When she got home, she wrote apologies to Mr. Reeve and the friend, but the rudeness has hardly abated. When she was mean to Golda yesterday, I tried to lighten the mood by saying, "You'd better be nice to Golda. Who do you think is going to be your maid of honor at your wedding?"
Ari promptly replied, "Ellison. And the colors are going to be dark red and I'm going to let Henry choose the other color."
Ari is nothing if not 100% self-assured. That supreme confidence combined with her recent mean streak is a recipe for disaster in the form of a magnitude five Ari-cane. In some cases, all the 72-hour kits in the world can't prepare you for a crisis. I don't know what to do besides wait out the storm in the bomb shelter and know that Ari has, at her core, a calm and a goodness that will win out in the end. It's always darkest right before the dawn, and I think I see the eastern sky lightening as fourth grade draws to a close. Hallelujah!
Ari said in her fourth grade scrapbook, "This year has been the year with the most drama, the most fun, the best teacher, the most best days ever, the most horrible days ever and the most fights and that makes it the most exciting year of my life."
Ari, Ari, Ari, you sweet little tempest. I love you.
4 comments:
Oh no. I hope the end of the year comes quickly for her. Mr. Reeve is amazing so I hope it hasn't been all bad. Don't you just love these mysteries that are our children? They keep me on my toes. I just wish they came with instruction manuals so that when tempest days were upon me, I would know which button to push in order to reset them. :)
Wow! What a wise scrapbook you have! Man, the end just cannot come soon enough can it?
Oye!! Tough days for sure!
I remember a friend being at her wits end with her 4th Gr daughter too. When they'd done all they could to explain why her behaviour was unacceptable, they took matters into their own hands.
When she got home one day (after lying to her teacher!!) her bedroom was...gone. In her room was her 4yo sister and her new room was the younger sister's nursery. Complete with nursery decorations, a single bed (rather than her prior double) and, all her stuff. The room was probably 1/3 the size of her original room. It would be that way for an entire year with an additional month being added on each time she lied. She was not impressed and chose to sleep on the floor rather than the single bed for 4 whole months! But, it worked. The lying and defiance decreased and it was a lesson she (and I) remembered for a long time. When the punishment was done the parent's redecorated the nursery for her younger sister (which it was time to do anyway) so she was happy to move back to the other room.
All the best as you navigate this time with Ari, Ari, Ari! :o)
Good luck waiting out the storm! I've had a couple of hurricanes in my life. They do end and if you weather it well it has beautiful effect on everyone involved.
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