Miss fearLESS

Is she not the cutest thing???????

Last week was spirit week for the junior high.  Carly is a 9th grader now and on student council. She loves being on student council.  Monday was sporty day.  Tuesday was Disco day. Wednesday Superhero day.  Thursday (9/11) was National day and Friday was School colors day (blue/silver).  

Being on student council pretty much required participation and she had fun dressing up every day.  The only one she struggled with was disco day. She didnt' have any fabulous ideas and I didnt' have any fabulous ideas , even with "Family Fun" in my hip pocket.  So she went with nada but at school her friends hooked her up with a painted peace sign on her cheek and a headband.  Soo groovy.
My favorite get-up was  superhero day.  She has a bath towel with her name embroidered at the bottom which she has had since she was a preschooler.  It is pink so she dressed to match and pinned her towel on as a cape. She bobby pinned her bangs back & combed her hair into a sleek bun...who wants to have hair in your face whilst saving the world?  She was, in the immortal words of Samantha Grace,  "Like one million cutes!"  

Carly begged and goaded Rachel to dress up too.  ("Pleeeeaaase! you'll make a cute superhero.  pleaaaasssseee!!! come on! you're my sister and I'm in student council! you HAVE to dress up!")  Rachel was gung-ho the night before but the morning of she balked and wouldn't do it.  Reminiscent of her big sister in days gone by.

Let me tell you a little story of evolution.  The Carlybird was once afraid to fly.  She has always had it in her but for a long time she was afraid even to spread her wings lest it cause too much commotion, garner too much attention.  What if my wings are too short? too long? too wide? too colorful? not colorful enough? 

The 7th grade Carlybird was very timid.  She would only wear her hair in ponytails and wear shapeless t-shirts and jeans.  She wanted more but was afraid.  She wanted to try out for the fall play. She stayed after school for tryouts.  She came home in tears.  "I would have to sing in front of all those people.... I couldn't do it momma".  She was terrified.  Spring came.  She decided to try again.  She actually went to the tryouts but was so stiff and uncomfortable she didn't make it. But, she tried.  

The 8th grade Carlybird decided living in the shadows was not making her happy.  She wanted more.  She wanted to see what colors might shine in the sun if she spread her wings a bit.  She gravitated to a new crowd of friends.  These new friends were more outgoing, more of what she wanted to be.  She tried out for the fall play, "Pied Piper".  She MADE IT! She had a small part.  She was the woodcutter's wife.  Her character didn't even have her own name.  She had one line "Do something mayor!" She sang and danced with the other villagers.  She had so much fun.  She tried out midyear for the girl's choir, Bella Voce, and made it. At the end of the year she tried out for the premier boy/girl audition only choir, "Accapella" and made it.  She started fixing her hair and looking like a girly-girl again.  Gone were the ponytails.   Out came a little make-up and some clothes that had some trend, some style.  She was having a good time.  She was becoming. 

On National day (September 11th) she sang The National Anthem, acapella, with another girl at both lunches.  This same girl who came home two years ago in tears at the thought of singing in front of a teacher and a handful of kids trying out for a play is now singing in front of the whole school.  I snuck down to the school to hit the 2nd lunch performance after I dropped Mason off at kindergarten.  I watched her sing.  I watched her shine.  I confess, I got teary thinking of how far she's come.  The best part? She has done it herself.  The 2nd best part?  She wasn't embarrassed that I was there.  She was glad.  She told me several times while I was there and that afternoon after school, "mommy, thanks again for coming to watch me.  It meant a lot to me."

I try not to worry about high school next year.  I know there's the possibility of her pulling back again and starting the process of discovering herself all over again in the new environment she'll be in.  But, I hope that her experiences over the last couple years will give her enough confidence to keep soaring.  UP, UP & AWAAAAY..................