I really do wish I had Caroline's free spirit and guts--or maybe I don't. Recently I learned that Caroline and two of her 8th grade friends randomly walk up to junior and senior boys and grab a hold of their hands. My boys are horrified--I think it's hysterical. But what I really think is amazing is the way some of these boys have embraced these silly girls. Some now, when they see them coming, hold their hands out. It's all part of being a small community. Although her brothers are horrified at her behavior, I hope they too would be as tolerant and kind as some of these older boys are if they are ever "stalked" in the future by middle school girls.
Early this school year it became obvious (dancing around singing his name was a good hint) that Caroline has a crush on a high school junior. It's been very open in our home; the boys actually claim she's a stalker and while they sometimes laugh, more often they try to be strategically distant during her antics. We know about it; her friends know about it; after her conference two weeks ago, I now know the entire faculty knows about it. None of that bothers Caroline--I love that about her!!
This afternoon she came out of the gym after basketball and was literally skipping through the rain to the car. She opened the door, threw her backpack in and said, "Guess who was in the gym while we were running sprints this afternoon?" (She really should make these guessing games more difficult.) "______", I say. "Yep--and guess who came in first in all the sprints?" Now this was a little more difficult; I suspected she meant herself, but at the same time this is the same girl who when I ask if she wants to go running with me responds, "Why would I want to do that?" But I decided to go out on a limb and respond somewhat hesitantly, "You?" "That's right" she said as she danced around in the rain, "I told Rachel if there was always a picture of him around I'd always run fast."
Keep up--these conversations are like being a ball in a pinball machine. Next she says, "Do you know that some boys have awesome back muscles? ____________definitely does. They ripple." I know it was risky but I had to ask, "How do you know?" "Well", she continued, "after practice we go out in the hall when the varsity boys go into the gym. Coach Newberry talks to us about what we've done and I just watch them in the gym. Boys have lots of back muscles." "Caroline", I say, "Shouldn't you be paying attention to your Coach?" "Oh, I never do that. It's more interesting watching the boys." I really and truly was trying to figure out how to connect in any way with her competitive spirit that would remind her she needed to listen to her coach, so I said, "Do you see your brother?" (A very highly competitive basketball player) "Why would I look for him?" she retorted followed quickly by, "He says I'm allowed to talk to him when he's with his friends but not when he's with the basketball team." (At least she somewhat sees that some people take their team seriously.)
And now for the next ping--"Hey guess what?" I really should be more disciplined in saying what, but I'm not. "What?" I ask. "Rachel, Leah and I are in a group and we have to make up a song." "Oh," I say, "for what class?" "It's for science; it has to be on the carbon cycle. I really wish it was for sex ed."
I really need her Godparents to just move in--I had no idea how much we'd need you.
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