Making the Cut

I need to get a post in before I do one for Halloween which is coming in 2 days.  The forecast for Halloween is cold and rainy.  After a weekend of sitting outside in the cold and rain watching 3 soccer games, I'm done for a while.  So we'll see how long trick-or-treating lasts for us.  If I have to bribe the girls with thier own bag of fun size candy bars to quit well before 8:00, then I'm prepared to bargain.  But before Halloween, I need to catch up on the past week.

Thursday, Oct.25 - 80 degrees and sunny

Saturday, Oct. 27 - 40 degrees and miserable

Emily was blessed wih a head full of beautiful, blond curls and it is the first thing anyone who meets Emily says.  It's usually something like, "Oh my, what gorgeous hair!" or "People would pay money for hair like that." or "Look at those curls!  Her hair is so pretty!"  I'm not bragging about my kid here.  In fact, I had nothing to do with this.  Tom is the one who had beautiful, white-blond curls has a young kid.  My hair is stick straight, so I am completely enamoured by it and never really considered getting Emily's cut; I've always heard stories that once you cut off the curl, it never comes back for some kids.  Her first hair cut (shave) was when she had her spine surgery and, thankfully, there was a nurse who thought to keep it and give it to me after surgery.  Last year I took her to the salon my mom goes to in Ottawa and after a few snips, decided I couldn't go through with it.  But sister's curls have turned into kind of a big, tourtuous deal for us each morning, so I took her to Dan, the stylist who has been cutting my hair for 8 years.  I painted her nails before we went and then she got a full shampoo, cut and lolipop.  She told me after that she liked my friend Dan.  It looks so much better and is definitely easier to comb, and I'm happy to report the curl is still there after getting a couple of inches chopped off.



Bed head Emily helping make scrambled eggs and pancakes

Getting a proper salon wash

 

 

Cutting  the curls

 

Blown out straight but still evidence of curls :)

 

Casey's soccer team played in the district tournament this past weekend and won all three of their games.  She is so funny and yet Tom and I find her so frustrating.  Here's why: Saturday morning, she played her best game yet, no matter what position she played. Saturday afternoon, she basically stood there and watched her teammates play while she adjusted her underwear.  Sunday, her level of focus varied from mild interest to looking like she knew where to be at.  I know, I know - she's only 7.  And I totally have that in perspective.... before and after the games.  During?  Yeah, not so much.  I've noticed Tom doesn't actually sit by me anymore on the sidelines.  He's more standing back.  And over some.  I love sports and played any sport I could growing up, so I promise I'm not trying to re-live vicariously through Casey.  Really.  I just get a little wound up.  I'm still rooting for all the players, no matter the team, but I have realized maybe I'm too much of a sideline coach for my kid.  I better watch it or I'm going to end up on the receiving end of a scolding from my 7 year old... By the way, the final game was a tie, even after overtime without goalies.  After 22 penalty kicks, Casey's team was declared the winner, but it was a terrible way for either team to lose.  Way too much pressure for 7 year olds and we all felt so bad for the other team.  Casey's friend was on the other team and after the game, Casey told me she felt really bad for her friend Kristina.  I guess no matter which athletic Casey showed up for the game, my big-hearted compassionate girl was there and that is all that mattered.  Thankfully, both teams made the cut and will advance to the little state tournament, so the season will continue well into November.

Casey's team name is the Red Firecrackers - they chant 'Boom, Boom, Boom' before taking the field

 

Just a good group of girls

 

Last week my mom and aunt Jan came down for a couple of days to visit us.  We shopped like we usually do and they also went to Emily's dance class Tuesday evening.  Emily is still loving the dance class, and she and Taylor, her helper, have become buddies.  Seriously?  It is so cute to watch!  They both have blond hair, like they could be sisters.  And I don't know a thing about Taylor except for 45 minutes on Tuesdays she smiles and giggles and helps Emily have fun through dance.  So I like her for that :)

Emily and Taylor

 

Yes, Emily (center) is facing the wrong direction.  This way she can socialize :)

 

 

 

The week before at dance class, Casey was sitting with me watching and told me that she wanted to grow up to be like those girls.  I asked what she meant and she said, "One day I want to be like those girls and help special kids do things like dance."  Raising a child with special needs can bring the lowest of lows at times.  I feel like Emily and I are going through some of those times now.  Maybe I'll journal some of that in a post coming up.  But raising a child with special needs also brings the highest of highs; usually a result of Emily accomplishing a goal or overcoming an obstacle.  When Casey told me that an aspiration of hers is to one day, not just help her sister, but to help other kids with disabilities, let me tell you about a pretty high high. 

My big girl's 8th birthday is just in a couple of weeks!

 

For all the difficult times I may experience as mom to Emily, I see character building and growing in Casey along the way.  I can step back and feel lucky and proud of both my girls.  I feel like Casey is lucky to have been given a gift of compassion and caring through her sister's experiences.   She's going to be a better person because of her sister.  And Emily will be a better person because of her sister.  My job may be not be easy, but I don't think any mom's job is.  Somehow I am learning this mom thing along the way of just doing it.  Like learning to not get too attached to curls and too frustrated about lack of ambition on the soccer field.  Most times being a mom is the ultimate on-the-job-training.  Kind of scarey.  I don't think I'll screw up my kids too much.  Right now I just hope I keep making the cut :)

They were playing super hero cats one morning.  That's all I know...

Roar/Meow/Hiss.  I think.

No words needed.