Can you spell "latitudinarian"???

Well, I'm not so sure I could have either..... that is until 3 or so weeks ago when my 3rd grader came home with a huge smile and a great story about how she won her class spelling bee that day. Hooray, little May-May! So over Christmas break we got busy studying a big, long list of words for the much more competitive school spelling bee on January 11th.

So, yes, "latitudinarian"..... it was one of those long words on that long list..... and, yes, after a lot of hard work, that little 3rd grader can spell it.... and lots more like....

psychoanalysis.....
....and paramecium
....and subterranean
....and photosynthesis
....and calisthenics
....and omniscient
.....and anticoagulant......
and so many more.....isn't that amazing?

When I first saw the list I thought, "Well, we'll study as many as we can, but those last 50 or so words, we'll just not worry about those." Her daddy, dare I say not the best speller in the world, just laughed at that big ole list. They were hard! I guess now's a good time to say that we've both learned a pretty good lesson..... don't ever doubt the power your children have inside of them.

That is, if they'll even try in the first place. I have this issue with my kids, and I struggle with it all the time. I'm a go-getter.... I have this natural desire to succeed and I'll work really hard to do just that.... I always have..... sometimes to my own detriment. Yet, I find that my children are more of the "let's just do what we have to to get by" kind of kids. I don't want to be the pushy, overbearing mom. I really do want them to be who THEY are supposed to be and not some weird reincarnation of me. I'd prefer them to be better than me.... not be so hard-headed and possibly, hopefully, not make as many mistakes due to that hard-headedness. But I do want to encourage them -- motivate them -- to be their best.... to try new things.... to believe in themselves. I'm definitely a believer in hard work..... "Anything worth having in life is worth working for." Yet sometimes I fall short in my abilities as a motivator. So that's why this spelling bee is such a big deal to me.

A few weeks before Macy had her class bee, she came home with the first list of words to study. She never did. Never. Then the night before the bee (when I had forgotten all about it), I said, "Macy, what other homework do you have?" And she said, "Well, the spelling bee is tomorrow but I'm not going to do it."

I thought, "Not going to do it? What? What do you mean you're not going to do it?" But I zipped my lips and instead said, "Mace, you ought to give it a try. You're a good speller. You'll never know unless you try." She kind of nodded (in that way I knew for sure what I was saying wasn't getting through to her) and then she went to bed. I was so deflated...... I have this thing about spelling bees because I won my own school spelling bee in elementary school.

So you can imagine my surprise when I picked her up from school the next day and she couldn't talk fast enough telling me all about how she won..... WON. Whoo-hoo! She tried! And when I hugged her and congratulated her, I also made sure to tell her how proud I was of her..... not necessarily for winning, but just for trying. It meant the world to me.

So here we are, weeks later, many hours of studying later, and Macy has tackled that list with gusto. We've studied in the car.... while we fixed dinner..... while we've eaten dinner...... while we've taken a bath. I call out words to her so often, I'm beginning to think Jacob might even know how to spell latitudinarian! And today was the day.... the school-wide spelling bee..... third graders up against fifth graders. I was so proud of her for working so hard, but honestly, in the back of my mind, I thought she'd be so nervous or intimidated by the older kids, that she might make a small mistake and that would be that.

And of all things, I couldn't even be there to watch because the teachers felt that parents being there would be too distracting for the kids. So I waited..... patiently anxiously, all morning until I could go to her school at 11:00 to eat lunch with her. And then the phone rang..... at 10:04am. I knew it had to be her. She said, "Mom, they wanted us to call our parents and tell them how good we did. Mom, I came in runner up! I got second place!"

I have never been so happy for her.

She did it! And best of all, SHE knew she did it!

So it's been a great day at the Parker's..... lots of texts and phone calls to that sweet little girl..... congratulating her on her hard work. Lots of treats and even a nite out to her favorite pizza restaurant. Whoo-hoo!! Macy, we are so proud of you (even your big sister)!!

Here's she is with a little celebratory cupcake (I ran to the store to buy her cupcakes right after she called -- nothing makes that child happier than a cupcake)

And a celebratory dinner at Shakey's

Macy's favorite place...... eating pizza and playing games with her brother & sister.

And so she learns..... hard work pays off..... I don't think there's a better lesson.

WE LOVE YOU, MAY!!