She Throws Things

I am not sure I will ever get used to my children being taller than me. When I married their 6’4” father, I knew it would happen one day, but in reality it is the strangest thing. It does not seem like it was that long ago that I was carrying them around on my hip, and now I reach up to hug them. Sometimes I ask them to get things for me from the top shelf even though I have to endure the short jokes that follow. I stopped growing in seventh grade so I have always been short. In softball, I was always second base and second batter, and I bunted a lot. From middle school on I handled the basketball, and in track I attempted the jumps. At my daughter’s softball games, you will find her on third base. She hangs out in the middle of the lineup because she is a power hitter. In basketball, she is a post player, and nobody pushes her around under the basket. I am proud of the way she holds her ground.

When people ask me what she does in track, I always say, “She throws things.”   She loves to throw the shot put and discus, and while I knew she had a lot of success in junior high, I kind of assumed there would be a transitional year or two for her as she moved into varsity. I had always planned on her going to state at some point but I assumed it would be her junior or senior year. Sometimes I am wrong. Her freshman year she started bringing home medals from every meet. About halfway through the season I got online to look at other throwers in our state. Yeah, I’m that mom. I did not mention it to her, but I told her dad, “You know, there is a possibility that she could go to state this year.” And she did. Sometimes I am right. 

I will never forget the moment she stepped up to throw in Jefferson City for the first time. She was petrified, and in all honesty, she was the smallest girl of the sixteen Class 1A finalists. She was all alone out there, and we could not speak to her, as the family must remain in the stands. As the only athlete from her school to qualify for state, she did not even have a friend down there with her. Her dad and I could see it in her face the moment she almost fell to pieces. She started watching how far some of her opponents were launching that shot put, and she started to realize that she was probably not going to make it to the podium. She had never been to a meet in which she did not make the finals. She sat down on a bench down there and her lip started to quiver. Several heartbeats seemed to pass in slow motion as I watched her struggle with her disappointment. And then my child of fifteen years gathered herself and got to her feet to make her final throw. I have never been more proud in all of my life. You see, champions are not people who never lose. Champions are people who never give up. Right now her focus is on school and athletics, but the resilience we saw in her that day will serve her well throughout her entire life. I am so grateful for my seat in the stands.

Birthday Girl

We have always said of Megan that she is our most emotional child. Our drama queen. She tends to cry sometimes in the morning when fashion tells her to wear shorts and a tank top and the weather forecast tells her to wear jeans and a hoodie. When she is happy, her laughter reaches out and grabs everyone around her. When she is sad, she is down on the floor with her cheek against the hard wood. Her chatter cannot be contained when she is excited, and her anger tends to present itself with deliberate foot steps that can be heard from a pretty good distance.

I don't know if that really makes her emotional or if she just feels things very deeply. I can tell you that when she loves you, her love wraps itself around you and hangs on for dear life. It can pull you out of the worst of moods. She will support and encourage you until she doses off to sleep in exhaustion from her efforts. If she loves you, she is your number one fan and helper and her commitment to you is off the charts. There is no halfway with Megan Joleen. She runs like someone is chasing her, she sings like she is on American Idol, and she dances like she is trying out for a music video. She may be the smallest member of our family, but she is definitely a go big or go home kind of girl. Things tend to be black or white for Megan. Right or wrong. Good or bad. She does not have much patience for anything in between...and she seldom hesitates to share her thoughts about it. I love it that you always know where you stand with her.

This year, she loves riding her bike and playing softball. She is happiest when she is in charge, so she tries to maintain authority at every opportunity. Her favorite TV shows are Henry Danger and the Thundermans. She loves helping with anything, and she believes the themed dress up days at school are a big deal. She is always prepared with a hairband around her wrist, and time with family and sleepovers with friends rate high on her list. It is such a joy and privilege to watch her become the person she will be. The person she already is. Happy Birthday, Megan Joleen! I am so proud to have a daughter with a heart as big as her dreams!

Speaking of 2106

In 2016 I only wrote one blog post, and it isn't even a great one. In fact, if I were a teacher grading the quality of that post I would call it below average. I admit to being a slacker when it comes to my blog, but don't be fooled into thinking my one blog post was because I did not have a year worth recording. 2016 probably contained more change and chaos than most years I have known in my adult life.

I gained two beautiful nieces, inside and out. They have both added much light and love to our family. Speaking of my family, my children attended so many sporting events and practices that I don't even remember them all. Madison had basketball, softball, and track. Jaron had two basketball seasons (5th & 6th grade and junior high) and two baseball teams. Megan played big kid, coach pitch softball and a little basketball. I know our house contains more medals, trophies, ribbons, and team photos than it did in 2015.

Speaking of our house, after fourteen years of sharing our 100-year-old, 900-square-foot house, we bought a new one and moved. That statement is so simple to make but the process was considerably more complicated. It is more house than we wanted or needed, but it is on the family farm where Kevin has wanted to live since he was a small boy, and it already feels more like home than anywhere else we have been. Over the years I remember wishing for a spare corner or closet, and now I have two (yes, two!) spare bedrooms and eleven closets. Eleven. I love them. There will be many posts about the new house relative to the projects it brings to us and how much we are enjoying life in it.

Speaking of fourteen years, after fourteen years of working in the same job, not quite a month after moving into the new house, I attended a meeting on a random Wednesday afternoon where I learned my program and hours would be reduced by half. Most people would probably cut and run at this point (and I considered it), but the thing is, I love my job. I considered my options and looked into both full-time and part-time employment for the first time since graduating from college. I ended up substitute teaching on some of my days off until finding what my mom likes to call a "part-time full-time" job. So on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays I am directing the cardiac and pulmonary rehab programs for a hospital, and on Tuesdays and Thursdays I am working for a title company. It's really not as random as it sounds.

Speaking of my mom, she retired. Her retirement is treating me well! I had some doctor appointments and an outpatient procedure and she was able to go with me to all of that. I call her all hours of the day now. She and Dad made several trips to the new house to help out and she was there with me on moving day. Speaking of moving day, I will definitely write more about that. It was epic.

First Day of School 2016

2016 brought a lot of change and challenge to a girl who is most comfortable with the familiar. It brought Madison into high school and Jaron into junior high. My schedule has never been more hectic. My life has never felt more beyond my control. Although I spent a lot of time moving in different directions, and I may not have been very impressive with my blog, I am absolutely trying to do the best I can with my family, home, and career. I can tell you that sometimes it really wears me out. But it also fills me up. I noticed something pretty significant during a rare, quiet moment of 2016. I have never felt more content.