Overcome

Two weeks ago the notice came home, the same notice that has come home before for my other two children.  Chorus tryouts.  We have weathered one child trying out twice and not making it either time and another child deciding not to try out at all (which might have been a good thing).

I was surprised when Maddie seemed to give the idea some consideration.  While she doesn't mind singing and has a pretty voice, she definitely does not like to call attention to herself and the tryouts seemed to be a bit out of her comfort zone.

I, of course, worried.  What is she didn't make it?  What is she was scared?  I think many times I have almost discouraged the girls from doing difficult things that might cause them pain because I don't want them to be hurt.  The reality is thought that my job in life is not to minimize every bit of pain for the girls.  It is to teach them that life isn't always easy and that beauty isn't necessarily found in those things that are easily gained but in those things that are difficult.

And so I encouraged her to try out.  I filled out the paperwork and sent it in for her.  When she wavered in her decision I encouraged her to go through with it.

The day of the tryouts I left for work in the morning and gave my girl a hug and reminded her of the verse that we gave her when she was baptized, "Do not be afraid, do not be discouraged for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go."  Joshua 1:9.

And......   she did it.  She admitted that it wasn't easy and that she even got so overwhelmed at being in the spotlight that she cried.   But she started over and finished it.  We haven't found out if she made it or not and frankly, I could care less. What I do care about is that she did it, she followed through and didn't let her fear overcome her desire to do something.  It's not in the achievement itself but in the striving to achieve.

School Days 2012-2013

The summer flew by much too quickly for either the girls liking or my liking.  It's hard to believe that summer is over (even though it technically is not over for another month).  The girls are in 4th, 7th and 9th grade this year which I find completely unbelievable.

Just yesterday I was saying that they were 3, 6, and 9 years old and now they are double that plus a few.

Our schedule is a bit different this year.  Maddie and Destiny will leave for the bus at the same time around 7:15 and they get on about 5 minutes apart for the elementary and high school bus.

Abby's schedule remained the same as last year.  She needs to leave at 8:25 to catch the middle school bus.  We were not sure what to do with Abby.  Abby hates being alone at home and it was always fine before this year because she had Destiny at home.  Abby had the option of going to the neighbors but that had three kids getting ready to leave before 7:15 and Abby at the neighbors house which while okay, was not ideal.  Abby and the neighbor girl do well together in very, very small amounts but every day I knew would strain the relationship.  We were up to the first day of school with no answers and then.....

One of Abby's very best friends from Elementary School has a mother who is a teacher in a high school close to us and had sent her daughter for 6th grade to the middle school closest to that high school.  Her daughter didn't have a good year and so this year she switched her to Abby's middle school.  Every morning she drops her off at our house just after Destiny and Maddie leave and the two of them eat breakfast together and get ready to together and leave together.  The perfect answer to prayer.

The first few days have gone well.  Destiny was a bit nervous those first few days as she navigated around an entirely new school and one that was twice the size of her old school but she has settled in nicely and seems to be making friends and enjoying cross country with new teammates.  Abby was the one we were worried about after her year last year but she ended up in classes with friends this year and has lunch with one of her very best friends and she could not be happier.  Maddie, my go-with-the-flow child, seems to be doing just fine in 4th grade with her new teacher.

Here to another wonderful school year, 2012-2013

 Maddie, 4th grade.  Refused to dress up.  She wanted to be sporty.

 Destiny, 9th grade.  This is her "I'm terrified" look. 

 Abby, 7th grade.  My little fashion maven.

Abby and her friends from the neighborhood