With three weeks down and many more to go, my fifth grader is off to a great start, and I am so proud of her. Since kindergarten, Quinn has been the first in her class to earn an award at the first school assembly, and this school year’s no different. Starting a new school year, let alone a new school with new teachers, classmates and trying to make new friends can be difficult. I know it was for me, but Quinn is soaring high.
During back to school night, her teacher said that he’s very pleased with how well she’s doing and is looking forward to a great and exciting school year. I am too!
These are the years of growth and many changes, so something that put a smile on my face was getting most of the facts about my ten year old correct. I’m hoping that she continues to share her new experiences with me and knows that I’m there to support her.
Alas, the day’s here! My ten year old is not only entering fifth grade but also starting at a new school. I’m glad that she’s excited and eager to meet her new teacher, new classmates and make new friends as the school year goes on. But I’m also a little nervous with all that sometimes comes with “middle school.”
Thank goodness there’s a transition where the fifth and sixth graders will be on separate floors in the school building; nevertheless, there’s still that possibility for Quinn to face her fair share of challenges and dilemmas as she encounters new children and teachers, some who are kind and welcoming and those who may be mean and confrontational.
As I continue taking “baby steps” as her mom, I want to try my best to be supportive without being overbearing, allowing her to navigate some situations on her own, knowing that I’m there if she needs me. We’ve already had our first conversation about what and who she may encounter in hopes of helping her have a smooth transition. I know this will be the first of many as there are months to go until the last day of school.
Here’s to a wonderful semester where we both grow, feel confident and learn along the way.
There’s something special about childhood friendships. Watching my daughter and her best friend blossom over the years from kindergarten to fourth grade is no exception. Yesterday, my daughter was super excited to celebrate her best friend’s 10th birthday.
I’m so glad Quinn was included in her friend’s intimate painting party, especially since they will be in different classes this year. Watching them paint together with the other children in attendance, chat and giggle definitely painted a smile on my face. What a wonderful way to close out summer break.
Today, my daughter and I were excited to stop in St. Maarten on our very first cruise and did an excursion based off of the show “Amazing Race.” We connected with others and formed a group of ten. There weren’t many children participating in this event, so I was glad that another child just one year younger than Quinn was on our team whose name just happened to be Quinnlin.
However, what initially started as a fun activity quickly turned into a stressful, less enjoyable time for Quinn and her new cruise friend, Quinnlin. While I most certainly can be competitive, when it involves working with a team, especially when team members have specific roles, I try my best to make everyone feel like they are contributing while having fun in the process. We had a team captain, a team navigator, and I was the team “clue master,” which involved me reading clues to the team to solve riddles and successfully complete the race.
Everyone was excited and ready for fun. We had a team member, who quickly sprung into action, which may seem great, but she also quickly left team members behind, including her own child. She would then grow frustrated if others gave input on solving certain clues if it was contrary to what she thought. Quinn even told me that she thought I was competitive, but this woman had me beat!
I told her that part of being in a competition with a team is working as a team and not making people feel left out and that part of the excursion is to have fun. Luckily the other members did work well together. ☺️
While we did win the race beating out ten other teams, I wish the experience was better for Quinn. But she shared with me the lesson she learned about the importance of working together and listening to others.
Plus, after the race we were able to spend a couple of well-earned hours at the beach just relaxing.
One of the moments both my ten year old and I were looking forward to on our very first cruise was our formal dinner.
I’m either wearing workout clothes or business attire for work, and Quinn mainly wears casual and fun “tween” clothes, so this was a wonderful opportunity for us to both step out in high fashion!
Alas, the day’s arrived! My ten year old and I are going on our very first cruise! We’ve boarded the ship and are excited for our destinations on Royal Caribbean’s Wonder of the Seas!
Quinn was so excited to attend her first Phillies game, tickets courtesy of my friend & trainer, Joe and his family! Thanks so much! ☺️What a wonderful way to not only have fun with family and friends but to celebrate the Spartan Race triumph together. Citizens Bank Park is where it all started with my first Spartan Race. 🤗🙌🏽⚾️
As we age, our firsts become few and far between. This certainly is the case in watching my ten year old daughter grow up. Today, Quinn not only experienced her first time playing miniature golf but her first time getting a hole in one.
I’m so glad that I caught her in action because the look of excitement on her face was reminiscent of how excited I was when she walked or talked for the first time.
With the 18 holes, I was barely on par and did get a little frustrated with myself and the ball at times, but none of that mattered because I witnessed the joy Quinn felt and had a great time with my family.
“She looks. Just like Princess Ariel,” a girl wearing her Little Mermaid floaty came up to me me. To my amazement, she was talking about my daughter Quinn. In that moment, it occurred to me that she did favor the Little Mermaid” played by Halle Bailey quite a bit.
Unfortunately, even in 2023, there are some people who believe that the Little Mermaid shouldn’t have been played by an African American. So when this little girl, who was Caucasian, was absolutely in awe of Quinn and wanted to follow her around the pool and just be her friend, I thought it was the absolute best!
Their interaction together makes me feel like despite some prejudice and close-minded views, we are headed in the right direction.
We arrived about a half hour early for our Father’s Day reservation, and I anticipated having to wait a little while to be seated. But that wasn’t the case at all. A gentleman ahead of of didn’t even have reservations and was given the option of indoor or outdoor seating because there was plenty of seating available. This is the complete opposite of Mother’s Day where reservations must be done at least two months in advance, and if you arrive without one, the host just might laugh you out of the restaurant.
This instance reminds me of how much of a rare gem my husband is to me and our daughter. Though he’s not much of a picture taker and isn’t on social media, I’m grateful for his presence and happy that I’m not taking these “baby steps” as a parent alone, as many mothers sadly do.
Happy Father’s Day to all of the fathers, fathers-to-be, like a father, uncles, pop-pops, etc. This is your special day!
Mommy's Baby Steps 