After a few weeks of my daughter fundraising for her school, she and the fifth graders participated in a fun-filled Boosterthon. There was music, inflatable archways, water stations and tons of children ready to burn off some energy for a good cause.
While there weren’t many parents in attendance, my husband and I were among the few who cheered as some kids zoomed, skipped or walked by. Quinn even came up and gave us both hugs and said that she was glad we came. I am too! 🥰 I’m also so grateful for family and friends who were kind and generous to support Quinn and her school.
I rushed from strength training, washed up and hurried to the local McDonald’s because this afternoon, I had a lunch date with someone extremely special to me, my sweet daughter Quinn. Her school has a lunch connection for parents to not only interact with their children but to get to know the teachers too.
While Quinn enjoyed her nuggets and fries, I enjoyed seeing the smile on her face and my fifth grader eagerly welcoming me to sit with her and her friends.
I wholeheartedly agree with the quote the school included on the invitation by Fredrick Douglass, “It is easier to build strong children, than to repair broken men.” I look forward to more opportunities to be there for Quinn offering support and love.
It’s that time of the year that both my daughter and I love…getting dressed up in costumes and doing a little trick or treating at the Franklin Institute. Quinn even got to bring her best friend along for the fun!
As the forecast for rain increased as the today approached, I hoped that our set day to go to the Philadelphia Zoo’s Halloween event wouldn’t be a total washout.
This has been a tradition for my ten year old daughter and me since she was one and her cousins since Pre-K and kindergarten age, and we all look forward to it, including the adults.
Thank goodness Quinn and her cousins were given almost two hours of rain free weather to trick or treat, see animals and enjoy each other’s company! 🤗🎃
“Why don’t we wear our matching outfits?” my ten year old asked. Tough she’s officially a tween and becoming her own person with each passing day, Quinn still enjoys being my mini me. This truly made my day! I love how my daughter adds so much color to my life. 🥰
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.
This evening, my daughter had the opportunity to meet and greet some of her new classmates at her new school as a fifth grader! It’s going to take some getting used to, but I’m excited for her!
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.
Mommy's Baby Steps 