Another school year has nearly come and gone.  I think I can make it through two *shortened* days of testing.  PJB is already finished since she is exempt from her tests.  Ideally I would be posting about how wonderful her awards assembly was today and how pretty she looked and how proud we are...but, she woke up around 4:00 a.m. with stomach stuff.  Poor thing missed her big day!  She was fully recovered by this afternoon and, since we are pretty sure it was all due to sinus drainage, she has gone to a friend's sleepover/swimming party with a new bikini (the first since she was 4) in her bag.  The whole bikini thing is hard for me...everything is hard for me these days!  PJB hasn't really had the right build to wear one for the last 9 years, but things have completely changed in the last couple of months.  It's all girls tonight, but I'm not really sure how I feel about mixed company in the future.

Molly's awards assembly was earlier in the week and she brought home a "Most Improved" award.  This year has been challenging for her.  Number one, the child doesn't like to read.  I am at a loss for any explanation as to how that came to be.  She didn't meet her reading goal the first 9 weeks and, subsequently, missed out on the breakfast.  Number two, math just sends her into anxiety mode.  It's funny, though.  After her surgery and recuperation period in March, she was so much more relaxed and really grew in terms of her math skills.  Maybe that's where the award came in.  Anyway, if you read my Mother's Day post, I mentioned "fairness isn't sameness" and told you how parenting Molls is different from Parker.  Our approach to grades and academic expectations is different for each girl as well.  The common expectation is that each one will work to the best of their ability.  That's what we hold them to and both girls have done that this year. 

I should probably give Lilah an award for Most Improved Behavior because she has really been so good the last couple of weeks.  For the past couple of years, my mom has filled my inbox with newsletters and articles from an organization called Love and Logic.  She gave me a CD to listen to.  She brought me books from her school where they use this concept in the classroom.  I read the emails that she types READ in the message bar.  I listened to the CD on the way to Little Rock once.  I opened the books.  Well, she'll be proud to know that after Jamie's meltdown a few weeks ago over how no one in this house listens or does what they're told the first time, I started to consult Love and Logic.  It's worked pretty well.  They refer to their approach with children and teens as "empathetic" and it is.  Lilah has responded really well to, "I would love to read you two bedtime stories, but that can't happen while you're still sitting in the floor," or "I hope I get to take you to Emalie's party.  You can go if we can get your room picked up."  It's basically a different way of telling them what to do.  On the other hand, Parker told me one Sunday morning that "this stuff is not going to work on me."  Ha!  It did.  Several times.  For example:  "Park, I'd love to continue to provide you with a cell phone, but if you're not going to follow my rules with it, I can't."  This was when she insisted she could take it into church and leave it turned off.  I won that one.  : ) 

The empatheticness (is this a word?  Spellcheck says no.) also works extremely well when they've gotten themselves into something they want your help getting out of.  I had to deal with PJB leaving various items of clothing, schoolwork, her oboe, etc. at home and wanting me to leave my job, drive 10 minutes home, retrieve the object, drive 10 minutes back, and take 5 minutes to run it in to her building early in the year.  I followed the L&L advice after the first trip.  The conversation went something like this:  "Mom, I left my oboe at home."  "Oh, I'm sorry about that."  "Can you go get it?  I'll have to have lunch detention if you don't."  "That stinks, Park."  "Mom, please."  "I hate it for you, sis.  I bet you'll remember it tomorrow."  "Mom."  "I've gotta go, babe.  The bell's about to ring...bye."  We had this basic conversation twice before the child figured out that I wasn't going to come to her rescue.  Lunch detention won't kill her.  Trust me, I know!

Mom is smiling to herself and saying, "I told you to read this stuff."  Thanks.  I did.  Do you all see the similarities between Parker and me?  She won't read anything I suggest. 

So, summer is right around the corner!  I have lots of things planned to do around the house including building a king-sized bed.  You heard me!  I've got this.  It will probably be late June or early July before I start, but it shouldn't take long and I'll post about it. 

I hope everyone enjoys their long weekend!