Fourth Grade

We still have a month and a half left of this school year but even with that time remaining, I can look back and see what a big year fourth grade has been for Alyssa.

Back in October she got her tonsils and adenoids removed. She was so scared before the surgery and in so much pain after but even with all my mommy-guilt, it was absolutely the best choice for her. Now, six months later, she hasn’t missed a day of school since she returned post-surgery. She hasn’t had a single sore throat. She’s had one case of the sniffles that lasted all of three days and that’s it. Fourth grade was definitely the year of “Getting Alyssa healthy.”

It’s also been a year of friendship for her. She spend the night with a friend for the first time this year. And the second time and the third time. She’s had friends over several times and they are so great at this age. Her friendships have deepened, become more meaningful this year. I love this for her.

Academically, it’s been a little tougher this year than the previous few. But she’s overcome. I got my first ever email from school that was slightly negative. Her teacher was concerned because Alyssa was rushing through her work, missing answers the teacher knew Alyssa should be getting correct and basically just not taking her time.

This could partly be due to the those above mentioned friendships but I think it’s also due to hormones and growth spurts and just figuring out her place in her world. After she and I talked, she buckled down and got back to work and I haven’t heard from the teacher in months. Her maturity shows in her ability to change negative behavior and make those changes stick.

She’s stayed after school every Monday and Wednesday for a month to prepare for the Ohio standardized tests that are happening next week. She might have complained once about having to stay but she’s been a trooper and understood we (Tom and I and her teachers) were doing this for her and her classmates’ benefit, not to be mean.

Gymnastics has been a fun side thing for Alyssa this year. She’s enjoyed her class and her teammate and her coaches. She hasn’t really learned much that she hadn’t already taught herself (though she reminded me that she did learn the front handspring recently) but I like that it keeps her active, gives her an outlet for her enormous energy and gets us out each week. She has been asked to try out for teams next week. I’ve agreed to the tryout but honestly, I don’t see us signing her up for a team next year. Recreational gymnastics is one thing but joining a team and all the time and expense that goes along with it might just be beyond what I’m willing to take on. We’ll see.

Home life…ahh, Alyssa does love to argue with her dad. I don’t know what it is about those two but they can really rub each other the wrong way. He insists she eat well (I do too but I tend to be a little gentler as I guide her toward healthy choices rather than just announcing when she’s rummaging through that pantry that she has to eat a banana before she can have anything else.)

Last night on the way home, I tried to explain to her that her dad doesn’t do those things to be mean, he cares about her health and that’s why he pushed the fruits and vegetables and milk. He wants her to be strong and he worries about her. She listened but she replied with, “Okay, so maybe he doesn’t mean to be mean but I still think he is mean.”

Okay, well then. I’m hoping the years bring more maturity than strife but I know we’ll muddle through somehow. She’s a pretty great girl and I’m so lucky to be on the adventure with her.