“Glory to God in the highest,
And on earth peace among men with whom He is pleased.”
Luke 2:14
Showing posts with label Family. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Family. Show all posts
Thursday, December 24, 2015
Wednesday, December 23, 2015
10 FOR 10: Trip #11
Disneyland
"Whatever you do, do it well.
Do it so well that when people see you do it,
they will want to come back and see you do it again,
and they will want to bring others and show them
how well you do what you do."
Walt Disney
TRIP #11: DISNEYLAND
The first time that AC and I went to Disneyland together, it was on New Year's day, and all of the holiday decorations were still up. It was spectacular to see, and it is something we have wanted to share with SC for as long as we have been taking her to Disney. Fortunately, AC discovered an extremely cheap rate to LA for a weekend in December, and we ended up squeezing in an eleventh trip this year, rather than just the original goal of ten.
Many of the rides have a new theme for the holidays, so it is a very different experience than going at other times during the year. AC's favorite ride, the Jungle Cruise, becomes the "Jingle" Cruise, and the premise is that the holiday decorations have been lost and we must be on the look-out for them. The Haunted Mansion changes its decorations to become the home of Jack Skellington, the main character in The Nightmare Before Christmas, and as good as the original decorations are, these are exceptional. We went through twice this time. It's a Small World eschews its normal song for a mix of holiday ones, still sung in multiple languages, and all of the dolls are dressed in various holiday costumes instead of the regular "traditional" ones. Of course, the park as a whole is full of holiday decorations as well, and there is a holiday-themed parade that happens. All in all, it was beautiful.
Unexpectedly, there were some new things open in the Tomorrowland area for the seventh Star Wars movie, which we took advantage of while we were there. Space Mountain became "Hyperspace" Mountain, and images of star destroyers, x-wings and tie fighters were projected inside the dome as the roller coaster whipped through the darkness. The old Captain E-O theatre showed an extended preview for the new movie, complete with a summary of the first six films. The Star Tours ride included scenes from the new film, which was exciting. It definitely made us anxious for the seventh film to premiere the following weekend!
Thankfully, even though it was a very quick trip, we also got to spend a little bit of time with my family members who live in the area, which was an extra special treat!
In case you missed the first post ...
WHAT IS THE 10 FOR 10?
In July 2015, AC and I celebrated our tenth wedding anniversary, and previously had been discussing what sort of big trip to take. However, it occurred to me that we typically take some pretty big trips every year, sometimes as a tag-along when AC works, and sometimes just using all the points and miles he has amassed from his work travels. I couldn't help but wonder if another trip would really be that special and different. So, I came up with the idea that instead of just one more trip, we should take ten trips to celebrate our years together. I told AC, and told him that it didn't have to be just him and me (because SC is also part of our lives, obviously), but that I wanted to take ten purposeful trips, that are focused on celebrating us (and our family) as much as we can. I told him that they didn't all have to be long or complicated trips, though we had already talked about a few places that will be, and we can start in our tenth year (July 2014) and run through the end of 2015 so that we don't take too much time away from work. Hopefully these ten trips make this a celebratory year, one that stands out for us as we look back (in another ten years).
Tuesday, January 13, 2015
10 FOR 10: Trip #4
Grand Cayman
"The earth is the Lord's and the fullness thereof,
the world and those who dwell therein,
for He has founded it upon the seas
and established it upon the rivers."
Psalm 24:1-2
TRIP #4: GRAND CAYMAN
Our fourth 10 FOR 10 trip was one simply for family time and relaxation. Over the past couple years we have been lucky enough to take a trip (though some through tagging along for AC's work) to an "exotic" beach location during the early winter months, and this year we planned one specifically to recuperate from the busyness that our life has recently become. Even on our other beach trips, there has always been an agenda of adventure or work, and while this one did have an exciting learning experience with some aquatic wildlife, most of the time we sat on the beach or lounged in the water. AC and I spent a ton of time talking about plans for 2015, while SC was in and out of the water all day, building sand structures, making friends with other vacationers, and looking at all the fish milling about with her scuba goggles. It was the most easy, relaxing, do-nothing trip we have ever taken! It is definitely on our list of places to go back to one day.
The one adventurous part of the trip was when we went to swim out in the ocean with semi-domesticated sting rays. We went on a tour that included a stop at "Stingray City," a sandbar out from the north side of the island, plus two snorkel stops over the various barrier reef chunks. The stingray swimming was interesting, though we will probably never do that part again. The water at the sandbar came up to my chest, and there were hundreds of stingrays of all sizes swimming at various ocean depths in and around all the people. I say they are semi-domesticated, because they are used to being fed, so they are curious and friendly, but they have not had their stingers removed, so your feet must stay firmly in the sand. With the water level up so high, and the surf moving you around, it isn't very easy. AC had an easier time staying in place because he is taller, except he was holding a squirming SC who was terrified of getting stung. She was actually fine until some of the other women in the tour group started shrieking, and then she got it into her head that she had something to be afraid of. The two snorkel stops were amazing, and we saw so many interesting fish. We saw a "stars and stripes" puffer fish, so many angel fish, schools of silver damselfish, bright blue tangs, a needle-nosed gar, and a "stoplight" parrotfish. Luckily, we didn't see anything scary or dangerous like moray eels, barracuda, giant grouper or lionfish. We regretted our decision not to bring any cameras at this point, though we did it on purpose so as not to be constantly looking through a lens vs. experiencing and relaxing. Oh, well! We did get a few fun shots from the cameras on the phone while we were on the beach.
Finally, if you know me well, you know that I collect artisan pottery (mostly mugs) from each location we visit. Usually I forget to do any research beforehand, which leaves us trying to cram in a last-minute unplanned trip to a local artist shop nowhere near where we are staying or going for the last day. This time, however, I made a plan and found 3 Girls and a Kiln online, and was able to contact them about what they might have to offer and how to purchase. They crafted this beautiful mug with coral on one side, and the Grand Cayman motto (from the Psalm listed above) on the other, and actually delivered it to me at the hotel since I was leaving before the next craft fair day.
WHAT IS THE 10 FOR 10?
Next July, AC and I will celebrate our tenth wedding anniversary, and as such have been discussing what sort of big trip to take. However, it occurred to me that we typically take some pretty big trips every year, sometimes as a tag-along when AC works, and sometimes just using all the points and miles he has amassed from his work travels. I couldn't help but wonder if another trip would really be that special and different. So, I came up with the idea that instead of just one more trip, we should take ten trips to celebrate our years together. I told AC, and told him that it didn't have to be just him and me (because SC is also part of our lives, obviously), but that I wanted to take ten purposeful trips, that are focused on celebrating us (and our family) as much as we can. I told him that they didn't all have to be long or complicated trips, though we had already talked about a few places that will be, and we can start now (in our tenth year) and run through the end of 2015 so that we didn't take too much time away from work. So, hopefully, these ten trips will make this a celebratory year, one that will stand out for us as we look back (in another ten years).
Sunday, October 5, 2014
10 FOR 10: Trip #1
Universal Studios Florida & Walt Disney World
"Laughter is timeless.
Imagination has no age.
And dreams are forever."
Walt Disney
WHAT IS THE 10 FOR 10?
Next July, AC and I will celebrate our tenth wedding anniversary, and as such have been discussing what sort of big trip to take. However, it occurred to me that we typically take some pretty big trips every year, sometimes as a tag-along when AC works, and sometimes just using all the points and miles he has amassed from his work travels. I couldn't help but wonder if another trip would really be that special and different. So, I came up with the idea that instead of just one more trip, we should take ten trips to celebrate our years together. I told AC, and told him that it didn't have to be just him and me (because SC is also part of our lives, obviously), but that I wanted to take ten purposeful trips, that are focused on celebrating us (and our family) as much as we can. I told him that they didn't all have to be long or complicated trips, though we had already talked about a few places that will be, and we can start now (in our tenth year) and run through the end of 2015 so that we didn't take too much time away from work. So, hopefully, these ten trips will make this a celebratory year, one that will stand out for us as we look back (in another ten years).
TRIP # 1: UNIVERSAL STUDIOS FLORIDA & WALT DISNEY WORLD
For our first trip, we decided to count the family trip we had already planned, visiting Universal Studios Florida (Harry Potter World!) and Walt Disney World. AC had visited both places when he was a child with his mom, but neither SC nor I had ever been. AC loved seeing what had changed (and re-staging some pictures his mom had taken), so it was very exciting and entertaining for all of us.
We started the trip with Universal, and specifically the new Diagon Alley area of Harry Potter World. It was absolutely incredible to see the creation of this fantasy world. There was only one ride, the Escape from Gringotts, which is a 3D "multidimensional" ride that takes a group down to a vault, and then (with the help of the cast of the HP movies) back out, running from Death Eaters and Voldemort. Even with only one ride, there is so much to do and see in Diagon Alley, and all the shops will be familiar to readers of the novels. Parents can take their child into Ollivander's Wand Shop and experience a wand "choosing" them.
We had heard that the lines for this experience were incredibly long, and that they took a group of 30-40 people into the "theatre," where only one child would be chosen. However, we got very lucky, and visiting these places just after public school started was great. We were the only 3 people in the theatre, and so we did not have to worry about SC not getting chosen. It was an incredible experience and fun to watch as she was handed three separate wands, given instructions to point and something and say a spell, and then to watch her face as the reaction happened. Of course, after the "experience" the parents are then told that they now have the option to purchase the wand that chose their child. We had heard about the new interactive wands, and the ability to locate spots in both sections that would then create a reaction when the wand is waved in the special "spell" way, so we decided to go ahead and purchase her chosen wand. The interactive wand experience was really neat, and the amount of Universal staffers hovering around and helping make sure people are standing just so, and pointing the wands just the right way, meant that there were very few opportunities for frustration.
We also went into Madame Malkin's Robes shop, but decided on purchasing a Ravenclaw patch rather than the $100+ children's robes, and I know that Grammie will be thrilled to make highly authentic-looking robes. We tried regular butterbeer and watched an amazing puppet show that told the Tale of the Three Brothers. We had ice cream at Florean Fortescue's, and picked up some special candy and a purple pigmy puff at Weasley's Wizard Wheezes. We snuck into the dark Knockturn Alley and the spooky shop Borgin & Burkes.
Then we headed to King's Cross Station to take the Hogwart's Express to Hogsmeade. It was very cool to see and compare this King's Cross Station to the actual one, where we visited when we were in London in the spring. The ride was fun, with the windows playing video, and shadows of the characters showing up in the hall outside the carriages. However, in order to experience this ride, tickets to both parks must be purchased for the same day, because the Diagon Alley area is in the Universal main park, and the Hogsmeade area is in the Islands of Adventure park.
This is where the original Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey ride is, where the line walks through Hogwarts Castle. We had lunch at the Hog's Head Pub, tried frozen butterbeer from a stand while we watched "students" from the school sing, and then purchased some chocolate frogs and other treats from Honeyduke's. This area also had the small roller coaster the Flight of the Hippogriff, and the much larger Dragon Challenge. SC wasn't tall enough for the latter ride, but we rode the former quite a few times. Again, coming when we did just after the public schools started, we rarely had to wait in line more than 20 or 30 minutes, which was very different than what we had prepared for!
We spent a total of two days at the two Universal parks, and not just in the Harry Potter area. The other areas were neat, especially the Simpson's part, but definitely not as thoroughly done as the two HP sections.
For the next week we went to the various Disney parks. Hollywood Studios was just okay, but we spent the least amount of time there, so we didn't get to see every show. We went to the Frozen Sing-Along, and that was really fun. I also liked the Toy Story arcade-style ride.
Epcot was very interesting. I loved each of the different country areas, and we ate so much good food. My favorite ride (and I think SC's also) was the Test Track, where each person/group designs a car, and then the ride runs through various testing conditions, finally giving a result on how well the design performed.
We spent quite a bit of time at the Magic Kingdom, and I was pleasantly surprised that it was very different from the Disneyland park in California. Even the rides that were supposedly the same, like It's a Small World, were different and interesting. SC loves the fast roller coasters, so we rode Big Thunder Mountain Runaway Mine Train four times, and she took AC on Splash Mountain twice.
The new Seven Dwarfs Mine Train was a good combination of a new, faster roller coaster intermixed with some of the story elements of the older rides like Fantasyland at Disneyland. We got to meet up with one of SC's good friends BB one day, and they did some rides in Adventureland together. They also spent quite a bit of time playing pirates and swordfighting. We attended Mickey's Not-So-Scary Halloween Party one evening, and got more candy than we cared to bring home. The "villian" fireworks show and parade were awesome.
The final day we went to Animal Kingdom, but because we were staying at the Animal Kingdom Lodge, we were able to go on a special early-morning safari with one of the zookeepers. It was an incredible experience, where we rode on the "safari" ride from the park, but without the audio track playing. Instead, the zookeeper personally told us about the animals we saw, answered questions and told stories. It was worth waking up early after a late night of fireworks! The rest of the park was a bit disappointing, because they were doing so much construction work. The entire center of the park, where a lake is supposed to be, was walled off from view, making everything feel very closed and cramped. Nonetheless, we enjoyed our time there, and SC finally was able to get her face painted.
I am so glad we were able to take this trip, and we had a great time. I think we had a better time because it was much less crowded than was expected. I also think we did a good job not forcing ourselves to spend every single moment in the parks. Universal closed at 6 or 7pm, so we were able to go out into Orlando those two nights for dinner, and we met up with a friend who lives locally for a meal once as well, having some delicious, authentic Colombian food. We didn't push ourselves to stay for the fireworks shows every single night in the Disney parks, but made a big deal of the few we did see, and we allowed ourselves to sleep in, not worrying about being at the park as soon as it opened. Overall, I think this helped us have the best time possible. Even taking it "easy," we still managed to walk about 80 miles in the week and a half that we were in Florida!
Tuesday, July 30, 2013
Top Ten Tuesday:
"...it’s what we all carry with us on this trip we take"
"Their story, yours and mine --
it’s what we all carry with us on this trip we take,
and we owe it to each other to respect our stories and learn from them."
—William Carlos Williams
This week I am excited SC and I are travelling along with AC to New York City. I have been to NYC twice - once in 2005 when AC proposed, and once earlier this year when just I tagged along for a quick weekend. However, many of the things I am going to be doing with SC will be things I will be doing for the first time. It is disappointing that AC will have to be working during the days and miss experiencing many of these places with us, but I am thankful that we get to go with him and that it is much less expensive for us to take this trips since he will be working.
SC and I have prepared for this trip by reading From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler by E.L. Konigsburg, which won the Newbery Medal in 1968, and I have reviewed on my latest What 2 Read Wednesday post. We have also read a number of picture books, which you can see a list of here. Finally, we watched Night at the Museum, Muppets Take Manhattan, and Ghostbusters, all of which take place in New York City and have places which we will be seeing while there. Here is a list of ten places we will be going to while in NYC this week.
1. NY Public Library - Children's Book Exhibit
2. Central Park (SC really wants to ride on the carousel)
3. FAO Schwarz
4. Guggenheim
5. Metropolitan Museum of Art
and
The Cloisters
6. American Museum of Natural History
7. Cinderella (on Broadway)
8. Bronx Zoo
9. Museum of Modern Art
10. Empire State Building
We will also probably attempt to get a view of the Statue of Liberty, but will not travel over to it and Ellis Island this trip simply because they recently opened it back up and I think it will just be too busy and take up more time than SC has patience for. Most of the places we will be going to we will spend just a couple hours before moving on.
Finally, after SC saw pictures of our having tea in London, we decided we are going to go to a special place for her to have proper tea while in NYC. We found this cute little place called Alice's Tea Cup and have made reservations for a late afternoon tea.
What are some of your favorite places for families in New York City? Leave a comment, and then check out more Top Ten Tuesday posts here:
Thursday, July 18, 2013
Thankful Thursday:
"...and the sky above proclaims his handiwork."
"The heavens declare the glory of God,
and the sky above proclaims his handiwork."
Psalm 19:1
This Thursday I am thankful that in the midst of a hot July in Texas, God blessed us with not only a much needed rainstorm, but a whole day of drizzle, cool temperatures and light breezes last Sunday, which became a much needed day of relaxing together as a family.
We started out early in the morning having coffee (AC and I) on the back porch, and then SC and I tried out her new "watercolor" pencils. We decided to draw some of our backyard sunflowers. These pencils are neat because you use them first to draw with, and then you can use a small paintbrush with water over the top to create a "watercolor" effect.
We moved inside to make breakfast, and then went back out with some peppermint tea, a book for me, the book AC is working on for him, and some fun playtime in the rain for SC. She kept her pajamas on all day, but added her rain boots, and spent time toting buckets of water from the gutter downspout to her "pie" in the wheelbarrow (which had previously been filled with dirt and debris). She also pulled a bunch of weeds to throw in and mix about.
We didn't finally come inside until mid-afternoon (when GoldCup soccer was starting), and had to put SC directly into the bath.
It was a wonderful day of rest, especially since AC left Sunday night for a week-long business trip to New Hampshire, and was just what we all needed.
Are you thankful for an unexpected break from the summer heat, too? Leave a comment below, and then check out more Thankful Thursday posts here:
Tuesday, June 11, 2013
"Most people would walk along
a path beside the river."
"Imagine you have to go along an Alpine river valley,” she said. “Most people would walk along a path beside the river. Not Leo. He’ll run up the first mountain and give you the view from there – and maybe across into the next valley, too. Then he’ll run down and up a mountain on the opposite side. In no time, he’ll be exhausted – maybe he won’t reach the end.
But his journey will have been a damn sight more interesting than yours.
And he’ll know a lot more about that valley."
-Martin Buckley, 2013
But his journey will have been a damn sight more interesting than yours.
And he’ll know a lot more about that valley."
-Martin Buckley, 2013
"My child is a genius – and it isn’t always easy." I felt like I was reading an article I could have written about SC. The resemblance to both Leo, and the parenting styles of Buckley, were uncanny to SC and I. It has motivated me to write the post, which I have been holding back from, because maybe there is someone who will read it and feel comforted that they aren't alone, in the same way I was comforted by knowing Buckley and Leo exist.
First of all, I should point out that I personally don't like any of the terms that are used to describe gifted children because they are all alienating. No matter which term you use, as a parent, as soon as you say "my child is gifted," you are also telling the world "my child is different," and no parent wants to have a child who might face challenges because of this.
Well, my child is gifted.
For those who want the hard facts, we recently had SC tested (as we are starting kindergarten and wanted to know just where she was at so we can make the best educational decisions for her going forward) using the WPPSI-III and the WIAT-II. The results came with a note from the examiner that SC's "inability to attend" made the results much lower than they should be, as did the fact that she refused to answer the "easy" questions (but did answer the more difficult ones). This showed mostly on the WPPSI-III. Without going into too much detail, on the WIAT-II, SC scored in the 99.8th percentile for Word Reading, and the 99.7th percentile for Math Reasoning. Her age equivalents for these subtests are 6.8 years and 7 years, respectively. She just turned 5.
In the article, Buckley wrote
"By the time Leo was four, it was sometimes hard to tell if he was wildly creative, or merely wild – unbounded, or lacking boundaries. "Again, I felt like he was writing about us. Having just lived through SC's fourth year, I would describe our frustration in this exact way. Is she wildly creative, seeing the world through a different lens, or is she just wild? Is she always questioning and asking why because her brain needs to understand, or is she just obstinate and defiant? Buckley expounds that their experiences with Leo went similarly to our own daily experiences with SC.
"Having it explained to him that he needed to sit in a given place, eat a given meal, follow a given routine, he would invariably ask, “Why?” And, often, he’d refuse. ...I learnt that a way to gain his cooperation was to weave a narrative around an action that made him want to become involved. And then his focus, his intensity of commitment, were remarkable and rewarding. But still exhausting."AC laughs at my overly-detailed explanations of why SC should or should not do something, and how I give her very specific, truthful explanations to every question, but it is my only weapon against her mind deciding whether she should or should not. She takes it all in, mulls it around, and then decides on her own. One prominent example of this would be when SC was almost 4 years old, and we were struggling to get her to instinctively hold our hands when we crossed streets, the parking lot, etc. She would just refuse, or pull away when we were walking. She had decided she was big enough to walk on her own. No matter how many times we explained how dangerous it could be, it wasn't until she saw on the local news a story about a young girl getting hit by a car in a parking lot that she decided to start holding hands, with no further pleading on my part needed. She was able to see exactly what could happen if she went on her own, mulled it around in her head, and still actively grabs my hand now when we are walking near cars. It isn't that she is afraid, either. She has almost no fear of anything. She just decided that being safe was a good choice for her in this situation.
Though AC goes along with my parenting style for SC, there have been times where outsiders (both extended family, as well as friends) have questioned us and the way we are doing things. We have been told that we allow SC too much freedom, and it has been implied we are too lax in our discipline, regardless of the fact that every "suggestion" intended to guide her back toward compliance had been tried already and failed to bring about the result desired by these naysayers. Buckley comments on the judgements of others, saying
"It was easy to feel isolated, because many parents and teachers judged that Leo had little parental formation, was allowed carte blanche. The opposite was true. We worked daily, nightly, to impose routines. But Leo was reluctant to go along with anything just because he was asked to."We do feel isolated most of the time; I, especially, since AC travels so much for work. It is hard to find friends for me who understand I am doing the best I can with this bundle of energy and excitement God gave me, and it is hard to find friends for SC who are on her level intellectually. She doesn't understand why her age-peers do many of the things they do, and when she tries to mimic them (to fit in), she overdoes it. We have yet to find her intellectual peers, though she does well playing with the boys in the neighborhood who are a year or so older than she is. However, we really don't get to see them that often. Choosing to homeschool has isolated us even more, but at the moment that is the best choice for SC and where she is now. She needs to be taught on the level she is at academically, and constantly stimulated intellectually, and in a public kindergarten, she probably won't get enough of that. She is also in constant motion, and while at home she can do math in motion on the whiteboard, or lay on the floor to do reading, that is another thing that, if allowed in public kindergarten (and many or most students start acting this way), would cause utter chaos for the teacher in the classroom.
Many of the behaviors that SC exhibits that make her difficult to parent can be explained by a series of "overexcitabilities" that are common among gifted children. A Polish psychiatrist named Kasimierz Dabrowski, who has specifically studied the intensity, excessive personalities and sensitivities of gifted children and adults, has grouped them together in his work, classifying them for the purpose of understanding. If you want a good list of resources about Dabrowski's overexcitabilities, check out this page on the Hoagies' Gifted website. However, I will list the classifications in brief, as summarized from the book Misdiagnosis and Dual Diagnoses of Gifted Children and Adults [MDDGCA], and how they relate to SC here.
- The first overexcitability is "intellectual," which encompasses the excessive curiosity, question asking, theoretical thinking and problem solving. This is a desire to simply gain knowledge, and the search of truth and understanding. In SC, this is most obvious in her constant "why." She doesn't only question when she is given instructions, she questions everything.
- The second overexcitability is "imaginational," which describes the complex imaginations, including pretend friends and their pretend worlds, but also the flair for the dramatic, daydreaming, and other visual creativities. SC is less imaginative (though is very artistically creative), but she does have a fair amount of drama when she feels she needs to.
- The third overexcitability is "emotional," which is where extreme emotions and feelings are grouped. Children and adults with this overexcitability tend to over-sympathize with the problems of the world around them, and become very attached to people, places and things. They are frequently accused of overreacting, and in children, they may continue to have tantrums past the age of three and get excessively angry over minor issues. This is an overexcitability I understand, as it is one that I have as well, but that doesn't make it easier when SC starts stomping her feet or throwing her body around. She even hit the wall the other day when sent to timeout. However, she also is hugely compassionate, and even someone who seems upset will send her into a fit of sympathetic tears.
- The fourth overexcitability is "psychomotor," which can be described as those who "love movement for its own sake, and they show a surplus of energy" (Webb, pg. 14). This classification has SC written all over it, because one thing she doesn't do is stop moving. Even in the car, strapped in, she is tapping her feet or doing something with her hands. While some people who have this overexcitability may demonstrate it with a constant stream of chatter, SC simply is always in motion. No matter how many physical activities we do in a day, she never tires out and is always ready for more. Even when she was very small, she was on the go.
- The fifth overexcitability is "sensual," which details the aspects of life that a body's senses handle (sight, smell, touch, hearing, taste) and these are children and adults are overly sensitive to many of them. For example, things like tags in clothing or lines on socks, an aversion to food textures, a dislike of noise in the background, or even strong smells literally overwhelm them. This is one area that SC does not seem to have the noticeable overexcitability, but I tend to think it might be the opposite. She can become excessive in her touch with people. With other children, hugging turns into tackling, playing tag into shoving, and someone usually ends up hurt or upset. With AC and I, we quickly become the jungle gym to be climbed upon when seated, and even if we are just standing together in line she might smack my body or or bump me roughly.
Eventually we may have further testing done with SC, as was recommended by the examiner, that may help us narrow down these overexcitabilities and help us figure out if there are any underlying learning differences. However, we will probably wait a few years to see what she simply "matures" out of and what doesn't, as well as any learning problems we stumble upon while schooling.
The most important thing out of all this is that I don't want to change SC and the person God created her to be. She is intensely inquisitive. She likes to have fun, and loves really good music, animals and showing those she loves that she loves them. She gets upset when others are upset, and tells jokes that make sense to no one else, and laughs hysterically. She picks up on things she shouldn't understand, and makes the most adult comments about them, like the time she told me how to get rid of lice (which she heard about on NPR). She likes to quote movies and books, and sometimes at the wrong times, but always with relevance. I don't want to produce another sheep for the factory floor, conforming to the current demands of demands of our American society. I know God means for her to be more than just a follower of men. He gave her this mind and spirit for His reasons, and who am I to break that for the whims of social acceptance? I do want her to understand that there are rules that she has to follow, and that there will be consequences in she breaks them. However, many of the rules imposed in the early years of childhood are done so for the purpose of learning a "lesson" that can be applied later in life. There are minimal natural consequences for leaving your toys on the floor, and if the consequence is those toys going in the trash/donation and the child is okay with that, who comes out ahead as the winner? What lesson has then been imparted that can be applied to later? So, I trust that in time, as things come up that must be adhered to, God will show SC the "why," either through me or another outlet. For now, I am okay that SC asks "why" after every instruction, because for her, she needs to really know, to understand (just like in the example with holding hands). And, even if it is difficult and exhausting raising a gifted child, I trust God that He will give me what I need to support SC in becoming the best version of her that she can be. As James Webb puts it (pg. 81), "as parents, our task is to discover who our child is and to help the child find his own profession." That should be the goal of every parent.
In the future, I am going to try to be a bit more vocal about SC's giftedness when I write, because I think it is important for others in the same situation to know they are not alone. Also, if you have a gifted child and are struggling (or not), I would love to hear from you (either through the comments or privately contact me through email at proverbs2pursuit@gmail.com) because it is hard to be on an island.
Cited:
Webb, James T., et. al. (2005). Misdiagnosis and Dual Diagnoses of Gifted Children and Adults. Scottsdale, AZ: Great Potential Press, Inc.
Wednesday, May 29, 2013
"One's destination is never a place ..."
"One's destination is never a place,
but rather a new way of looking at things."
Henry Miller, Big Sur and the Oranges of Hieronymus Bosch
About two months ago I posted an update that was long overdue, mentioned two upcoming trips, and finished the post with "we shall see what else God sends our way this year." Well, since it has now been two months since I last posted, I hoped you assumed good things were keeping me away, and you would be correct.
I had mentioned a trip over Easter weekend to Los Angeles while AC works, one that would include getting to spend time with family, a visit to Disneyland, and time on the beach. We also were able to drive down to San Diego and spend a few hours at the amazing San Diego Zoo, plus visit the Aquarium of the Pacific, one of our favorite Long Beach haunts.
At Disney this year we brought our camera, but we actually only took a few pictures at the end, when SC decided to stand in line to see the princesses.
She has been to Disneyland a number of times already, and we really wanted to just relax and have a good time, and no one had to be "on" for the camera. Also, she is finally tall enough to ride some of the bigger rides. Last time we went (she was 3 1/2) she was able to ride the Matterhorn, which is a bobsled-style ride, sitting on my lap. It has since been renovated and riders sit individually and the seats are apparently very uncomfortable. Also, she is still so small (even meeting the height requirement) and I feel better if I can somehow hold her head still so it doesn't bobble around. So we didn't do the Matterhorn, but she did do Space Mountain (which she loved and asked immediately to do again), as well as the Star Tours ride (which has been closed every other time we have been since having SC). She had recently seen the Star Wars movies, so she was very familiar with the characters and what was going on. We stayed until the fireworks for the first time, but SC passed out in the car before we even left the parking garage. All in all, it was a great day.
We drove down to San Diego on a spur-of-the-moment trip to visit the San Diego Zoo. We were able to stay until the late evening due to the later sunset, and after hours of walking through this amazing zoo, I don't think we crossed any area twice. I loved that there were animals we had not been able to see in any of the other zoos we had been to (like koalas), and that it took up a large enough area that even with the large number of people who were there (it was Good Friday) it didn't feel that crowded. We were also very excited that we were able to see the baby panda, which had been born only months before.
Of course no trip to California would be complete without some time spent on the beach, even though the water is always cold, and even more so at the end of March. We went to the "Dog Beach" at Huntington Beach, because it affords SC the opportunity to spend time with two of her favorite things, dogs and beaches. We were there for just over an hour and the day was beautiful. We could see across the coast clearly to Long Beach, and all the way out to Catalina Island. We also saw a small pod of dolphins come very close to the shore.
Finally, the best part of the trip was getting to see all the family we miss so much when we are at home in Texas.
So, of course, one weekend away couldn't have kept me from the computer for two whole months, so what else was going on? Well, I did get to travel with AC to London, which was a fabulous trip, but I also got to travel with him to New York City on a last minute trip between the one to CA and the one to the UK. Though he had to do work during both of these trips, the ability to get some time for just us was wonderful, and I was able to see one city that I have only seen briefly and another country I had never been to. We didn't take many pictures in NY, but the best sight we saw was at the Metropolitan Museum of Art and their exhibit called "Impressionism, Fashion and Modernity." They had impressionist paintings displayed, and then many of the actual dresses/costumes that were worn by the women during the sitting for the painting. It was phenomenal.
In London I was able to spend a couple of days traveling around on my own while AC worked and saw so much, but have so much left to see in another trip. Of course I saw Buckingham Palace, walked through Hyde Park and Mayfair, went to the British Museum (though I only got to see half of it!), had high tea at Fortnam & Mason, and ate so much delicious food. I cannot wait to go back again and take SC with us next time, and hopefully it will be relatively soon.
I am so thankful that I was able to tag along with AC to London and NYC, and that both SC and I were able to tag along to Los Angeles. Now that we are home from almost a month on the road (and having spent the last month trying to get back to reality), I will hopefully be able to get back on track with blogging and sharing our journey in life and the pursuit of wisdom.
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