Some Nice Marks, a Bus Ride and Singing a Sorry Song

Some nice marks, a bus ride and singing a sorry song, some stories and thoughts from in and around week 10 in the Carr house.


Sorry
It would seem that I have started a couple of blogs with this same little “sorry I am late” disclaimer, or a reasonable facsimile. Not sure why I feel the need to apologize for my tardiness, other than the fact I normally say I am sorry for just about anything I feel I’ve done wrong, even if I have nothing to do with the situation. Something I have always struggled with I guess. It has started to rub off on the girls, and Nathalie and I have tried to put a stop to it. Now, it is not the apologizing we want to stop necessarily. It is the “I am not even thinking about it, I better say something to stop Mom and Dad from yelling, very quick – sorry” that comes out of their mouths’ faster then you can say wtf.

So since, January, when we catch a “sorry” in this fashion, we both yell to the girls, “5 dollars!” It started simple enough, one night almost as a bit of a game, but now almost 3 months in, we have noticed an improvement. The first night was funny, with Jordyn going 15 dollars ahead of Julia very fast, and Julia gloating and walking around saying, “um, I am liking this game”. In a matter of 15 minutes, she caught up, and started to worry. In fact, when she went to bed, she wrote a letter to Nathalie, pleading for a new punishment, “Mommy, I don’t have 5 dollars, but I do have this change, and some jewelry, please take that instead”, leaving behind about 83 cents, and a couple of mismatched earrings.

I think quite often, we all fall a little victim to this, quick response and sometimes I we need a small hiccup pause before we talk, just to calculate our response a little more. When someone you meet asks, “How are you?” or your parents ask who left their garbage on the table, a split second of contemplation could allow you to be honest, and isn’t that always the best policy? This is a good lesson for life, and YES, because I started this blog with a very quick apology, without too much thought, I will now throw 5 bucks in the jar myself.

Marks
A couple of weeks ago, the pride in the house was thick enough to cut with a knife, because of some very good report cards. In my note to myself, reminding me to mention it in my blog, I simply said “marks” but the truth is that we are proud of not only the outcome, but the effort that both our girls put in this term, to warrant their good grades. Both made key improvements in important areas, and although they both still have things to work on, we are so happy with what they have achieved. Congratulations to Julia also, for receiving a “living the virtues” award at the school assembly. Keep up the good work girls!

Singing
I came to an interesting conclusion today, and it involves something we all do in the car, mostly when we are alone. I am sure I am not the only one to sing along with the radio, and even if I am the first to admit that I am unable to carry a tune, I am at some times closer to the intended notes than others. I realized that it is directly related to frame of mind. You see, over the last couple of months, I have not been at 100% with my mood. Blame the weather, and stress at work, or just this time of year, but the fact is when you struggle with these feelings, it must play with my challenging inner ear. I know I am on the road to recovery to the point that today, I belted out the best version of Bruno Mars – Just The Way You Are, I have ever done, and from my front row seat, I was hitting every note!

A Bus
This week, I got chance to say goodbye to a great recent student and a regular blog reader, as she got ready to hop on a bus, that will take her to not only a new town and a new province but a new radio job. I hope that in my goodbye chat with her, I conveyed how proud I was of her, and all that she has accomplished much of which was despite her own personal hardest critic; herself. The proof that she will succeed, and excel at this new opportunity lies in her own accomplishments to this point.

She was so positive that she would not even get into the Broadcasting program to start with, that after the orientation and what she felt was a disasterous attempt at admission test, she went home and recorded a video for her youtube channel, that included a plea to me, to disregard her test score, and just look at the fact that she has the passion it will take to succeed in the program. Here she is, a couple of years later, taking a bus more then 36 hours away with all she owns in three suitcases, ready to take on the world. Best of luck, keep in touch, and I can’t wait for my new radio station mug!

misunderstanding
One of the funniest little girl stories from the last month is one that Nathalie has shared a bunch of times, but it is still worth committing it to permanence that is the World Wide Web. To set the stage, it is morning in the Carr house, I am downstairs sorting out the daily lunches, and Nathalie, between getting herself ready and out of the house, is coaxing the girls to do the same. And by coaxing, I mean frustratingly dealing with a couple of girls that want nothing to do with the morning, let alone getting off to school.

Julia barging into the master bedroom asks Nathalie, “Mom, if you see these little white flower thingies, can you please let me know”. A confused Nathalie responds with a simple enough statement, “Julia, I don’t understand.” Julia calmly repeats herself, “this little white flower things, if you find any, just tell me”, and Nathalie again repeats, “I don’t understand?” Very frustrated now, Julia looks up at Nathalie and says, “Let me explain it slowly so you understand, IFFFFF YOOOUUU SEEE…”

In closing
One of the first times, in my blogging carrier, (if you can call it that) that I mentioned something that the girls had written, came from Julia and her positive affirmation of liking herself. I love that know matter what they hear, or see on TV that both our girls have a positive image of themselves.

Almost everyday, they bring home artwork from school, in which they draw silly pictures, and tell funny stories and cut funny shapes, and although some of it ends up being recycled, we file much of it in a box each school year labeled “school memories”. Some of it, we even take a little for granted and don’t always inspect closely when it first comes home from school.

The other night, after letting Bentley out for his final pee of the night, Nathalie paused at the dinning room table, long enough to let a piece of Julia artwork, catch her eye. It looks like she had to make a certificate, and glued to a pink piece of paper is a white piece, adorned with a squiggly lined, multi coloured boarder. The big yellow crown, and stars are nice, but it is the words that reminded me of how great are kids are. “Julia Carr, shy, creative, singing. Swimming, learning, singing. Happy as a dog. A princess.” I love you Julia!

I am happy as a dog that I finally sat down to recap the comings and going of the Carr’s.

Thanks for reading and have a great and safe week.
Jim

---