Like mother, like daughter...
Me: "You and Michael looked like you were having a good conversation up on stage, between rounds."
Elayna: "Yeah, we're friends again. I think he forgot about the jumprope incident." (Last year, Elayna accidentally clocked Michael with the end of a jumprope. They feared concussion.)
Me: "Maybe. Or sometimes, if you whack a guy upside the head, he respects you more."
Elayna, scandalized: "Mommy! It's not like that!"
Me: "Like what?"
Elayna: "Boyfriend and girlfriend. It's not like that."
Me: "I didn't say it was. I'm just saying. Boys are weird with the hitting."
Elayna, musing: "Well, I do have some very interesting ways of hitting people, actually."
Me: *uncontrollable laughter*
I did proceed to reiterate that you really oughtn't to hit anyone. But dude. "I do have some very interesting ways of hitting people, actually." All meditative-like. So her mother's daughter.
The spelling bee? Fifth place; made it to the last round. Respectable showing. I'm proud. At her age, I'd've fallen on my sword if I didn't place first, but she's not me, and thank the gods she isn't; I grew up under such pressure to be #1 at all times that okay, I didn't have a sword, but I'd've cut, I wouldn't have allowed myself to eat dinner. I'm not letting my kid live like that. I am proud of her for getting up there; I am proud of her for making it to the final round and doing very well indeed.
Now I go take Excedrin. Yow.
Elayna: "Yeah, we're friends again. I think he forgot about the jumprope incident." (Last year, Elayna accidentally clocked Michael with the end of a jumprope. They feared concussion.)
Me: "Maybe. Or sometimes, if you whack a guy upside the head, he respects you more."
Elayna, scandalized: "Mommy! It's not like that!"
Me: "Like what?"
Elayna: "Boyfriend and girlfriend. It's not like that."
Me: "I didn't say it was. I'm just saying. Boys are weird with the hitting."
Elayna, musing: "Well, I do have some very interesting ways of hitting people, actually."
Me: *uncontrollable laughter*
I did proceed to reiterate that you really oughtn't to hit anyone. But dude. "I do have some very interesting ways of hitting people, actually." All meditative-like. So her mother's daughter.
The spelling bee? Fifth place; made it to the last round. Respectable showing. I'm proud. At her age, I'd've fallen on my sword if I didn't place first, but she's not me, and thank the gods she isn't; I grew up under such pressure to be #1 at all times that okay, I didn't have a sword, but I'd've cut, I wouldn't have allowed myself to eat dinner. I'm not letting my kid live like that. I am proud of her for getting up there; I am proud of her for making it to the final round and doing very well indeed.
Now I go take Excedrin. Yow.