The best of friends

When you're 14 years old . . .

Who can you text or chat with on Facebook for hours?

Who do you like to walk with from the church seminary building to to the school every morning at 6:50 am?

Who do you carpool with so you get a few extra minutes to laugh and giggle and tease each other?

Who do you like to hang out with at your house so you can play Wii, watch Psyche, take silly pictures on PhotoBooth, listen to music, and talk?

Whose family do you want to sit behind in church every Sunday?

Who do you walk with hand-in-hand on the way to your pick-up-point after school (thinking that your mom won't notice the hand holding)?

Who do you make a giant Valentine for then go nervously and secretly "heart attack" his front door?



Who makes you feel like you are truly an AMAZING girl (other than your parents)?

Why - your best friend, of course!!

Madi even decided to take down ALL of her David Archuleta in honor of her best friend. She decided the real thing is much better than the imagined one! Someone's really going to miss her best friend, otherwise known as N8 the GR8, when he moves to Texas in a few weeks!

The end of an era

Tonight Madi graduates from her school of 9 years. She has grown up at this school, and the school has grown up with her. Our school was brand new when we discovered it in the fall of 2000. Since that time it has grown from a school of about 35 or so students to over 300. We have gone from a school of 3 trailers on a desert plot to 4 separate buildings and a custom-built playground. And since that time, my little girl of not quite 5 years old has learned and grown and become a 13 year old young woman. I thought that on this evening of her graduation I would post a few pictures from her 9 incredible years at this very special school . . .

Kindergarten

Madi and Maria the hamster (named after Maria Montessori) - Madi loved that hamster!

Our first annual International Children's Day. Madi is 2nd from the left - dressed as a little Swiss girl (in honor of my Zobrist heritage)

Madi & Allison singing in the spring program - Madi was a flower

First Grade

class picture - Madi is on the far left - 2nd row (her teachers are Ms. Amy & Ms. Meredith)

2nd Grade

Spring class program - they performed a song that helped them memorize all that states and their capital cities

Singing for their moms at the Mother's Day Tea. The sang "A, you're a adorable - B, you're so beautiful - C, you're a cutie full of charms . . ."

3rd Grade

Lauren, Lexi, & Madi on the 3rd grade field trip - after their camp out at the San Diego Wild Animal Park

4th Grade

International Children's Day - with Blair & Lacey

5th Grade

Earth Day, April 2006

6th Grade

Madi is definitely not a wimp when it comes to dissecting creatures . . .

School play - Romeo & Juliet combined with West Side Story

7th Grade

International Children's Day - with Molly & Lexi

Parent - Child Night - Jeopardy Game - Greek Style

Spring musical performance with Zarek & Molly

8th Grade

Madi & Lauren sing the National Anthem on Patriot's Day (9/11/08)

With Cristien & Lauren after Parent-Child Night

The Graduating 8th Graders
Sebastian, Lindsey, Cristien, Lauren, Lexi, Madi, Elan, & Zarek
(Sebastian, Lauren, Madi, & Zarek have all been together since kindergarten - Lexi came in 1st grade, Elan in 2nd, & Cristien in 3rd)

Madi's class trip to San Diego

Madi's middle school class just got back from a trip to San Diego. This was Madi's last trip with our school since she will be graduating in just a couple of weeks! They had a great time together, but Madi was a little disappointed that only one of the 8th grade boys went on the trip (there's only 4 of them). But, at least all 4 8th grade girls went.

While in San Diego they -

Had lots of time to spend with friends

Lexi & Madi

The 8th grade girls - Lauren & Madi and Lindsey & Lexi

Ate good food

Played at the amusement park at Mission Beach

Savannah & Madi

Went to a Padre's game - the Padres won!

Lexi, Krystal Jo, Madi, & Savannah

Went to the beach - of course!

Lexi & Madi

Madi & Krystal Jo

Classmates (back row) - Brandon, Alex, Jasmine, Tristan, Griffin, Emily, Katie, Ms. Denise, Krystal Jo, Lauren, Vivian, Emily, Sebastian, Lindsey, & Bronson
(front row) - Sheridan, Savvanah, Sarah, Madi, Lexi

They also went to The Reuben H. Fleet Science Museum at Balboa Park (saw the iMax movie there), the Cabrillo National Monument, the Point Loma Lighthouse and historic Fort Rosencrans National Cemetery at Point Loma, Coronado Island, and had a bonfire on the beach. It was a jam-packed, fun-filled 4 days for this group of kids.

Into the Woods

Meet Rapunzel

Meet Rapunzel and her handsome and devoted prince

Meet the wicked step-sister, Florinda (center), and her family

These characters - along with Little Red Riding Hood, Granny, and the Wolf, a baker and his wife, Jack (as in Jack & the Beanstalk) and his mother and pet cow, as well as a wicked witch and a mysterious man - made up the cast of our school's first ever major musical theater production -

Into the Woods Jr.

Our music teacher, Ms. Linda (seen below with Katie), did a phenomenal job organizing and directing this production. The auditions were in January, followed by months of rehearsals and 3 performances at the end of April. Madi and Katie were happy to be a part of it, though Madi was disappointed in her role as a step-sister. She felt she was qualified for a larger role (despite a less-than-desired audition due to nerves), but when all was said and done, Ms. Linda did a perfect job casting the play. Once she got over the disappointment, Madi decided to be the best step-sister she could be, and in the end, she said the play was the most exciting thing she had ever done.

I was able to be involved with the play as well, accompanying the cast as they learned the group ensemble numbers in the beginning. I then worked with the soloists in the end, helping them get ready for the performances. It was a big family commitment, with rehearsals 3 days a week after school, added to our already busy extra-curricular activity schedule. Ben spent lots of afternoons hours hanging out by the piano at the school.

Madi particularly enjoyed going to the rehearsals because she got to spend time with with her friends. She poses in the picture below with her friends, Lexi and Lauren. Lexi was on the tech crew and Lauren was the Wicked Witch.

Madi and the other 8th graders who were part of the play - Cristien (narrator), Madi, Elan (the Mysterious Man), Lauren (Witch - the green nose gives it away, right?, Lexi (tech crew)

And in the picture below - my actresses - the night of the final performance. Those big smiles on their faces tell you just how they felt at the end of the night. They were on such a high! Before the performance Katie said she hoped they would get a standing ovation, which of course, they got. It made her night! Madi and Katie both grew from participating in this production. Madi learned that you don't have to be the star to have a rewarding and positive experience. She also learned that it can be a lot of fun to be a drama queen - hamming up her role as much as possible. Katie learned that she can sing some pretty high notes when necessary and that it's OK to pretend to care about a prince even when he's a silly boy you've gone to school with since you were 4. The girls were both sad to see it all end, and wondered what they would do with their afternoons now that the rehearsals were over. I, on the other hand, did not have that same concern :). I know one thing for certain - our school has now entered the realm of theater and there's no turning back now!

Small step = really big leap for me

I made the phone call today that I've been putting off making for at least the past 2 weeks. When I tell you about it, you might think, yeah, so? What's the big deal? But, this is one phone call I have found very good reason to NOT make, even though I knew it had to be done - eventually.

I've been really busy you know. I haven't had much time and when I do think about it - it's 11:52 pm, and that's just too late for making phone calls. And then, spring break happened. No one will be there to answer the phone - excellent excuse!. "I'll call soon enough", I tell myself. If I make that phone call . . . then that will mean that my little girl is really, truly growing up. I don't think I want to admit that . . . not yet . . .

But, finally today, I did it, despite my innermost desire to NOT. I already had the number entered in my cell phone, so it wasn't hard to locate - no excuse there - darn! However, I knew it had to be done, and now, sooner than later.

"Just 7 numbers. Do it - OK - NOW!" I did it!

And - when I finally punched those 7 numbers into my phone and asked for the registrar at our neighborhood high school, I got transferred and promptly - cut off. Busy signal. "You've got to be kidding me! Maybe I'll just wait till tomorrow," I think.

But I ignored that inner voice speaking to my insecurities, and I didn't wait. I called back to hear some unfriendly person who transferred me, yet again, to the registrar. This time, I got her voice mail. Come on people! Don't you know how hard this is for me? "Couldn't you make this the slightest bit simpler for me?"

I get her voice mail - Carol isn't available, but if I leave my name and number, she'll call me back. "OK - this could be a good thing. If it doesn't happen today, it won't be for a lack of trying on my part." " She doesn't know me. She's never heard of me. Will she really call me back?" Leave a message. Beep.

I left my message and hung up. Not 5 minutes later, my phone rang. Check caller ID - bummer - it's the high school! I answered as a woman on the other end identifies herself as Mrs. Somethingorother from the high school. Wait? What happened to Carol who told me to leave her a message? I guess this is her. I guess I won't be calling her Ms. Carol, like I'm used to at our little bubble of a school, I guess it's Mrs. Somethingorother. Hi.

I get all the details about everything I have to do so the school district knows my child exists and so that she can start high school in the fall. It doesn't sound all that difficult. But then - it doesn't sound all that easy either. Birth certificate. Proof of residence. Paperwork to fill out. Electives. Course catalogs. Websites.

My brain wants to stop this information. Mrs. Somethingorother talks and I semi-tune-out her voice and think, "Can I just have a do-over? Can Madi go back to kindergarten? Can we do the past 9 years over again? Can she just be 5 again? Can we go back to birthday circles and first night celebrations, field trips to the fire station, and chapter book parties and Mother's Day Teas? Is there any way I can find a way to get that little girl back again?"

Snap back to reality and listen to Mrs. Somethingorother. She speaks, but now she sounds more like Carol than Mrs. Somethingorother as she asks, almost sensing my trepidation, "Are you ready mom? I always ask the moms - the kids are always ready - it's the moms who aren't."

Am I ready Carol?

Of course I'm not ready . . .

. . . but she - well SHE - definitely IS!

What a Night

There's a 4-letter word that's been repeated at my house recently. I call it the "T" word, and I just can't bring myself to repeat it! Sadly, I can't seem to curb this use of the "T" word. I guess it is harmless enough, although, I believe that when paired with "ager", the "T*&%" becomes an agent of aging - or one who inflicts aging upon others, and causes that aging to increase at quadruple the rate of an ordinary adult without "T*&%s" living in his or her household. So - don't be terribly surprised if the next time you see me, my hair is completely white, I have deep, dark circles under my eyes, and I keep saying "speak up sonny."

The reality of the "T" word is that I just selfishly want my baby girl back, even though I know that's impossible. I genuinely want time that has marched on - back. I promise you that just yesterday Madi was 2 and singing the Barney theme song and her ABC's. I swear she was just five and singing "Hard Knock Life" from Annie. Wait - I am pretty sure she was just eight and asking to sing a solo in Sacrament Meeting. Actually, she was just ten and singing all the songs from the "Walk the Line" soundtrack. Or maybe it's that she was just twelve and singing every song that David Archuleta has ever sung. Yeah - that's it, & I am sure she will keep singing those songs for a while, though I may not be able to get her to sing the Barney theme song any time soon. In actuality, Madi always has a song in her heart that is close to her lips, and no matter how old she gets, I am sure that will continue to be the case. And, as she continues to grow and mature, Madi will still be my daughter with a beautiful song in her heart that she is compelled to belt out to the world.

What a great night! Madi had a party with the coolest bunch of kids. All in all, I think she had a good day, and I know she is really happy that she's now the "T" word. Madi can't wait to grow up and today she is one step closer to getting there!

Madi is Published

In less than 2 weeks she'll be thirteen! It hardly seems possible, but Madi is growing up. She's formed many personal ideas and convictions during the past 13 years, & she is turning into such a beautiful young woman in every way.

Last month her class wrote "I am" poems, following a certain format, and Madi's was published in the school newsletter. Her poem is honest & thoughtful, giving me hope that she is on track to do great things - as well as reflecting who she is right now - at almost 13 years -

I am Madi
Daughter of LaRae and Brad
Who needs her parents, teachers, and technology
Who loves her family, school, and David Archuleta
Who sees through the lens of a camera
Who hates gossip, rumors, and stress
Who fears judgment, failure as a person, and being disliked
Who dreams of having a family, growing up a righteous person, and having good schooling
Who has found poems of happiness
Resident of the great, free country, U.S.A.
Wallace