Blog, Baby

As if I have nothing else to do this Christmas Eve, Eve, Eve night, I am sitting here, posting my first blog entry. It's part of the disease we night-owls deal with. The brain won't shut down, in spite of no caffeine, sugar, etc. for the last few hours. I even forwent (might have made up that word) the traditional Egg Nog concrete on the way home from the annual Nutcracker event.

I will refer to my family members here by the very creative "D" for daughter, "S" for son, "H" for husband. D said, as we pulled away from the theater, "They should have called it 'The Clara.'" Mom and I sat and thought about what that might mean for a minute, then figured it out. I replied, "You're right. The Nutcracker doesn't make a lot of appearances." And for that we were blessed. I truly believe they found the Nutcracker Prince walking around downtown and asked him, "Hey! Ya' think you could put this costume on with a tall hat and kind of sloppily march around stage a couple of times? Great!" And that was how he got his role.

Her insight might not sound too profound with this one, small example. However, she pops these off randomly and quite frequent. Her violin teacher, also our school's gifted teacher, and others have hinted she may be gifted. I'm not so sure. She thinks and communicates and relates to things as a gifted student / person would, but we know how she also has not exactly struggled with reading, but with all the books she has had swarming her since infancy, it hasn't come as easy as one would expect. I am aware that gifted students may not be gifted in all areas, but I do have flashbacks of my own years in the gifted classroom. Very lonely. None of my friends were in the class, so I felt it was almost a punishment to be so separated and isolated. Being near my best friend, J, was much more dear to me than being a "Future Problem Solver" or knowing about grown-up politics at age 10. In fact, I succeeded in talking my mom into removing me from the class my last year of elementary. I felt exceedingly 'normal' for one of those very rare moments in my life. However now, as a teacher, I call upon quite a few things I learned in those once a week sessions with the grand 'ol Mrs. McCann. Oh, how she hated me.

Piano lessons from a very early age blessed me with very quick fingers in typing, as well. I can see how in a very short time this first blog has become a first book. Gonna have to watch that. Those who know me know my 'shut-off valve' doesn't always work real well. I always notice that after the fact, and if I don't say so, I really am sorry. I've even called friends back because I realize I have no idea what they called for. And yes, I'm a teacher and I will occasionally end a sentence with a preposition. Otherwise, stuff just sounds weird.

Until next time...