Surprising the Hell Out of Me

Last week, on September 11th, the girls' school had a little assembly, just for the kids, in remembrance of what happened 13 years ago.  Wow.  13 years.  None of the kids at the school were even born then.  For them the events of September 11th are what Pearl Harbor is to a lot of us.  It's difficult trying to explain it to them at this age, but we do in a very factual no details sort of way.  They get the idea of it and understand that it's a day where we come together as a country and mourn  the loss of those who died and a bit for our sense of safety.  

During the assembly they do the Pledge of Allegiance and sing the Star Spangled Banner.  I had totally forgotten that they do this assembly until I was headed into the school later in the morning.  

Side note-since I've had all 3 of them in school I have been working for the school part time.  Without pay.  I say that because I have volunteered for a few things that required a ton of my attention this first month of school.  All those closets I thought I'd have cleaned out by now with the girls in school all day, continue to need cleaning out.  I don't know if I will ever have time for anything other than school and Girl Scouts.  Everyone keeps asking me, "What are you doing with all of your free time now?" Yeah-what free time?  Admittedly I do it to myself, because I can't just be one of those moms who drops off her kids and then sits at home watching TV for hours.  So I wanted to help out more.  However, I need to learn when I'm overdoing it.  Of course my mom has never figured that out and she's 63, so I might be  in trouble.  Moving on!

As I was walking into the school, the principal was on her way out.  She knows all three of my girls and, since I'm so involved, me as well.  She stopped me on my way into the school to let me know that Sonya sang the Star Spangled Banner in front of the entire school.  Huh?  MY Sonya?  Long blond hair, 5th grade, "I'm not one for performing" Sonya?  Yup.

Apparently what had happened was this.  Ms. Taylor (the principal) asked Sonya's teacher if she could have a couple of the 5th graders lead everyone in the Pledge.  Well Sonya's teacher immediately picked out Sonya and her best friend Charlotte who are two smart, very well behaved girls.  When they got up there to lead the Pledge, Ms. Taylor joked that afterward they were going to sing a solo of our National Anthem.  Then she laughed it off, but Sonya said "OK".  So they did the Pledge and with microphone still in hand, Sonya went into her rendition of the Star Spangled Banner.  In all honesty I wasn't even aware she knew all the correct words to it.  

According to Sonya, she thought Charlotte was going to sing with her, but when Sonya tried to hold the microphone between them Charlotte pushed it back Sonya's way, so she shrugged it off and kept going.  Now I wasn't there to witness this, and I have no idea how she sounded, but who the hell cares?  I was absolutely shocked that my child who tends to embarrass easily and worries what other people will think, got in front of her entire school to belt out a song.  I was also extremely proud of her.  Proud of the fact that she knew the song well enough to perform it and proud of the fact that she had the guts to get up there and sing it.  

It's so interesting to watch your kids get older and turn into these people with their own thoughts, feelings, and ways about them.  This wasn't something I prepared her for or even suggested she do.  It was something she chose to do on her own.  It just shows what an awesome girl she is becoming.  Well, despite the fact that I still get a daily eye roll and a sarcastic comment thrown my way from her most days.  I blame that on the impending hormones.  Hearing about what she did  makes me feel  that Andy and I are doing a good job raising her as a confident, smart, self sufficient young lady.  To go from coaxing her to take a part in the Jungle Book in second grade to her stepping up to sing on her own 3 years later.  It makes me excited to see what she might do next.  Okay and maybe a little nervous, but mostly excited!

Ignorance is Bliss

This past Tuesday was September 11th, which I know everyone reading this remembers well.  To our kids, however, it's just a day us adults talk about.  It's kind of like when we used to hear about our parents talking about JFK getting shot or our Grandparents remembering Pearl Harbor.  We can recall exactly where we were when we heard about the first tower falling, but to them it's just a story.

Now we call September 11th, Patriot Day, in remembrance of all the heroes and innocent civilians who lost their lives on that horribly sad and scary day.  At the girls' elementary school, they encourage all the students to dress in red, white, and blue to mark the occasion, even though for the most part they have no idea what that day means.  They will see images and hear stories at they get older, but they will not understand the feelings of sadness and fear that surrounded that day, and how much it changed us as a nation.  In some ways though, I think ignorance is bliss.  Especially at their age.  They don't need to know just how terrible the world and people can be.  Not yet anyway.  Fortunately, Sonya proved just how sunshiny she still sees things.

On Monday night I had all the girls take out their red, white and blue dresses they wore for 4th of July.  I told them they had to wear those colors for Patriot Day the next day.  Although, I may have been calling it Patriot's Day by mistake, which my mom pointed out later, is not the same.  There is a Patriot's Day in Boston in April, the day of the Boston Marathon. The Patriots also happen to be the football team we follow very closely in this house since my husband is from New England.  If you don't have a husband or boyfriend in your house, you might not know, football started last week.  In this house,  we know all too well.  

So there I was telling the girls about supporting Partiot's Day by wearing their patriotic colors. I was in Sonya's room that evening helping her find her dress and going on about how important the following day was, when she finally stopped me,

"But mom?" She asked, "What if the other kids at school don't really LIKE The Patriot's?"

Haha!  Oh...Ummm....I guess I never really explained fully what Patriot Day September 11th was about.  So after I finished giggling at her question, I gave her the children's Reader's Digest version about the day.  She seemed to understand better why she was wearing our country's colors and that it wasn't for as shallow a reason as to support a football team, (albeit an awesome football team with a hot quarterback).  

I have to admit though, I envy her innocence of the events of that day.  I hope she and her sisters never have to experience what the rest of us did eleven years ago.  To those who lost their lives and the loved ones left behind-we will always remember, and will make sure when our children are old enough, they understand the importance of what happened that day.  And that no, it's not just about a football team.