The member of our family who has experienced the most changes this year would have to be Daisy. 2005 has dished her a bit more than I think she was prepared for. Daisy's new school has been a little bitter and a little sweet. For the most part the school's been great. Full of musical programs and performances. Mrs. Andrus, her second-grade teacher, was an answered prayer, and Daisy transitioned well into her class.
The summer break was filled to the brim with fun adventures. She was busy EVERY day with SummerFest at her daycare center. They traveled weekly to such places as Yellowstone National Park, Jackson Hole, and even Lagoon!!! They also filled in the other days with a regular schedule of weekly gymnastics, swimming days, and tours of local businesses. As the sponge that she is, she soaked up all she could learn in the process. She also had the privelege of traveling to San Diego with Grandma Pat, Grandma Debbie, Grandpa Steve, and all her aunts, uncles, and cousins on the Cassidy side. The adventures there seemed endless in her world, and she was so sad when it was time to board the plane for home. She even told us that we need to move to San Diego's beach. As if Idaho wasn't enough distance to cope with! Hee hee, cute girl.
She's the world's best 8 year-old. Here we thought 7 was the best, yet again, we were proven wrong. =) Certainly it sounds cliche, but let it be said: "8, going on 18." Gray hairs are being discovered as we speak!
The switch-up to third grade has been more of a challenge than we had anticipated for Daisy-Mae. To compound that adjustment, she was placed in a class where the teacher seemed to have a grudge against her. Overcoming ALL of that proved to be impossible for her to handle on her own, and so we were sure to have her transferred into a more compatible, organized, and structured classroom, with a fantasticly patient teacher.
In addition to the classroom transfer, we discovered that she was in need of glasses. These new glasses are an answered prayer. Her headaches have decreased in frequency, and she enjoys reading even MORE! (We didn't know THAT could be possible!) We have noticed her grades rise and the heighth of her hurdles lower, with these modifications and our increased focus on basic thrid grade issues together. This approach, even with its struggles, requires so much more involvement yet it's yielded such greater healing for her.
Her second stint as a Palace Angel in The Nutcracker was full of differences galore. Differences in style, in production methods, in costume styles, in "artistic freedoms", and mostly in people. All in all, this seems to be her year for learning to accept, respect, and tolerate others. The most difficult part of her going through all this growing-up for her, has been us to stand back and not jump in at every change to fix it all. Though it breaks our hearts that things don't stay peachy forever, we are learning that it is her time for learning and to trust that she will be resilient as ever before.
Daisy remains the sparkle in our lives, the giggle and life in our home. And, as result of many prayers, will prove to be the smartest, wisest spirit of the 3 of us!
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