and just like that, she drives....

 Oh the years fly by, making me type things like the days are long but the years are short, turning me into a sentimental old lady.  Miss Charlotte Claire came into the world in a beautiful way, Emily had just finished her first year of nursing school (Sonja just finished HER first year, she was four when Em finished her first year), and was with Paul and I at the hospital.  She was the best, simply intuitive and gentle and caring, and it wasn't weird at all.  Paul has always been good when we were welcoming the new babies, but Emily brought a different dimension, and she was so awed by the whole process, too.

Well, Miss Char was born, and there was silence in the room, and a flurry of activity, murmuring.  I got a glimpse of her, forehead misshapen, swollen, something wasn't right.  I asked, is she okay? several times, no answer, they were assessing her...okay, she's fine, she was just hitting her forehead on the cervix, was responsive, breathing, ect.  I mean, I had been through this FOURTEEN times before, not including with baby Robert, and when that baby is born, there are usually joyous exclamations and congratulations mama, and that baby is placed right in your arms...so I was unnerved for a few minutes there, but she was actually fine.

Fast forward, and bam, she's sixteen years old.  We had fun at the department of motor vehicles.  You have to go in there with a good attitude.  Miss Char was a-chattering the whole time, quite excited.  She kept the straight-faced mug shot for the the ID pic, ignoring me telling her SMILE!  She got 18 of the 20 questions right on the test, and half the ride home, she tried to figure out how she got the other two wrong, turns out she misunderstood what they were asking on one of them.

We decided not to waste any time, and found an empty parking lot, after getting an iced coffee at a little place.   She climbed in and adjusted the seat, and did pretty well navigating around in little circles, practicing backing up and parking and going left, right, stopping.  When it started pouring rain, I decided we were done, and duh, we switched seats and got soaking wet.  That girl had pulled that seat up so far I couldn't even get in without moving it back, I really got wet, but we were laughing our heads off, and it was truly fun.  

Charlotte is a good student, she gets high nineties, is on the Principal's High Honor roll.  She does all of her homework and stresses about doing well on tests.  There used to be a show the kids would watch, Sid The Science Kid, in the theme song, Sid knows everything about everything.  That's Charlotte Claire.  She loves to learn, and retains the knowledge, then when we're talking about something, she knows history and back stories and facts, it's quite wonderful to have discussions with her.  

I credit those years of homeschooling for fueling her love for learning.  She rather likes the structure of real school now, and that's fine.  Don't get me wrong, this child is not a perfect angel.  She has a thing for arguing with me, and giving me attitude.  But come on, been there done that (does anyone else still stay that?  I am such a dinosaur).   I know the drill:  remain calm, cool, collected.  Let it go.  Important points needn't be made when the teenager is growly.  Wait until all is serene and gently mention what you need to say.   You don't win any prizes by winning arguments with teenagers, nor with toddlers.  

That being said, there are things I am firm about, and I do remind her about being respectful, and honestly, she does apologize for when she's defiant, but I get it, too.  Teenagers are just wired to be like that, it's hard for them, too.  They didn't ask to be angsty.  

We actually had some really good conversation on the way home about backbiting.  She said, "My policy is that I don't say anything about anyone that I wouldn't say in front of them."  That's golden, isn't it?  Shh, she is quite liberal about what she WOULD say in front of them, ha, she doesn't mince words, Miss Char.

We might celebrate the end of Sonja's first year today, Kathryn thought we should go out to lunch.  I'm wondering if I should just stay home with Achilles and Rhys, so she can relax, but then children like to go out and about too, it's so good for them.  We'll see.  

It's dark and rainy and deliciously cozy, we needed the rain here.  I have some flowers I need to transplant to the flower box, and so many things to do outside, and so many things to do inside.  I don't get bored, that's for sure.  Have a really nice day!