School Starts Next Week
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| Sat, 08-18-2007 - 11:33am |
Although I haven't been around much lately (I found this major house move to be all-consuming in every way possible) I wonder if I could beg off some positive thoughts and good vibes from everyone? I find that the closer the first day of school gets, the higher my anxiety level rises. It is so hard to be the 'calm in the storm' and be reassuring that 'everything will be fine' to your nervous offspring when your own insides are churning!
DS starts school Monday. Brand new junior high; (grades 7-9; weird, huh?) knows one person in his grade and even has a class with him. W came back from a week-long YMCA camp last Friday completely transformed -- happy, confident, far more outgoing. He even cut his hair!!!! Somewhere around 4" are gone (tells you just how long it was) but it is still on the 'longish' side. I love that I can see his lovely green eyes, his freckled nose and that he is no longer 'hiding' behind his hair. I pray that this newfound confidence will carry him through what will most likely be an awkward week or so, until he makes friends.
Coming from a private high school, DD starts public school on Tuesday. She is entering her junior year and knows 1 person (sophomore) and a few acquaintances by sight -- two girls she met through a pottery class she took at the local rec center and a couple kids she met waiting in line for photo IDs on registration day. I truly believed that the private school she came from had quite a diversified student body -- until I went to registration day with C. We were both struck speechless. Oh P-- High School! Diversity is Thy Name. C, with her mostly wholesome and 'girl next door' appearance, was definitely in the minority.
Since we had to wait in line for nearly 1.5 hours, C and I had a good long time to observe and 'digest' it all -- which was a very good thing, as I think initially, we were both in a "OMG, what have we done?" state of shock. C says she is now looking forward to starting school and getting to know everyone -- particularly the more 'colorful' characters. It does seem that the kids were very accepting of all the other groups and ethnicities. I didn't notice much (if any) of the typical 'posturing' and 'looking down the nose' behavior so typical of teenagers. I pray that this is truly the case.
I have been pedaling my bike all over creation to help relieve the anxiety. I'll probably find myself pedaling into Wyoming next week!
Anyway ... good vibes would very much appreciated.
Julie

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Sorry your daughter has to endure the snubbing because of acne/weight. I feel the heartache you must have felt watching her friends leave her. DS17 had a bout of social isolation in 8th/9th grade. But it sounds like she's dealt with it quite well so far, and maybe there'll be less snobbishness at her new school.
My boys attended public school, but in a pretty homogeneous community. I wish they'd been exposed to more diversity, but to get that we would have had to move to a high-tax, higher-crime area. There are always trade-offs.
I'll be moving in early October to join my DH in Vienna, VA (DC metro area)--a whole lot more diverse than here in SW MI. I can't wait! We are also moving from a nice home with a good-sized yard to a no-yard rowhouse near the metro. With DS17 starting college in MI, and DS24 on his own in Annapolis, the transition will be a whole lot easier than it would be with kids.
Best of luck to you and your family.
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http://www.pnhp.org/news/2009/october/meet_the_new_health_.php
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DQTBYQlQ7yM
Thank you so much. It was so sweet of you to write. Wow--your two are off and you seem really mellow and well-adjusted about it. You seem to have conquered empty nest syndrome. I hope your move goes well. You seem pretty ok about it--apparently the backyard isn't a big issue. Also, you say you;ll join your husband so that's great...Let us know how you do...
Thanks for your understanding about my dd being shied away from when the acne/weight hit. In the lower grades the only time a kid was left out was when they acted poorly. So, I never dreamed this would happen. When my daughter was with the so called popular group, I taught them to never leave a kid out of a party, as we gave many. I am a party giver...So, I couldn't believe 6th grade brought new rules based on boys evaluations...I bought Odd Girl Out and Queen Bee and one chart made the whole thing clear. There was a box and you fit in the box if you were pretty, rich, smart, athletic, etc. 4 things made you and odd girl out...Number one was acne, number two, weight, three, being gay and four having radical opinion. I looked at it and said aha--she has two out of four.
Having said that she found out who were her true friends and has a couple loving , caring bfs...They go to the derm with her, her younger sister is a very slim girl and she went to weight loss camp with her, her other friend's dad is a doctor and they helped us with medical advice and take her on trips when I'm laid up. They just brought us presents for moving.
She knows her school was hard academically and elitist... She loved camp and met such a great group of kids there..Most important she doesn't dis anyone, and is eager to go conquer the new world--even tho she didn't want to go to this new school. She wanted us to move to Brooklyn as she fell in love with an arts-oriented school there that doesn't care what a kid looks like, only their talent... It's just her new school is the only one--private or public where we are moving for my husband's communte, cost, etc.. She's excited and I am just praying a couple girls will be there for her. She is a beautiful girl--and when the acne clears and the weight--extra 20 or so pounds come off--I know she will be able to make it in a world that is so appearance conscious. I am glad she got her appearance from some relative or other, but I so look forward to the day when we really do judge people by their hearts and character. It seems girls really get it harder--they can't be overweight for sure. Thanks for the response!
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I never would have considered that aspect of a front basket. (That may explain the looks of sheer terror on the faces of the small children riding in wooden boxes attached to the front of their parents' bicycles in Amsterdam this last spring.)
Wes had a very good first day yesterday! Thanks for asking. He got lost several times, was late a few, forgot or didn't have the right school supplies, but was still in good spirits at the end of the school day. (The 'Old Wes' would have found these little hiccups upsetting for fear he would call unnecessary attention to himself and/or 'look stupid'.) But he got through the day and even initiated a conversation or two with his new classmates. I am amazed (and very proud) at the changes in him. It's all good stuff.
And ... we fulfilled one of several 'moving promises' (read: bribes) last night with the purchase of 12 weeks of high-energy, wiggly charm in the form of a Corgi pup -- complete with a tiny mouth full of razor sharp teeth (as my forearms bear testament to). Already christened 'Cooper', we will pick the pup up on Wednesday. Egad.
Thanks again, daddio, for sharing all your biking knowledge.
I remember well, that middle school phase where I would have gladly lost an arm rather than draw attention to myself with some small detail of looking awkward (as if anyone's paying attention, lol)
You must be busting with pride at his growth of maturity and confidence!
I'm not familiar with dog breeds so I looked up Corgi online.
They look adorable. Not sure about the razor teeth though... but if you keep the slippers locked up?.... :-)
It seems you've got something new going on every day!
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