babysat

Tonight Z's cousin Alex babysat her so Pere and I could go out with my sister, brother-in-law, mom and dad. We went out to dinner and then to an outdoor bar with live music.

Z got to do all her favorite things with her 16 yo cousin. They watched Spongebob, played Mexican Train dominos, played soccer and played croquet. They had pizza and ice cream with sprinkles and chocolate sauce.

Then they walked over to the park to catch fireflies.

My mother left the bar first and drove by the park to check on Alex and Z. She said that when she pulled up Alex and Z were sitting with their backs against a big tree and looking up at the sky. Z told her grandmere that they were watching the sunset.

When I came up just after that my nephew said "Look at the sunset!"

It was quite beautiful. :)

I am so happy that Z is getting to spend time with her cousins. I only wish she could have spent more time with them sooner.

Our firefly summer

Wednesday night's jar full of fireflies


Thursday morning we drove to an Amish/Mennonite Farmer's Market
She got her first balloon hat

Hugging her Tante Suzette
Sometimes I feel like a horse would be more fun than a car


We took Z to a local children's museum
She hung from this for 40 seconds
She enjoyed playing shop


Then she played a fairy game with the Ent in grandmere's backyard


And joined in a game of croquet with her cousins.

Tuesday in Indiana (& Wed. morn in Michigan)

Z with the raspberries she picked from the yard



The campsite


Lake Michigan


Playing bocci ball


Playing soccer



The fairy house


The Whole Yard


The Inside


The Outside


Roasting marshmallows


Alex made the best ones



Side Trip to Michigan


Drawing with her cousin Alex on the way back

So Far

Sunday our flight was delayed for three hours so we didn't get to my parents until very late.
But my sister and my brother-in-laws and nephews came to meet us and have alate dinner anyway. It was great to see everyone.

Grandmere made Z this "magic carpet" and had all these fairy dolls for her to play with.


She also made her a wonderful magical fairy garden and fairy houses.









Here is the river which is a block away from their house.


Today they took Z to a Rock and Mineral museum and store. She got two new rocks for her collections


She played soccer with her cousins


And held a bird at a neighbor's house


My favorite part is all the fireflies. I haven't seen any since I was very young and Z never has. She thinks they are magical.

Here she is in the park trying to catch some. (she caught many)


you can kind of see some in this picture. But it is really beautiful - they are like mobile Christmas lights.

Microbiology

Yesterday was Z's microbiology class.

Pere went with her on the bus to the university for this class. I said back at the hotel and hung out with some friends.

Pere brought back some pictures and a report.


lab partners


looking at her bacteria sample


some bacteria


looking in the microscpe


a break to play outside

All the kids really liked the classes. I know Z got something out of it because she was drawing bacteria on her napkin over dinner last night. And she and Pere kept telling me how many bacteria were probably on every surface that I touched.


After dinner Z played in the pool with her new friends and then we had to say good-bye.

Before bed lastnight and even this morning Z has asked about her friends so I know they are on her mind. I hope she isn't too sad about leaving them.

Looking back

Yesterday's Stomp session got me thinking about Z's natural inclination towards music and performing arts.

She has many things that she loves, some are foreign languages, physics, nature, her I Love Math books, and reading (of course).

But when she was 3 she wasn't memorizing the names of dinosaurs, or heavenly bodies, but poetry. She was so into poetry that I even made that her online name. She had memorized Halfway Down the Stairs when she was 2 or 3. And went on to memorize many others.

She was making up poems then too. There was one I was looking for but I guess I only have it written down at home. It was the second one I remember writing down and she wrote it when she was two or early three. But I did find this one that she wrote at three:

Daffodils grow in my tender soul, I tend to them and watch them grow.

She was always coming up with stuff like that. I should have written more of them down. Soon the poems turned into songs.

At that same age (2 - 3) she was really really into musicals. She would insist on listening to the same ones over and over and was able to memorize them and sing them. Here is her singing from Buffy the Vampire Slayer musical

And the things she did back then that really freaked me out were more often coming from a talent that is realted to musical memory. Like her recognizing incidental music from the Harry Potter score played over the speakers at a toy store, after only seeing the movie twice, and being able to remember what was happening in the movie when that music was being played.

Sure, she was also starting to reading. And also insisting on doing 30 - 40 minutes of math and Spanish. And wanting me to read her everything. But when I look back I think I can see a stronger connection in music and performing than in anything else except reading.

She was not the kid who drew all the time or who built with blocks all day. But the toddler who would bring sheet music to bed for reading material. She was the three year old that memorized all of Les Miserables.

On one hand I have tried to be supportive about the musical stuff. I got her a really good piano teacher and voice teacher and I have also tried to set her up with fun situations for acting. But in my heart I was never really comfortable with the idea that she might want to make a career out of it. I could see that she would be good at it. But I feel like science or even foreign languages would be safer.

I don't know if that means I am going to be making any changes. There are some I have in mind. But looking back I am able to see this thread of passion and talent that may be stronger than the others. And I am looking at her now and seeing that the only thing she does every day on her own, other than read, is sing. I have been unwiling to admit what that might mean about where her future happiness might lie.

But I decided last night that I need to be more open to the idea that Z might find the most joy in her life performing.

That is all. I just going to be more open to the idea in my own heart and mind.

more non-identifying pictures

This morning Z had a session on "Values" and giving back to the community.
Then there was the Keynote address.
After that we hooked up with two families from CA with boys for lunch



Then Z had her afternoon sessions: Forensics and Stomp (like that theatrical production)

She said that so far she liked Stomp best. I don't know what to infer from that except that Stomp was the physical/performing arts/musical activity and, as usual, she does have an affinity for such.

After that we went to a Q & A about the Davidson Academy in Reno. (It sounds really good)

We had dinner at the pool with some of my good online friends.

Then we all went back to our hotel room and the girls played.


Gosh, they just play so nicely with each other! I loved eavesdropping on their talks.

Then we moved the party over to another hotel room where the girls started the Anti-Picture Taking Club. There was much chanting, and hiding, and screaming and giggling, and eventually a leader (decided by who could stack the highest tower of Bandu blocks) with several lieutenants, and then of course, they all became co-leaders with various duties (Z was in charge of organizing pillows)

Here are pictures of four girls under pillows




Now we are trying to get Z to bed because she has to wake up early again.

Here is a good example of how she always has to be sitting in some weird position. *grin*

Day Two

Today's schedule
Breakfast
Game Room
Speech from Bob Davidson
Lunch with many friends. We had to sit at two tables

Then Z had Zome class


Then she went swimming with her friends.

Here they are trying to see who has the smallest feet.


After swimming more Game Room. Then we all went out to Sushi - 17 people in our group. 6 other friends had to sit in a different area. All around town wherever we go we see people we know. It is pretty amazing.

Here are the girls walking to dinner.


After dinner it was a few more hours playing Apples to Apples and other games in the, you guessed it, Game Room.

Today was really nice. I am feeling less overwhelmed by all the excitement so I could relax and enjoy myself more. I have talked to so many interesting people. Pere is having a great time too! Tonight he played Upwords with another dad and I have seen him passing out his business cards all over the place.

Do I really have time for this?

My day so far

Woke up at 6:00 a.m.
At the airport by 7:00
Plane delayed
Got on around 9:00
Stop over in Dallas
Can you believe there are two other DYS families on board?
Arrive an hour late
Spent most of the next four hours in the Game Room
Z met old friends and new friends and played many games.
I met old friends and new friends and I wish we could all just stay in one big hotel room and have a PG Slumber Party. :)

I am having a wonderful wonderful time!

weird conversation

Yesterday the daughter of an elderly neighbor was hanging out at the community pool. She is my age and she has a daughter Z's age. Z sometimes plays with her when she comes to visit her grandmother.

Well the elderly neighbor really likes Z. Z helped her get her mail when her wrist was broken and we sometimes visit each other and have tea and talk about scrapbooking or travel. We see her a lot outside and she always talks to Z and asks when she is doing. Well, I guess my neighbor must talk about Z to her daughter because she was asking me some weird questions yesteday.

This lady seems kind of nice but stand-offish. Anyway yesterday she asked me "So when did you know that Z was gifted? Did she do something that made you think 'She is really gifted!"

"Ummmmm...." I was caught off guard and tried to think what to say "Well, yeah. You know... "

"Like what?" she asks.

"Well... ummmm... Well she was walking at nine months and reading before she turned three." I said in what I hope was a you-know-how-things-are voice.

She didn't say antyhing or even look at me.

Okay....

Then she turns to me and say 'So did you have her I.Q. tested or something?"

"Yep," I nodded "When she was four..."

Again she doesn't say anything, then, "So is she some kind of genius or something?"

I gave a little *heh* "No... We don't really use the word genius. I think a genuis is someone like Einstein. But really it is not a scientific term or an official ranking or something. Z is just gifted."

After that I got up and walked away. Luckily I knew someone else at the pool that I could talk to. I talked about Will Farrell movies with him.

I can only imagine what my elderly neighbor must have been saying to her daughter to get her to ask me those types of questions. And it wasn't like she was asking me in a nice way. It was like she wanted me to defend myself.

Oh yeah, before she started asking about the gifted stuff she said "You homeschool Z right?" I said that I did and she said "Doesn't she ever just say that she doesn't want to do any school?"

I sat there for awhile thinking about it. There have been times when she maybe didn't want to do particular subjects in a particular order or times when I think she didn't want to practice piano. But I couldn't think of a time when Z said she didn't want to do school. "No, not really." I said.

Just then Z came over and I said "Hey Z, So and So was wondering if you ever tell me that you don't want to do your homeschooling that day." Z looked at me like I was foolish and said "No." and then jumped back in the pool.

Anyway, overall it was a very off-putting conversation.

Father's Day in L.A.

We had a nice time visiting Pere's family in L.A..