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If this is how 8 is, God help me at 13.

One of these days I may write a heartfelt, detailed blog post about the angst I am having with my eight-year-old child. But this is not one of these days. Instead, I wanted to share a few recent things.

  • Third grade is difficult. I cannot believe the amount of homework Jordan brings home most days. On a good night, she has about an hour; several times now she has had three-plus hours. Seems a bit excessive to me. On the bright side, she has pretty much gotten to the point where she remembers to bring the correct books home, which is a challenge considering most classes have a hardback book, a workbook, and a Simple Solutions book. I feel bad that my poor kid's backpack often weighs more than 25 percent of her body weight (yes, I have weighed it).
  • Jordan came home from school today with a flier for a Magic Treehouse book club and an American Girls book club, each of which will meet once a month during lunch. Jordan told me that most of the girls in her class are going to be in the American Girls book club. Jordan, however, is not like most of the girls and has opted for the Treehouse club. I like the idea of the American Girls dolls as far as promoting history via their characters and books, but $100 for a doll and a book? And $25 for a doll's outfit? I hate to spend that much on any one thing for my real kid! So, yeah, Magic Treehouse.
  • While Jordan was at a birthday party on Saturday, Brian and I had drinks, appetizers, and watched the Pens play some (preseason) hockey at TGI Friday's. It has been a loooooong time since we had a date, so I am glad we went. And, look at me, never thinking twice about dropping my kid off at this mini-golf place, even though several parents stayed the entire time. Who ya calling helicopter parent now?!
  • Finally, I had to share this funny thing Jordan said recently. She wondered where her one grandmother and her male friend slept on a trip since J was so sure they were in one hotel room. I told her that the room probably had two beds, as most hotel rooms do. I then said that God prefers that only married people sleep in the same bed. Jordan's response: "Mom, I don't think God cares where you sleep as long as you get sleep. That is what is important." Hard to argue with that logic.

Yeah, it is probably going to be a long year. :-)

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