When Ally was born and screamed the entire ride home from the hospital. We knew she had lungs. The next few years, it became apparent that she had the will to match the lungs. When she was a Sunbeam (class for three year olds in our church) her teacher gave me a parenting book. To which I was devastated. But it only confirmed one thing for me. No one could ever make her do anything she didn't want to do.
During the first 10 years of her life, I cannot tell you how many times I have heard the many variations of the following phrase, "She is so strong willed, now if you can just channel that, it will work out so well." So we have been trying to channel - whatever that means, in the best way we know how for many many years.
This past week, I was so grateful for her "strong-will" that I wanted to share. It seems that the fifth grade class had an outbreak of cheating. Some may call it a little deal, but to me, cheating is never little.
Some of her friends confronted her to "let her in" on the cheating ring. She was appalled. And without any social graces at all, asked, "What are you doing?"....."No I won't do that! I am a Mormon!" And then, she knew that she needed to let the teachers know that the majority of the class was sharing answers to the test. She recounted it to me this way, "Mom, as Bailey and I were walking down the hall, all the kids were telling us we were stupid and they wouldn't be our friends any more. And I just thought! I don't care if I have friends! This is wrong." And then there was channeling!
I was proud! I never knew how much I would love having strong-willed children (oh and by the way, her other great accomplishment this week is to fit the words of Angels We Have Heard on High to the Theme Song of Harry Potter....strong-willed and talented :)
Another high-light of the week came when Sam was making his lunch on Thursday night. He and I were the only ones in the kitchen when he said, "Mom! People are so foolish!" (Come to find out, that day they had discovered the many theories of evolution)
"Why do you say that Sam?"
"Mom, they think we came from monkeys, or bugs.....or worst of all, just appeared!"
"You don't think that Sam?"
"No! Mom! For Heaven's sake! Can't they find their pedigree chart!"
Now you make take that as face value, and say he doesn't really understand! But Sam understands! He gets it! As I thought about it for the next few days, I knew he really did get it!
This week being a parent is awesome! We will see what next week holds :)
