practice daily.  The fact that I had ADHD probably didn't help.  But we didn't know that then.  Kenzie will sit faithfully every day for her 20-30 minutes and work on song after song, repeating the ones she has trouble with until she makes sense of the music.  Jake is more naturally gifted with music, but Kenzie's tenacity will make her more successful in the end.  Jake is more like me.  The discipline of playing over and over and over makes his hair fall out. 

I'm proud of Kenzie for working so hard, she deserves the praise Dee showers on her.  It was fun to be a fly on the wall during her lesson.  She was giddy from the praise...proud of herself for working so hard.  It's so fun to see Kenzie gaining something of her own.

Tween on the horizon...

So, this coming month Jacob turns 12.  He'll enter 7th grade and I'm in no way ready.  He is.  He's excited.  Out of his mind excited about this new adventure.  I didn't realize how mature he was about it (if that's the right word) until I took him to registration yesterday.  He was cool as a cucumber finding his classes with the greatest of ease. 

Our jr. high keeps kids together by groupings.  In 7th grade you are either in 7-1, 7-2, or 7-3 (same for 8th) and depending on which group you are placed in these are the kids you will spend the most time with.  The school is divided into pods and Jake has the majority of his classes in pod "C".  This allows the school to have shorter passing periods and helps the kids feel like they know each other better.  All 7-1 kids lunch together as well, etc.  I like this idea.  It gives them a taste of high school (multiple class schedules, moving from room to room, teacher to teacher) without throwing them into the lion's den.

When we got home texting ensued.  His best friend is also in group 7-1 though they aren't in classes together.  He seemed to take comfort in E being in his lunch group.  I took comfort in the fact that Jake would know someone at all.  Not that he's not social.  Or that he's shy, because he's not, at all!  Once upon a time he was.  Until the first day of kindergarten.

The first day of Kindy we were lined up outside and he came up to me and said, "Mom, I'm not going to be shy anymore."  And he wasn't.  It was the most fascinating thing.  I realized then how much alike we were.  He knew at almost 5 that you decide how things will be in your world.  He walked away from me and started talking to the kids in line.  He's never looked back.  I can't imagine he'll have trouble come the first day of 7th grade either.  I imagine I'll be just like I was the first day of Kindy, though.  Tears in my eyes.  My baby is grown up.

Have you ever wondered?

Have you ever wondered at what point kids lose their wonder about life?  Their silliness?  Their willingness to be the butt of a joke and not have hurt feelings about it?  I fell asleep on the couch last night watching one of my favorite newer shows thanks to DVR.  Numbers, if you haven't seen it and you like to learn while watching a crime show, this is for you.  Anyway -- this morning I feel a presence over me.  You know, like when a cat is staring you down - you feel it.  Well, its my 8-year-old son - only different.  I had that startled wake and then broke out into laughter.  There he was, fresh from a birthday party the night before wearing his prize -- Elton John styled STAR glasses that were four times the size of his head.  And he just erupted in laughter when he got his intended effect!  Hilarious.  Oh, to be a kid again!