Ramblings Only

I saw JSK stand first in line when the coach called her. Beaming and happy and excited. She said bye and just went off. This makes me wonder if all those times that I had a hard time seeing her not wanting to go to the class was a futile effort. Did I just have to wait for her to be 4 and she would have just gone? Or did those painful times of sticking with the schedule help that she is happily enjoying her class? I would never know.

JSK has been so scared of water over her head and face ever since she was little. Head bath has always been a nightmare. And naturally swimming classes have been tough. How can someone learn swimming if they are not even ready to dunk their head in water? DH didn't give up. They went class after class, same pre bubbler class, not ready to move up. And recently suddenly she got over her fear. What a momentus occasion that was, when she would pour water over her head herself, quickly wipe off the water from her face and smile! So swimming is getting better. I don't want her to be a champion in swimming or something, we just feel it is a life skill that needs to be learnt to save herself if she fell into the water. And enjoy the water activities without inhibition. Like kayaking.  

Long drives. If we have songs she is super fine with all day driving. Our options have just opened up big time. She gets a little fussy but the drive is not filled with screams and cries like earlier. The drives to and from Tahoe were so peaceful, I might just jinx them myself. Now is this because she turned four and miraculously learnt patience or has years or drives from a young age helped? 

Fights with friends have reduced. Not so much possessive as before. She can take turns and play peacefully, especially of the other child is also of the same temperament. 

I don't know if I am evaluating her with microscopic lens but just watching the way she has grown up is grass itching. Some issues that seemed so big have just melted away to nothing.

Read some article about 'helicopter' parent, and had to look it up. I don't know if I am one, or even if it is applicable for 4 year olds. I don't worry much about her school stuff, Infact I have let DH handle school projects. I am more involved in her social skills, and discipline.  Sometimes I wonder if I am too hand off ish because I let her figure out everything on her own. I try to give her the right tools for her to explore and grow as she wants to be. And I want her to find the joy in learning. I want her to better her earlier self. Which is what I am trying to do myself as well. The only academic thing I am particular about is reading. Because reading is fun! You can get lost in another world, without budging from your couch. 

DH often says he wished he studied geography and history now, now that he understands them better with all the travelling we do. Then we had not seen gorges and canyons and glaciers. We did not see Greece and France and Germany. Nothing like being there and understanding the concepts. 

Along that note, I got a caterpillar kit for JSK. To watch the metamorphosis of caterpillars as they turn into beautiful butterflies. I was super excited myself. And I watched them grow bigger and bigger, hang themselves in the form of a chrysalis. Apparently the whole chrysalis is full of cells that can eventually become anything, of a butterfly, be it the legs, eyes, body whatever. How amazing! 

The sad part was, we didn't see them come out as little butterflies. We were in Tahoe ;--( we came home and we saw all of them out of their cocoon, flying in their abode. Most amazing experience. We put some sugar water for them in a rose flower. We watched the butterfly 'drink' out of its pipette like mouth. Oh the wings! These beauties are just days old, fresh and new, learning. They won't live long too it seems. Nature is so amazing. The whole evolution, when I think of it never fails to awe me. Tomorrow we will let them fly away. Oh one of them fell off when hanging to the floor of the box. I didn't know what to do, but I kept it on the floor of the habitat anyway. It also became a butterfly, only a handicapped one ;--(((( To watch it, makes me sad too.  All the other butterflies fly, this one only walks, it wings are not fully formed. I feel so sorry for it. Nature is cruel yes but I could have done something. It is not a big deal but still, applying the same to humans, a small glitch during pregnancy or some gene mishap can cause a child to be handicapped and how difficult that is. DH said we should keep it with us and not let it out, for its life may not be spared out in the wild, with no flying ability.