Not so much a chocolate lover

You know how woman always seem to be obsessed with chocolate? I've never been that way. I can take it or leave it. It's good. I don't crave it. I'm rarely in the mood for it. If I have it, it usually has to be WITH something like caramel or cream cheese or coffee. I would much rather have something with coconut, cinnamon or blueberries.

I came to this realization as I was baking blueberry muffins with cream cheese frosting today. And pouring my third cup of coffee with coconut creamer.

I don't know what it is but all things coconut, I'm loving. I have coconut scented sunscreen, coconut body wash, coconut lotion, coconut body butter, coconut coffee creamer....I'm even considering plunking down $22 for the Coconut Bay candle at Yankee Candle. I never buy the big candles (that's too much commitment to one scent) but they don't make it in tart form. It must be because summer is coming.

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McKenna had Circus Day at school and it was kind of a bust. The paper that they sent home said there would be a jump house, a clown that was gonna paint their faces and snow cones. So I told McKenna that. But when I picked her up at the end of the day the teacher told me she was really sensitive all day. I asked why and she said she didn't know. I noticed McKenna didn't have her face painted. I asked the teacher "Did you guys do face painting today?" She said "Oh, there wasn't enough time."

Hmm....alright.

So we're walking home and I asked McKenna why she was sad at school. She said "Because we didn't do face painting or have snow cones." So it was just kind of annoying that the teacher's didn't deliver on their promise and then seemed clueless as to why McKenna might be acting sensitive.

Mind you, this teacher is kind of clueless. Her usual teacher, Miss Carol retired mid-year because her daughter was having a baby. So they brought in Miss Dona and Miss Gina. Miss Dona is kind, very sweet but sort of ditzy (sort of disconcerting when the teacher has typos in their take-home letters, no?) Miss Gina is just....I don't know what her purpose is. I hear nothing about her from McKenna and everytime I come to pick her up I have to remind her that yes, I am McKenna's mother, not her aunt.

The most annoying time was when I came to sign McKenna out (we have to sign out at the window and then they let the kids come out to us) and when I got there, McKenna was standing in the middle of the room, crying. Miss Dona was reading to a kid. Miss Gina was standing there, cutting out an art project but not tending to anyone. So I glance at her, wondering why she's not seeing if McKenna is ok. I said "McKenna.....honey, what's wrong?" I sign her out....I look at Miss Gina. She keeps cutting. She looks at McKenna. Keeps cutting. Looks at me and says hello. Keeps cutting. I said "Come on McKenna, let's go home." McKenna stands at the door, crying. Waiting for the teacher to let her out. Miss Gina keeps cutting. Looks at McKenna. Keeps cutting. I said "Excuse me, can you let her OUT please?" Geez!! If you're not gonna take care of her then let her out so I can take care of her! Freaking clueless! The next time I dropped McKenna off at school, Miss Dona asks "Why was she crying the other day?" What? YOU are the teacher. YOU were there. Why don't YOU know the answer to that? So you DID see her crying? Why didn't you ask about it then? It just ticked me off.

I actually have been doing some research to find out if McKenna is classified as a "sensitive" child and you know, she really is. This article was really fascinating actually. McKenna isn't entirely like this. She isn't sensitive to pain (actually, lately she seems to be especially tough whenever she falls down), noise or large crowds. In fact, Erick and I both noticed a lot of ourselves from childhood in this article and it's most certain that McKenna has picked up our social traits. Read the article if you have time. Its really fascinating to understand why people need that time to warm up and how people who are often classified as shy or sensitive are actually just very aware of their surroundings, the moods of those around them, the possible dangers or things to be weary of, etc.

In a large group where she can blend in, she does great. In a very small group with people she knows well, she does great. But in a medium group where there is no blending in, where there is a need to find your niche and fit yourself in, she needs a warm up period. Once she warms up, she's really very pleasant and well-mannered. But if she is faced with direct attention from a new person, she is introverted. She gets anxiety when she knows something big is coming up (gymnastics, dance recital) but once she is in the experience, she shines.

She's also very sensitive to details. Her socks have to be just so, her shoes have to be just so, bows have to be tied just so. Most of the positive attributes are McKenna to a tee. She has a very detailed imaginiation, very observant of small things, she's very bright, asks thought-provoking questions, the things she's interested in she studies in great detail (example, she knows every detail of Peter Pan, has seen just about every version available on DVD and loves to watch the Behind-the-Scenes dvd feature over and over so she can study exactly how Wendy's hair, dress, shoes, mannerisms are.) and she is sensitive to other people. She is VERY sensitive about her sister and worries about her often (just like I did with my little sister!) One thing I've always appreciated about McKenna was mentioned in this article and that is that she tends to make wise decisions. She has never had to be taught to not run in the street. She's always been very aware that the street is dangerous. She isn't too welcoming of strangers....she has to be sure they are safe before she'll engage in conversation with them. She doesn't just try anything. She asks questions about it first, studies it, thinks about if she's really interested in it.

So anyway, I thought that was very interesting reading. It helped me understand more about what I was like as a child, why I would often withdraw from opportunities because the idea of it overwhelmed me. And now I see how very much like me McKenna is and I understand that a little better too. I'm actually quite proud to discover this because I think she's sort of a good balance from what this article describes but still has her very outgoing situations and leadership qualities that flourish in the right setting. I think it's interesting that she is sensitive about Erick or I watching her sing or dance at home yet she has no qualms with getting on stage to sing karaoke or dance in front of a large crowd. Erick and I both assumed she was probably shy with the kids at school, maybe even one who sticks to herself or sits on the outskirts. Yet when we went to Alexis' birthday party, she was absolutely the most gracious party guest there, making polite conversation, speaking up when she needed something, using manners, enjoying herself, engaging well with the other kids. When she sees her friends outside of school, they're always excited to see her and she is gracious and polite with them. But if an adult talks to her, she is quiet in her response or she simply leans into me and doesn't answer.

I'm glad to read this now. Because lately she's seemed so sensitive to things, I've wondered if I messed her up somehow. Did I push her with dance? Did I sign her up for school too early? She's never struck me as a shy kid but in certain situations she just withdraws and I couldn't understand why when she's usually so confident. Now I understand that she just needs her time to warm up and absorb the situation, she needs her own boundaries to feel comfortable, and occasionally she needs encouragement to overcome her fear so that she doesn't miss out on once in a lifetime opportunities.

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Anyway, just had to blog my recent findings. ; ) Here is a picture of my confident and sensitive little girl who I am so proud of:

Practicing her passe:


On Circus Day with her clown mask. LOL I didn't send her to school with such crazy hair. That happened in the jump house:


Two of Kyla, just for fun. Kyla, by the way, may be coming down with a virus. She threw up today. : ( She's acting fine and I didn't even realize she had thrown up at first. But my nephew Gavin is acting the same way and he's currently on day two of throwing up. I hope they're both better by tomorrow (recital day!)

Saying "EEESE!":


She likes to have all of McKenna's oversized dolls piled on top of her and then she likes for us to try to find her:


And finally, two layouts I've recently finished:

Dream Party


This was for Digi-Dare #36. We were to scrap something that annoys us:

No You Didn't


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Ok, time to put the girls down for naps and clean up the kitchen from the muffin baking today. Then I'm gonna do some DST work and make a new menu plan for the week. Tonight we're having Oven-Fried Chicken, mashed potatoes and sauteed asparagus. Mm, good. I'm planning to go grocery shopping after the kids are in bed. I wonder if that's gonna happen. LOL!