Kylee

Kylee is growing so much.  Not like height or anything, just the fact that she’s in sixth grade and quite mature.  I can remember my sixth grade year.  My parents had divorced and I moved to California and it was the middle school.  Sixth grade here is in the elementary school still (for now at least).  I love how independent she is.  Sometimes I get emails from her teachers telling the parents about tests coming up or what kids should be working on.  I start to get stressed by these emails.  Because I don’t see her working too much and she has a lot going on after school so we don’t have much time.  But in reality, she’s got it all under control.  She knows what she’s doing.  She knows when things are due.  She is usually ready for the tests.  It’s probably best if I stay out of it.  Although, as smart as she is, she has a very bad perception of time.  So if she has a bigger project, I have to force her to work on it and so we aren’t stuck the night before it’s due staying up way late.  She would do that.  She doesn’t understand when it’s time to hurry in the mornings as we are getting ready for school.  And she doesn’t seem to take into consideration that she (ok it’s more me than her) is really busy after school almost every day.  At least as long as soccer season lasts.

Anyway, she’s wonderful at school.  She has a couple really good friends (Averi and Sydni) and others she hangs out with as well.  She told me about a new girl in her class that she started hanging out with.  I love that.  So far there has not been much drama for awhile.

She is going to GATE on Thursdays as well.  Sydni ended up getting tested earlier this year and accepted so she was invited.  I know Averi scored as good or higher than Kylee on the ISAT so I was really hoping she would get tested too.  She was new last year when they were tested so she got overlooked, they didn’t have her test scores from her other school probably.  Anyway, she never got tested.  I’ll be interested to see if they enjoy this GATE thing.  I am already liking it just because the first paper Dylan brought home said, “How are you going to leave your mark” and he wrote “I think my purpose is to make the world a better place.”  Okay, so vague answer.  But the fact that they are thinking along these lines makes me happy.  I am wondering how to teach my kids to see outside themselves and try to improve the community, and the world in general.  We do service and we talk about it.  But I don’t know how much they are learning yet.

Kylee is doing piano and voice again this year.  She’s also doing soccer now and will continue with indoor as soon as this is over.  They took the sixth graders on a field trip to hear the band and orchestra play and Kylee came home saying she wants to play the violin.  We looked into that a year ago and it was complicated.  We had to rent a violin or find a cheap one to buy.  I didn’t want to get her a small violin when she would be growing into a full size.  And I didn’t have any good options for teachers.  So we gave up on that and did voice instead. (And also got into a piano spot last minute.)  So I was not thrilled when she started asking again.  She even said she wanted to quit piano.  Boo.  Then I was talking to some of my friends and they mentioned the after school orchestra/band that the sixth graders can do through the middle school.  They have instruments there to borrow.  The lessons are free from the orchestra teacher.  And there’s even a bus that takes them there after school.  Now we are talking!  So we jumped in.  The school didn’t have a violin so we ended up renting from Piano Gallery but they made it pretty easy.  And she’s a full size so that helps.  But it’s three days a week, and the bus does take them but they have to wait around for quite awhile.  So we worked out a carpool.  Averi is playing the flute so she goes different days than Kylee, but they overlap on Fridays.  And I may move Kylee to Monday to be with Averi, I mean not with her because they are in different rooms, but at least ride with her.  And then Emory, who new friend that is new this year, I tracked down her mom and she was happy to carpool with us.  So it’s a lot, but we have help.  And I don’t feel too bad about her missing a day here or there since I’m not paying for it (maybe that’s rude of me, but true.)  So we shall see!  She was absolutely certain she wanted to do violin, even though I thought the saxophone would be really cool.  And Averi isn’t in her group, but they didn’t care.  That’s what I like about those two girls.  They make their own decisions.  They aren’t dependent on each other.

This month is a tiring month, adjusting to the new schedule and all the demands.  Kylee has been tired and a bit snappy at times.  Sadie receives the brunt of her attitude.  It’s sad.  I am the youngest in my family and my brothers were not exactly sensitive.  They made me feel pretty stupid a lot of times.  I know it’s just how it goes with siblings, but that doesn’t mean I have to put up with it.  We’ve talked to Kylee.  She even snapped at Averi the other day.  Kylee was like, “I know, but sometimes I just get so bugged.”  I tried to tell her that we all feel that way sometimes.  And a lot of times I want to make snappy comments.  But I filter what comes out and I try to be nice.  Those feelings are normal.  But it doesn’t mean we can treat other people poorly.  That’s a quick way to lose friends.  I think it’s the age.  Pre-adolescent.  She also seems pretty entitled.  Not her fault I suppose.  Just part of being the oldest.  But it’s something we would like to correct.  She was pretty offended when she found out Sadie will be getting my phone for her birthday.  It won’t have service, so it will be just like the phones Dylan and Kylee have, but it is a newer version.  Kylee thought she deserved my phone and Sadie could have her old one.  I laughed and said that Sadie isn’t getting her hand-me-downs as a birthday present.  And it’s not Kylee’s birthday so why would she get a new phone.  Lessons she has to learn, I guess.  That my kids are equal.

Kylee had her last Primary Program last week.  I can’t believe she will be going to Girls Camp next summer!  I’m so excited for her.  I don’t want her to grow up so fast, but I’m excited for all she gets to experience as she goes through this next part of her life.

Kylee may be a slow-mover when I am trying to rush her, and may whine about doing jobs, especially dishes.  But she is pretty darn great.  She is wonderful with her siblings.  Even Dylan, when she wants to be.  She’s great at everything she does and I don’t have to hover over her.  And she’s a good buddy too.  She will tag along with me and keep me company.  The other day we went to Sugar City and then over to Driggs for soccer games on a Saturday.  Sure she spent some of that time with Averi, but I enjoy having that time with her.  And I really enjoy watching her and her team play soccer.  They are killing it this season.