babyfruit: the (mis)adventures of mommyhood

What I want for my daughter

I want her to be adventurous and not afraid to try new things, never afraid unless it is prudent to have a small degree of fear. I want her to know her limits but to push herself to do more, to be more. 

I want her to take big leaps with maybe only a peek so she doesn't convince herself she can't do something, but also sees the terrain so she can make quick choices with good judgement.

I want her to be athletic, mobile, skillful, agile, graceful, strong. I want her to soar.

I want her to believe in herself.

What do you want for your child?

Striped socks and self expression

Yes, I let her go to school like that. She has a quirky, vivid, free sense of style, and I love it.

My dad once commented that he thought it was amazing that I let her wear her unique combinations of clothing to school, even back when she was in pre-school. I said I couldn't imagine quashing her creativity over some funky, mismatched clothes.

He said it was incredible that I let her do it, and he pointed out that he and my mom didn't let me.

I guess I'm also living vicariously through my daughter who is excited about stripes and polka dots and plaids, mixed up and unmatched. She is braver than I.

Running to the bus

Our driveway is short enough that we don't have to get in a car to drive to the end of it to get to the road where the school bus picks her up (some folks around here do have that), but long enough that we can see or hear when the bus is coming so can't stay inside the house for a few minutes longer when it's raining or when it snows.

It's too long to run down it and hope to catch the bus if it is just getting to our driveway.

When it snows, we'll still have to trudge down the drive to wait by the road for the bus which comes at 7:53am, plus or minus 10 minutes. 

When it is 30 degrees below zero, even 40 degress below zero (yes, the school bus still runs and schools are open when it gets that cold), we'll still have to trudge down the drive to wait by the road for the bus.

At that point, I think I'll want to drive my car a few seconds down the driveway and sit in it with the heater blasting to wait for the school bus. Of course, it will take 20 minutes to warm up the car in those temperatures so it will be moot.

I asked my husband to build a little shelter for us at the end of the driveway. Like a guard's booth. With a chair, and a blanket, and a heater. He's thinking about it.

Big girl pack

Her backpack is bigger than half her body, and she loves it.

She doesn't really carry much in it. A change of clothes. A green laminated folder that contains the school work she does each day. And her lunch. That's all. 

But she is incredibly proud of it, and refuses to use one that fits her. This is her "big girl pack," and she's sticking with it.

The end of summer

For you, the end of Summer means a long, crisp Fall. 

For those of us in rural Alaska, it means a too-short Fall, a quickly descending darkness, and very soon... Snow.

Getting my Vitamin D, Sam-e and Happy Light ready.