Middle School Days

McKenzie is in the Middle School this year and it has been quite an adjustment for all of us. There are "socials" on a Friday every month or so and all of the normal "not in elementary school anymore" but still "not in Junior High" yet things that happen. There are after school activities called Intramurals that the kids can join. These are can be anything from sports to plastic canvas working to art to foreign languages to drama classes and they change quarterly. McKenzie is taking full advantage of these and has something going on after school Monday through Thursday so I just swing by and pick her up after work. Works out well for everyone and she's learning some neat stuff. She also got a new cell phone for her birthday so she lets me know when her activity is over, when she's about to walk out of the building, when she is actually walking out of the building and when she's almost to my car :) Anything for a text I guess. So when I get a phone call directly after school, it usually means something is wrong or changed.

Yesterday, as I was working along, I received one of these calls but it only rang twice and then she hung up. So...of course I called back and this was our conversation. I swear that 12 year old girls have a block when it comes to giving information!

Me: Hi honi, did you just call?

Her: Yes.

Me:.......did you need something? Why did you hang up?

Her: Yes.......oh......I don't know.

Me: Ok well...what did you need?

Her: Um.....oh yeah. Is being 7th in the whole entire school in algebra good?

Me: Uh...Yeah! Are you really 7th in the whole school?

Her: Yes.

Me: Wow! That's awesome!!! I'm so proud of you! Who told you that?

Her: Um....some teacher...I can't remember. Oh yeah, it was my academic teacher.

Lol....this is how most of our conversations go these days. On the bright side though...yay for my daughter!! At the beginning of the year, she was having some issues with some of her classes and having 5 different teachers/subjects was a big adjustment. After coming from the elementary school with all 4's (which is an A+ above grade average at that school) and then getting a C on her first report card....it was definitely a shock. So this little bit of information really made my day and even though she didn't show it in any particular way, shape, or form...it made hers too. :)

She is also taking Spanish and quizzes me every day on the car ride home and makes me try to decipher sentences that she has made up. I have forgotten quite a bit but it actually surprised me how much I have been able to retain. I'm still cool sometimes...

Mah-Ken-Zee...Really??

I am a firm believer that parents should be the ones to inform their children of the birds and the bees and good morals, not fellow classmates or teachers; however, there are a few things I remember learning in school that go just beyond common sense. Take for instance: sex education. I recall learning the basics of the differences between males and females in the 5th grade. Apparently, they have now bumped this fundamental up to middle school and have replaced it in elementary school with AIDS education instead. This is a little confusing to me because they talk about fluids and how it can be spread anyway so.... they have to go into it a little, right? I suppose that is besides the point and that's why they're the teachers and I'm not (monetarily anyway).

So, my point to this whole post revolves back to my 11, almost 12 year old daughter. McKenzie is exceedingly smart and has been in accelerated courses her whole school career thus far. She is bright and funny and quite witty. Though we used to joke about her fashion sense, I can usually count on her to have the right answers and make good decisions. She was even all ready aware of a couple of definitions that I never in my whole career as a mother, thought I would have to give so soon. I would rather answer their questions, no matter how embarrassing they may be, than have them go back to their peers and get incorrect or much more graphic answers. So, we were driving home from work/school yesterday and I only had McKenzie and my niece Madison, in the car. They both had after school activities and the other girls were all ready home. I'm listening to music and basically tuning out their pre-teenage adolescent talk as I normally have to do. It's either that or feel like I'm in an episode of Hannah Montana.

Anyway, I just happen to come in on the tail end of Kenzie saying, "Thank goodness guys can't get pregnant." I kind of giggled to myself because I have said that many times (whiners anyway). So I decide to get in on the conversation, as my favorite song had just ended. I added, "Well honi, they can't but have you ever seen the movie Junior? It's not real, but it was funny because Arnold Schwarzenegger has a baby." She of course responds with an emphatic "No" (almost question mark at the end because I'm apparently very old). So I decided to end the conversation with a "Well you're right, thank goodness they don't get pregnant." Now this is the part that I begin to question my brilliant daughter's mind...She responds with "Well duh mom.....I know they can get pregnant, I just meant that they shouldn't and it's a good thing it doesn't happen very often." As my head unconsciously begins to cock to the side in silent astonishment, I ask the most obvious question, "Well where do they grow it? They don't have a uterus." Are you ready for it???

She says, "Oh my gosh mom....duh! In their bladders!!!" I just decided to keep my mouth closed.

Deep Thoughts Of a 4 Year Old

Rylee: I love you so much mommy!

Me: I love you too sweetie.

Rylee: But I love you more.

Me: No, I love you more.

Rylee: No, I love you more!

Me: I love you most! I've loved you since you were in my tummy.

Rylee: No, I love you most since I was in your tummy!

Me: Honi, I love you the most.

Rylee: Mommy....you're right. You do love me most!

Gotta love the kid's honesty!

All Grown Up..

The other day, I was cleaning Alyssa's closet which was apparently the storage area from cleaning her room. When I opened the door, I was almost lost forever... No joke, I think it was 2 feet deep with papers and clothing. Anyway, I decided to just do it to get it over with instead of waiting 3 years for it to get done. Rylee was right along side of me "helping."

Rylee: Mom!! Look what I found! Remember these shoes that used to make me look so cute, that I used to wear when I was just a little girl??

Me: Yes honi, I remember them. But aren't you still a little girl?

Rylee: Oh no mom, don't you know? I'm a big girl now...I'm not little anymore :-(