October 9, 2013

Rhyse was gathering worms as I weeded yesterday.  After she accumulated a handful I suggested that she go and feed them to the chickens.  This is something we do regularly but this time was different.  She paused, looked at her hand and then and me and said, "Mom, I understand the worms."  She decided that his time something was different and that these worms needed to stick together as a family and not be sacrificed to the ever-hungry chickens.  This made complete sense to me so we decided to dig a hole and bury them together in a different flowerbed (I guess it was moving day).  I'm glad my daughter still has the enough sensitivity to even "understand worms." 

A couple of days ago, I was driving into the parking lot at Skyview (our high school)  to pick Breck up from her swim team tryouts.  She's been a freshman for over a month now, but something about physically picking her up at the high school after participating in a high school sport really slammed into my brain.  I'm am the mother of a high school student!  Honestly, I have no idea how this happened, and I certainly don't feel mature enough to be raising a teenager.  Breck is having a great year so far and I'm so proud to announce that she did indeed make the high school swim team!  She has made great advancements personally, socially, and emotionally since last year.  I'm very proud of her guts, her tenacity, and her courage to jump back in and be the "real Breck" that we all love so much.

Tal is obsessed with gymnastics right now.  She has learned from school friends, practice and a little help from me lots of tricks on the trampoline and ground.  She can do a back handspring, front and backwalkover, front handspring, straight armed forward roll, etc...  We've had fun watching youtube videos together, spotting her and practicing together.  She is very determined and focused.  This Friday we'll take her to have a trial lesson and I promised both girls that they could take gymnastics for the winter.  It will be fun to watch Tal and Capriel progress.  They have strong, flexible and coordinated bodies. 

Capriel is a soccer machine right now.  She is just sooo fast!  This is the first year where her mind has really been engaged and she loves it.  She is always doing some sort of move where the crowd is oohing or aaahing in anticipation of a major injury that might have just occurred, or because she has just defied another law of gravity with her lightening speed body.   I laugh a lot when I watch her but am always impressed with her determination.  She has learned this year to follow the ball after she kicks it and to stay with it. 

Rhyse is in a stage of defiance and independence.  She is also struggling with focusing on a task.  She wants to originate every thought and action that she participates in. She does not want to switch thoughts or activities unless it is on her own accord.   It can be extremely exhausting and challenging.  I'm trying hard to be creative and patient.  Some days can be very long with her as every thing I need or want her to do seems to be such a battle.  Wish me luck!