As a parent, my ultimate goal is to raise a well rounded human being who will be an asset to society. This is not an easy task for anyone involved. As a matter of fact, it is the hardest job I ever agreed to take on. Lately, the fruits of my labor are slowly coming into focus. Kaitlynn started middle school this year and it suits her 110%. I am in awe daily.
Lately Kaitlynn has met her match in Language Arts, Band, Honors Math and Sports just to name a few. One day she came home crying and screaming she hated her Language Arts teacher. I asked why. What it boils down to is that this teacher truly challenges her to ALWAYS give 100% and sometimes she fails. She has to meet the challenge show the teacher what she is really made of. She didn't like my answer but she knew I wasn't wrong. Her goal is to have an A in this 6 weeks. She is almost there.
A few weeks ago Kaitlynn was called out in band to play a series of notes that was considered a test. She could not play the notes. Again the tears came and the screaming. She hates the band teacher, this is too hard, she just can't do it.......on and on. So again I investigate. The band teacher is strict and with good reason. She also runs the high school program. This program is so successful it was invited to play in Hawaii at Pearl Harbor Day in December. Again Kaitlynn was forced to meet the challenge. Grateful for the help of a very generous friend's daughter who is a middle school music teacher, Kaitlynn retakes the test tomorrow. She can play the notes. Hopefully she keeps her nerves in check and shows the teacher what she really can do.
All year long Kaitlynn has maintained an A in Compacted Math (Honors Math). Thursday before Easter she had a panic attack during a test and could not finish it or stop crying. Her teacher called me very concerned. He said after break he wanted her to take it again. The title of the test was Volume and Surface Area of Rectangular and Triangular Prisms and Pyramids. For a math geek like myself, when I hear this I see formula's and want to start calculating, pretty easy. Come to find out the entire Honors class bombed the test and everyone had to take it over. Again she stepped up to the plate and brought home 100%. She currently has a 98% average in the class.
In a few weeks Kaitlynn will have been playing travel soccer for about a year. This journey has not at all been what we thought it would be. She joined a team that came off an amazing high of winning it all for their age group. In the Fall the team lost as many games as they won. Many parents are discouraged and wanted answers. For me as her parent, if she gave 100% on the field and did what the coach asks of her, she did her job. Win or lose she did her job.
She has taken a beating this spring season already. So much so she was laying back in a game. After the 0-1 loss I asked her what happened? She started giving me all the reason's she could not succeed. She was elbowed in the head without a penalty call, she was cleated in the calf, the girls are so much bigger. I heard excuses. Phil and I explained to her a little shouldering back and forth is legal give back what you get. Kaitlynn is incredibly smaller than most of her opponents she needs to play smarter. In her most recent game you would have thought she was a foot taller then her actual height, her punts were travelling great distances and the other team could not score while she was the keeper. The game ended in a tie but when she walked off the field she held her head high, she gave 110%.
I took a few pictures from last weekends game.
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| Warming up and practicing her form before the game. |
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| Just to give you an idea of how much smaller physically she is. |
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| But yet she can make herself larger than life. |
I have never seen someone have so much heart in everything they do. I have talked her off the ledge a few times, reminding her she is better than the circumstance and she will succeed. And she does. I cannot wait to see more of her journey unfold. Hoping for continued success and fewer tears. Her little sister may be an actual heart warrior but Kaitlynn has the soul of a warrior and will always succeed. Love you to the moon and back Punkin.
TTFN~
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