Risky Business

On Fridays, I participate in a Five Minute blogging/writing challenge hosted by Gypsy Mama. The rules are simple.

1. Write for 5 minutes flat – no editing, no over thinking, no backtracking
2. Link back to here and invite others to join in.
3. Please visit the person who linked up before you & encourage them in their comments.

5 Minute Friday Word: Risk


Start.

Risk. My first thought is "a leap of faith." Second thought makes me know that's not the case. Risk involves danger.
My son has been having a strangely hard year. Too hard. Because school is too easy. He was tested and is considered of gifted intelligence. In fact, his IQ would have been higher had he not been so concerned with perfectionism. Ugh. How did we make this child?
Unfortunately, the school districts don't have gifted programs until 4th grade. And then it is just an hour or two a week. "Enrichment" is better description of the program until middle school. We are concerned that his frustration and boredom will actually start causing him more problems socially, academically.
So, the next step was looking at gifted schools. We found one that I think would be a great fit. The only concerns I have are related to the enrollment numbers. It's hard to find the perfect school. One with enough kids to know they can have some social experience and not too many so they can excel to their potential. This school has only 8 other children enrolled for his grade next year. His public school (which is actually a very highly ranked school) has 120. In his grade alone. The gifted school has about 120 in PreK-8th grade!
Ok, so we can get past that. Now the big one. The RISK.
The school is so small it does not have a nurse on staff. My son has life-threatening allergies. He has to have an Epi Pen nearby. We have never had to use it. Ever. But that is a big risk. Who would administer the shot if the situation presented itself?
Risk. I am not sure it's a risk I can take. But at what risk to his livelihood? His potential?

Finish.

~my little guy with the science eye~

5 Minute Friday: Expectations

1. Write for 5 minutes flat – no editing, no over thinking, no backtracking
2. Link back to here and invite others to join in.
3. Please visit the person who linked up before you & encourage them in their comments.

5 Minute Friday: Expectations


Start.

My expectations for this summer are changing daily. First, I signed my 3 year old up for summer school, but they didn't have enough enrollment. So, she is only going on Tuesday and Thursday mornings. I tried to get her signed up for Occupational Therapy, but there aren't any openings currently. I had planned on trying to do something special on every Friday. Like go to the museum or arboretum. Unfortunately, real life smacked me in the face.

My son, he has certain expectations for the summer, too. He wants to play with friends as often as possible. And when they aren't available (which is always), his remaining choice is to play Wii or his Nintendo 3DS. I limit his video gaming to 30 minutes a day, which he thinks is cruel and unusual punishment.

My daughter's expectations are to harass her big brother as much as humanly possible now that he is home 24/7. She wants to be him. He wants to be alone. Story of most siblings.

My two children are not exactly compatible right now. Their age difference makes life challenging. My son is 8 and my daughter is 3. She wants to be 8, going on 21.

So we are all trying to adjust our expectations. And I am trying to remember to breathe.

Stop. {Below added after 5 minutes.}

What I wish my kids looked like...

What they usually look like instead...

~All images can be found with original links on my Pinterest boards.~

See...

1. Write for 5 minutes flat – no editing, no over thinking, no backtracking
2. Link back to here and invite others to join in.
3. Please visit the person who linked up before you & encourage them in their comments.

5 Minute Friday: See


It's funny that as I age, I still see myself as young. I mean my mental image of what I look like. I see pictures of myself these days and I think, "Who's that?" Oh, that's me!

Wrinkles forming, eyes puffy, double chin far too obvious. But in my head - I still identify with my younger self. Like 15 years younger. Get over it, I think. Move on. You'll never look like that again.

But my kids don't know that person. They see me. Me now. The only me they've known. My outside may look different, but I am still me. I just need to adjust what I see in the mirror as the person I've always been. I need to see me.

~ All images can be found (with original links) on my Pinterest boards. ~

Opportunities

1. Write for 5 minutes flat – no editing, no over thinking, no backtracking
2. Link back here and invite others to join in.
3. Please visit the person who linked up before you & encourage them in their comments.

5 Minute Friday: Opportunity

Living in the present. That is what opportunity makes me think about. I am striving to enjoy the moments as the come along. Not wish they were different - or put them off until there is a better opportunity to fulfill them.

My skin has been as creamy as Snow White's for as long as I can remember (and as long as most of my family can remember, too!) But last summer I took every chance I could to go swimming and playing outside with my children. We spent a good majority of our days in the pool or yard. I used 100 SPF on my baby sensitive skin. And by the end of the summer, my dad didn't even recognize me. The Coppertone Momma.

I never strive to look good (I really should put in more effort!) but the color of my skin told me that I had enjoyed the moments. That my kids were outside and not in front of a computer or tv screen.

Opportunities taken. Not taken for granted. I plan to do the same this summer.

My first 5 minute Friday challenge...here goes nothing

1. Write for 5 minutes flat – no editing, no over thinking, no backtracking
2. Link back here and invite others to join in.
3. Please visit the person who linked up before you & encourage them in their comments.

OK, are you ready? The Gypsy Mama Facebook late night crew is my new muse come 10pm Thursday night, so please give me your best five minutes on their choice: Perspective…

My first 5 minute Friday challenge...here goes nothing!

There have been several times in my life that circumstances have drastically changed my perspective. Most likely the winner of all life-changing events was a phone call from an endocrinologist saying that I in fact had cancer. I was 24 years old. My life flashed before my eyes. Not the life I had lived - not the past. The future - or lack thereof. I was in that moment, terrified that I would never have children or see them grow. What is crazy about this revelation is that I had never wanted or entertained the idea of having kids before. I was frozen in fear. But as the days, weeks and months passed I became determined to take any measure to rid my body of cancer so that I could live the future I surprisingly desired. 

I started this 5 minute Friday challenge after reading my good friend Laura's blog. She may remember how restless I was when I was younger. Always needing to move, meet new people, try new things. It's interesting how settled I am now. I even prefer stay-cations. I want stability for myself and my kids. 

11+ years, 1 husband, 2 kids and a neurotic dog later - it's funny what a little perspective can bring your way.

*Okay, in all honesty - this writing challenge was REALLY hard for me. I will try to continue to do this to relax into writing without backspacing. It's just so ingrained to fix mistakes as I'm typing. But I realize it effects the flow of consciousness. I am a conversational writer, at best. But I have always had issues with leaving the errors go until the end! I am a work in progress. :)

Happy Friday! And Laura, even though we haven't seen each other since my wedding day - I love you!

All images unless otherwise noted are via my Pinterest boards.