Tough choice

A week or so ago, I shared that Paige had made the bball team and dance competition team. Well, turns out that bball practice and games were at the exact same time as dance classes. Paige was so conflicted. Anyone that "knows" Paige, knows that she is a tomboy to the core. She is all about being aggressive and athletic. She has been dancing since she was 5 and is really good at it. She had to make a choice...bball or dance. SOOO sad that a 12 year old has to choose between two things that she loves at such a young age...

...she chose dance.

Choosing dance came with a stipulation...she HAD to play something this spring. Lacrosse is big where we live and the Catholic school that we are playing on sending her to for high school has a GREAT program. Looks like my little tomboy will be gearing up for a different sport this spring...AND it isn't on dance nights!



Check out the other black and whites at Lisa's blog. She has THE most beautiful baby girl with her...send them some major LOVE!

10/10/10

On this tenth day of the tenth month of the year in the year 2010, I thought I would document 10 things that make my little sister very special. Here's to you, Paige!

1. You are a great student and always go the extra mile!





2. While you are small, you are LARGE and in CHARGE on the basketball court! I love watching you hustle up and down that court and play with great sportsmanship!





3. You love your family and give us sooo many laughs on a daily basis!!!





4. You allow me to take many photos of you, even when you think my ideas are corny (they always turn out cute, though!)



5. You have such a tender heart for animals (particularly your sweet Sambo!)







6. Laughter is YOUR best friend!!!






7. You cherish your friendships and would NEVER intentionally hurt anyone's feelings!







8. You are a princess and tomboy all wrapped up in one!





9. You were such a sweet baby girl and provided us with so much love and laughter!











10. You are proud of who you are and where you came from!!!

Black and White Wednesday

Paige finally let me take some pics this weekend. She is SO over photoshoots that we used to love to do. Now, she wants pics with her friends making the silly "duck" face and throwing up peace signs...BIG SIGH!

I am glad to have caught this sweet moment. I love my beautiful preteen. She is as sweet on the inside as she is pretty on the out. Tonight, I went to check on her and she was reading her Bible. She said she wanted to "brush up on the ten commandments". Hopefully, she'll rub off on me!

For more black and whites, go visit my friend, Lisa!

She made it!!!! umm, now what?

Most on f@cebook know that Paige has been playing basketball A LOT and has been dancing A LOT, but I have yet to share it on my blog. I know, I know (head hanging low in shame) the blog has taken a beating due to FaceCrack :)

If you have followed my blog for any time at all, you know that dance is a HUGE part of Paige's life. She dances five, yes five, days a week. It is truly remarkable to me that the child is able to function, let alone have a social life and still maintain an all A average at school.

Well, we have known since she was old enough to hold a ball that she was our "tomboy princess". She LOVES, HEARTS, CAN'T GET ENOUGH OF basketball! That would have been music to my Coach of a dad's ears. She has played little church leagues and such, but now that she is a middle schooler, the "game" so to speak, has changed.

Consecutively, while dancing nightly, every Mon. and Wed. after school, she has been attending her school's "open gym". Open gym is a couple of months of conditioning, scrimmages, conditioning, shooting, did I mention conditioning??? for the coach. Sixth graders are not allowed to actually "make" the team, but lo and behold, this year they have a sixth grade team. They also have the ability to make manager (yes, managers have to try out to give water to the ELITE bball members, upperclasswomen :). Well, Paige made the cut!!!!! We are ELATED! She made the sixth grade team and will find out in the next couple of weeks if she made manager. She is OVER.THE.MOON!

Next,

She is a dancer. Elegant, graceful, full of poise, shakin' her groove thang, ...you get the picture. Well, try outs for the elite competition team were last weekend. She was on the Mini competition team last year. This year, for the fun of it, and just because she thought she wouldn't make it, she tried out for the next level up...the JUNIORS. Well, hot dog, if the child didn't make it! We were all stunned, including Paige. Not that we don't believe in her talent, because we certainly do, but we thought that level would be a couple of years away.

So, besides being tickled about her accomplishments, we have a problem...

Both her sixth grade bball team and dance team require Saturday morning commitments.

WHAT TO DO?????

We sat Paige down and told her that it looks like she will have to make a decision...bball or dance. She literally fell apart. She loves them both so much and for different reasons.

She told us to make the decision. We told her to make the decision. So, of course, no decision has been made.

My heart is telling me to let her play basketball and see what that might hold for her. She smiles more when she is playing than I ever see her smile in real life (and the kid smiles a lot).

Sometimes when she comes out of dance, she feels defeated and let down. She LOVES her friendships with her "dance sisters" and I think that is what she would miss the most.

We are going to talk to both coaches and see if there is any way at all that she can still do both. If the coaches agree, then it looks like Sat. dance will have to be missed for a couple of months and she will have to take privates during the week. If it isn't an option, well, you'll know! :)

I love that at this age, she is so passionate about so much. When I was a kid, I was twirling my baton and riding my bike and picking on my little brother and being bored. So much has changed in such a short time. I am sad that kids can't do it all, as so many of these activities require year round commitments. I mean, seriously, do I think Paige will end up in the WNBA, NO. Do I think she will be dancing on Broadway one day, No. She doesn't either. Why do these activities require so much time and commitment? Why can't they be for recreation???

Venting here, off my soapbox. It's a beautiful fall day in TN. and I am going to introduce my camera to a cute little girl named Paige. They are long lost friends who need to become acquainted again! :) Hopefully, i'll have some new pics of my ballet baller soon :)

The "R" word

I know I am always talking about Paige on this blog, but hey, what can I say...she is my world!

She has started middle school and has merged with another elementary school. She has always been a great friend to others and is liked by everyone. She says that school has been great and meeting new people from the other elementary has been exciting, but difficult.

Paige, if you can't tell already, is a VERY STRONG little girl with a huge personality to boot. She is verrry dry, but as funny as they come. People crack up at her and with her, because she is constantly saying things that leave us all in stitches. She is not a cheesy or fake girl. She doesn't care about style (her sissy does, though :), she is not fussy and does not shriek and shrill at all things girly. She is who she is and in her little mind, you can take her or leave her...she just doesn't care.

She has come a loooong way from the days of being a Kindergartener who got teased and picked on because: a. she was Chinese, b. she was adopted, c. she had older parents, d. she had a speech impediment. She hung in there and proved to all of the kids that THEY were lucky to have HER as a friend. By the end of fifth grade, she was being chased by all of the boys, was invited to every party and is a social butterfly!

All of that said, mixing with the new elementary kids has kind of been like starting over, except this time she has a slew of kids who "have her back". She is in a diversified tech. class with this little girl and the story goes like this:

Paige: Sis, K. is my partner in DT. We are working on a module and today she looked at me and out of nowhere called me retarded.
Me: WHAT??? What did you do?
Paige: I looked at her and said, "You did not just say that to me!".
Me: ...and, then what?????
Paige: I told her that if she ever said that again I was going to tell the teacher and tell you to call her mom.
Me: Good for you. Did she react to that?
Paige: No, she said the teacher was retarded and so was I for tattling.
Me: You do what's right, kiddo. Always!
Paige: "Oh, don't you worry. I will! She doesn't have a chance against me or my friends. She can't get away with using that word. My friends overheard her say it and their jaws dropped. We are sooo mad and are not going to take it!"

Now, as a teacher, I do NOT like that word and if I were to hear it, I would call a parent in a heartbeat. As a HUMAN, the word makes me sick...physically sick to my stomach.

The fact that some kids, teens, adults, etc...throw around words like "retard" or "gay" or whatever else really, REALLY bothers me.

I'm going to meet with the teachers next week for conferences. I will be letting her DT teacher know that this happened, but I am not sure how much good it will do.

Any advice, thoughts on what to do??? I cannot sit by and not act on this. I realize that some might say, "Oh, they're just being kids", but I disagree. We HAVE to make a point. It has to stop somewhere. I don't want Paige thinking that she needs to take that from another kid. The little girl is the "queen bee" from the other school and is all about the gossip and apparently stirs up drama. I don't want to be overdramatic, but I am very bothered. Just curious what you would do if you were me or suggestions as to what to tell Paige.

Setting the trends

EMS had Western Day last week and I had to snap a couple of pics of my cowgirl. I took the day off to rest and got to see her off to school. As I was driving her, I told her how cute she looked and how I bet everyone would get a kick out of her outfit. I asked if she and her friends had planned to dress up and she said, "No, I don't need to plan outfits...I set trends!" Do you think she lacks confidence? :)

I love how secure she is in herself. I never was at that age. I still am not. I wish a little of it would rub off on me!

Sometimes I want to ban her to an island and ask for her back in a few years, but for the most part, this is a FUN age!!!

Love my girl!

Baller

Paige is attending a weekly basketball clinic to improve her basketball skills and I just adore watching her try to be the best she can be. She is trying out for her middle school team and is working out with the team two times a week. I am not sure if she will make the team, but I am so proud that she gives it 110% every time she gets out there.

This past week they ran bleachers and as active Paige has always been, she was HURTING. My dad was a basketball coach for over 30 years and I forgot how intense the practices and conditioning can be. It is not for the faint at heart.

Win or lose, I am proud of you, Paige! You are a great sportsman and you have a drive that cannot be unwaivered. Love you, my little baller!