Art

 Reagan had art at school, and, not surprisingly, absolutely loved it.  Her first big project was to draw a realistic pangolin - her favorite animal.  She did a fantastic job.  I (and her art teacher!) were thoroughly impressed.  I think we may need to buy some frames in the near future....

12 Year Old Stats

 Little miss is now 12 years old.  HOW DID THAT HAPPEN?????

Here are the stats, for all posterity:

Weight 70.8 pounds (6th%)

Height 58.5" (33rd%)

BMI 14.54 (3.14%)

She's dropped a little on the BMI curve as she has shot up and not out, but continues to grow and eat well.  

Onward and upward, little miss!

Learning the Baritone

 She's only played for a few short weeks.  I think she's doing a fabulous job!  Who knew she had baritone skill in her??

A Million Words or Less about Reagan

Reagan's English teacher asked us parents to write an introductory letter to her about our child.  This is what I wrote:

Reagan is 11 years old, and lives with her two older twin brothers (Quinn and Colby, aged 16), and her Mom and Dad, Monica and Rob.  She lives in Chassell, and has lived there her entire life.

Reagan started young 5’s in Houghton, but then transferred to Chassell for Kindergarten, before transferring back to Houghton for 1^st grade.  She’s been in Houghton ever since.

Reagan is SUPER creative and artistic!  She loves to paint, draw, create and build.  Since she was two years old, she has wanted to be an architect, and that dream continues to this day.  She is constantly crafting up in her bedroom – her walls and shelves are filled with her creations.  Her favorite “toy” is her glue gun.   She is very organized, and spent much of this year’s shut down rearranging and reorganizing her bedroom, several times.  She has designed, sewn, and worn, her own formal dress for a trip to the Grand Hotel on Mackinac Island with her dad.  She is in robotics, and loves to problem solve and come up with designs to achieve tasks.  When her dad got his tractor stuck in the mud recently, Reagan got out pen and paper, and designed a lift system to try and get it unstuck.  She is a problem-solver, and is always thinking.  Reagan chooses her outfits for the entire school week, and puts them in individual compartments in her closet, so as to be more efficient getting ready for school in the morning.  She makes her own lunch ahead of time, and has commandeered her own shelf in the refrigerator for the foods she has prepared for her school lunches.

Reagan is obsessed with her cat.  She loves Senia beyond all reasonable measures 😊.  She carries this cat around with her whenever she is home, and plays videos on her laptop so the cat is entertained.  We have a dog named Gunner as well, and 6 goldfish, but the cat is Reagan’s.  She is in charge of the litter box.

Reagan loves to sing and listen to music.  She is in choir at school.  We often hear her singing to herself up in her bedroom, while listening to Pandora. 

Reagan loves to FLY!  Her Dad is a private pilot, and the two of them fly together to Mackinac Island every year, and also frequently go camping in the plane.  Reagan plans on getting her pilot’s license as soon as she is old enough, and will be participating in a “Girls in Aviation” event this next weekend. 

Reagan is an EXCELLENT baker!  She loves to watch cooking shows, and has learned some pretty impressive skills.  She will bake macaroons, or her grandmother’s birthday cake.  She will cook dinner for the entire family and “plate” it artistically.  If she cuts a watermelon for a snack, she will use a flower-shaped cookie cutter so that each piece can be arranged beautifully on the plate before she eats it.  Aesthetics are very important to Reagan.

Reagan is very empathetic and conscientious.  She can tell instinctively when someone is sad or hurting.  She is very curious, very aware of what is going on around her, especially emotionally.  She will often hand-make gifts for teachers, having sewn pillows, made table runners, brought flowers, or left cards for her teachers over the years.   She has two very close friends (Maria and Evelyn), and is shy around new people, but will push herself outside her comfort zone to try things she knows are hard for her.  This year, without knowing anyone else or having run before, she joined cross country.  She has done exercises outside of practice in order to improve her time, and has set goals for herself.  This has impressed me immensely.  During this past shut down, Reagan spent a lot of time alone while her Dad and I were at work, and her brothers hung out with each other.  She didn’t complain, but spent hours upon hours alone in her bedroom, doing crafts by herself, not being able to socialize with friends.  In the six months since school ended last March, Reagan saw another 11 year old girl exactly three times.   This worried her father and I, and we are so glad that school has resumed in person, and she is back around other kids!!!

Thank you for taking the time to get to know our daughter!

Culture Shock

 Reagan has begun middle school.  And cross country.  These are totally new experiences in her world.  She was very worried about where to change her clothes for gym class and cross country.  I told her that she would change in the locker room.  She wasn't sure she could find the locker room on the first day of school.  Reportedly, she took her gym clothes into the bathroom and changed in there for cross country.  On the SECOND day of school, after I picked her up from cross country, Reagan told me THIS:

"Mom, I went into the locker room today, and.... NO.  Just... how do people.... all together... they were.... I AM NOT DOING THAT.  I will get dressed in the bathroom."

HAHAHAHAHAHA

Pessimism on the River

 

We went for a family canoe ride yesterday - Colby, Reagan and I in one large aluminum canoe, and Quinn and Dad in another.  Our canoe was not nearly as maneuverable as the other, and drafted quite a bit lower.  It was far less stable than the other one as well, which made it wobblier.  This meant that we drug bottom ALOT more than Quinn and Rob, and almost flipped a couple of times..  Which had Reagan super anxious.  And verbal.

Reagan: "What is this?  I thought this was supposed to be a relaxing trip?  How can I relax when I'm about to die???"

Mom: "Reagan, you are not about to die.  We are in six inches of water.  That's why we're dragging bottom.  How will you die in six inches of water?"

Reagan: "This canoe will flip over on top of me, and I will suffocate and drown."

Mom: "There is an air pocket under a canoe when it flips over.  You will not drown. Plus Colby and I are here to help you.  We're ok!  Look at the beautiful surroundings!  Just relax and enjoy the float!"

Reagan: "I cannot relax if I'm about to die.  Look at Quinn relaxing up there.  Because Dad is doing all the paddling, and he just gets to relax.  NICE."

Colby: "Shut up."

Mom: "Colby, that is not helpful.  Reagan, what I always do when I'm in a challenging situation is think of the worst case scenario.  And then I can deal with the worst case scenario, and know it's not so bad!  We're in a shallow river with a slow current.  You tell me... what is the worst thing that could happen in this situation?"

Reagan: "I could die."  (Heavy sigh from Mom).

Colby: "These are my two life mottoes.  Remember these things, Reagan.  Number 1: Dad is always wrong.  He said the river would get deeper and the float easier as we go along, and it hasn't.  Number 2: Always have low expectations, and then you're never disappointed."

Mom: "Very inspiring, Colby.  Thanks for that."

Reagan: "I hate EVERY SECOND OF THIS!"

UGH.  I thought it was a lovely float!  And I thought that we worked super well as a team when we did get stuck!  I was proud of us!  

And The Winner IS.....

Reagan is not too excited to join band. Her mama is insisting that she give it at least a few years, as I have been woefully inept at Reagan's musical education. She took two years of piano lessons, during which time I realized that she could not even read music, and that was it.  She sings to the radio, and will also be joining choir now that she's in middle school, but I think it's important that she also gets experience in band, to learn some basics about music theory.  

Usually, Mrs. Fontaine has an event where incoming 6th graders get to try out various instruments and decide what they want to play.  Due to covid, that event didn't happen this year, BUT... I have known Mrs. Fontaine for the past 15 years (when we were both new moms with infant twin boys), and so I just called the lady up.  Can Reagan come talk to her and decide what she wants to play?  Mrs. Fontaine was willing, because she's awesome like that.

Reagan tried very nearly everything there was to try.  She originally said she definitely didn't want the flute, because "EVERYONE" plays the flute, and she didn't want something big, that wouldn't fit in her locker.  OK then.  

It was fun seeing her try all these instruments.  She could make sounds on all of them, but the one that seemed to come the easiest?  The one Mrs. Fontaine immediately recommended upon seeing the structure of Reagan's mouth? The baritone.  YES.  Essentially a tuba.  Who knew.  And it was the one Reagan was most excited about.  Only 3 valves, so not overwhelming in the finger department, and she could get a really cool sound out of it without much effort.  

Baritone it is.  We're ready for band to start!

Growing Up: Toy Story Edition

While I was at work today, Reagan cleaned her room.  I mean, she REALLY cleaned her room.  She came out with six garbage bags full of every last toy she owns, and she plans on giving them all away.  I was crushed by this.  "REAGAN!" yells I.  "You were playing with this just last month!  Are you sure you want to give your teddy bear away?"

She assured me she did.  She is going into sixth grade, and that's too old to play with toys.  Boo Hoo Hoo.  I remember where she got every last one of these, and I am having a hard time parting ways with them, as they are mementos of my baby's childhood. 

"You're way too sentimental mom" she tells me.  All the time.  I know I am, but... do you have to give away everything????  Like... everything???  I snuck a few out of the bags and am saving them for my future grandkids.  I can't go cold turkey like that, even if she can.

Dang you, time, and your relentless march forward!  I'm not ready!  I keep having flashbacks of "Toy Story 2". 

Macaroons

Reagan has been begging and begging to make macaroons, so today, she just DID IT.  The first batch turned out a bit flat, but the second puffed up perfectly, and turned out just as they should - a bit of crunch on the outside, and light and airy on the inside!  WOW, little girl!  Those are not easy to do, and you did a fabulous job!  All those hours watching baking shows are paying off!

Her First Job

After using her quarantine time to take the Red Cross online babysitting course, Reagan landed her first babysitting gig this afternoon!  She did a fabulous job, and the little guy had a great time building with her.  Mom was along for the ride this time, but I think Reagan's ready to go solo in the very near future.  Good job, sister!  She bought a purse with the proceeds from today, in the hopes of filling it with more moola :)

The Sculptress

Reagan made this little guy out of Fimo clay, and then painted it.  I think he is absolutely adorable, with his cozy scarf and mug o' joe.  She's got talent, that one!

Her Writing Prompt

This made me laugh, so had to share.  Reagan had to write a letter home to me, pretending that she was at Camp Greenlake, from the novel Holes, which is basically a juvenile detention camp for kids.  This is what she came up with.

May 6, 2020

Dear Mom,

Reporting to you from Camp Green Lake.  I’m here because I saw that this
hamburger that was just laying there in a glass box.  I was hungry, so I ate it. 
Turned out to be the world’s oldest burger without mold on it.  The stomach ache
was worse for me than getting caught.  I admit, I did eat it, but why do I have to
go to Camp Greenlake for it?  It’s just a burger!

Camp is living in a dessert and having no fun, and you’re always in pain. 
All we do is dig holes all day and, if you’re slow, all night, too.
And may I remind you, this is in the middle of the dessert.  It’s hot.  Even in April.  
On the 26th of April, my muscles didn’t even work.  I couldn’t even walk. 
I had to slug out of my bed, if you could call it that, and had to throw my shovel
over my shoulder, and slugged my way to my hole.  All the other people here are
not excited also.  They were moaning and groaning and all the sounds you think a
human could make.  It’s not fun.   I heard that my whole 5th grade class is also here
and writing letters.  I think they’re pretty okay people, you know.  I think my teacher is
up to no good.  I think she framed us all so we could experience the book in real life. 
She’s a no good, dirty rotten, pig-stealing teacher.

My friends at camp are Pinky (Evelyn) and Ms. Thooth (Maria).  I think that they’ve
changed a bit since being at camp.  Before camp, Evelyn was as hyper as if she had
15 cups of coffee.  Now she’s a slug and can’t even get out of bed anymore.  Maria,
she’s turned a little bit on the annoying side.  If I say anything a little wrong, she will nag
me all day, and never give me any rest.  That no good, dirty rotten, pig-stealing teacher
framed us all.  Evelyn was just walking down the street when she found this puppy. 
It was so cute, you don’t even know how cute it was.  So she picked it up and brought
it home.  But you know why that puppy was so special?  Because the puppy had super
powers and made everybody think it was the cutest puppy of all time.  Maria, she found
a coupon that said that she could get so many Robucks for free, and apparently, Robucks
were cursed so she had bad luck forever.  

I think I’m a pretty good person, so I won’t exactly escape, but if I was more of the rebel type,
I think I would send a letter to you and ask you to pick up a car and take me away to the
Bahamas or Hawaii or any extravagant location.  I think I will have to sadly say that I have
to stay here longer, and go through torture every single second of my life.  See you in five
years!

Your child, 

Reagan

Yeah. More Art. Because... what else we gonna do?

Sure, there's online school.  That takes the girl a few hours on Monday to complete, and then she's done for the week.  The rest of the time, she's crafting.  Luckily, I think that the County Fair is, at this time, still a go, and Reagan will be able to have ALOT of entries.  She's super creative, and I am thoroughly impressed with what she comes up with!  Take a gander!

More Art

Reagan has a lot of free time to express her creative side these days.  I'm super impressed with the things she is creating!

Art on a Sunday Afternoon

Reagan and I spent our Sunday afternoon exploring our creative sides. Not a bad way to while away the time!

Disgusting

Reagan's brothers do not share her repulsion to germs.  When it's time to brush teeth at night, they grab whatever toothbrush they can find, whether it's theirs or not.  Gross.  I know.  Boys are gross.  Tonight, Reagan was looking all over for her toothbrush, and could not locate it anywhere.

Reagan: "Mom, did you move my toothbrush somewhere?"
Mom: "No.  It should be put away."
Reagan: "It's not.  Didn't Quinn just come in here and brush his teeth?'
Mom: "Yes."
Reagan: "THAT WAS MY TOOTH BRUSH!  THAT'S SHARING HIS SPIT!!!"
Mom: "Yeah, I guess so.  Ick."
Reagan: "THAT'S LIKE KISSING MY BROTHER!!!"  [Cue Tween Freak Out Here]

True.  She's got a point.

Yuck. Yuck. Yuck. 

Keeping the cat entertained

Reagan was upstairs playing with the cat when I called the family to dinner.  After dinner, she ran downstairs begging to borrow my phone to take a picture.

"Why can't you use your own to take a picture?" I asked.

"You'll see!  You'll see!  I need it now!  Please hurry!"  She was very anxious about getting whatever picture she wanted to take.

This is what she captured.  She didn't want the cat to be bored while we ate dinner, so put on a video of birds and mice for her.  That cat watched for over 30 minutes without moving.  SO FUNNY.

Just what we need.  Another screen-addicted member of the household.  At least the goldfish are unencumbered still!

Her Rosa Parks Moment

It's not easy being the little sister to two big brothers.  Reagan holds her own, and does her fair share to bring on the grief she is given.  Don't get me wrong.  But the two of them together do gang up on her ALOT.  Boys against girl.  Older against younger.  Twins against singleton.  It's just a natural divide in our house.  That's the background.

Reagan has been begging for YEARS to be able to sit in the front seat.  I generally have not let her do this, because it's not as safe as being in the back seat.  But that doesn't stop her from begging.  Well, she's 11 now, and decent sized.  The boys were allowed to sit in the front seat at 11 years old.  And in the morning, when we're getting ready for school, and Reagan is completely ready with snow-clothes on and backpack in tow, and the boys haven't even gotten out of bed yet, despite having been woken up at the same time by their mother... it just seems fair to let her grab that coveted front seat for the ride to school.  After all, SHE is ready.  SHE got up when she was supposed to, focused on what she needed for the day, and then got herself into the car.

She had tried to sit in the front seat on the way to school several times over the past couple weeks.  When the boys finally get out to the car, they raise a ruckus, grab her out, and throw her in the back.  "where she belongs".  Then I get a long diatribe about how they are older, and DESERVE to sit up front.   I have laid into them about how harsh they are, and how angry they get about this situation.  It's not ok.  But usually, she moves to the back when I say "Reagan, I'm not up for a fight on the way to school.  Do you mind getting in the back please?"  Or, I make the boys ask her politely.  Quinn will do it.  Colby won't.  He's mortified at the indignity of a younger girl sitting in the front, while he's relegated to the back seat, when HE SHOULD BE IN DRIVER'S ED ALREADY.

Yesterday,  I decided not to intervene.  Reagan again was ready a good 10 minutes before her brothers, as was I.  As we both sat in the car, I told her that I knew a fight would ensue, but I wasn't going to say anything.  Let the chips fall where they may.  And if all of us were late for school and work, so be it.  

Quinn was out first.  He opened the door, saw his sister in "his" seat, and began the barrage.  First, he tried to ask her politely.  She stared straight ahead, and would not respond.  Then he began haranguing her.  Then he began haranguing me.  What a horrible mom, who didn't care about the safety of her own child!  Reagan will die!  It's against the law! (Side note:  it's not.  I googled it right then and there).  Colby soon came out and joined in.  Reagan sat calmly, saying nothing, not making eye contact with either.  But she would.  not.  move.

I told all three children that they needed to work this out amongst themselves, but school started in 10 minutes, and if they were late, so be it.  The boys raged.  Reagan sat.  It continued, until... at 7:55 am, Quinn gave in.  With much harrumphing and slamming of doors, and much screaming from Colby (I almost had them walk to school.  It was ridiculous and inappropriate).  We drove the rest of the way to school in silence.  Reagan... had won. 

 Her mother may have mentioned something to the back seat about sisters not being second class citizens, and the front seat being a privelege and not an entitlement.  But I thought it best not to rub it in too much.  After the boys were dropped off, though, I turned to my daughter and said "You did it.  You stood up to them.  This was your Rosa Parks moment!  Despite the beating they gave you!"

She just smiled and said "They may have beat on me, but that cold seat back there would've beat on my butt!"  And suddenly, I realized why there is such a fuss every day about who gets to sit in the front seat in the middle of February.... the front have heated seats. The back to do not.  A warm tushie is worth any amount of verbal abuse :).

HAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHA

Of Pangolins and Pinterest

Reagan decided she wanted to decorate her Valentine's box this year with a pangolin, so she went to Pinterest, and searched for Pangolin Valentine's Boxes.  Results?  Zilcho.  No one in Pinterest land had EVER decorated a Valentine's box with a pangolin.  I'm sure lots of those Pinterest users were like me and didn't even know what a pangolin was.  Because, reportedly, there were lots of pandas Valentine boxes, but NO pangolins.  Reagan was mortified at this failure of her tried and true website.  She had never NOT found what she was looking for on Pinterest!  Luckily, Reagan is resourceful and creative, and decided to just make one on her own, Pinterest or no.  With some tin foil, duct tape, and a brown paper bag... she made a pretty darned great pangolin.  Pretty impressive.  I'm sure the candy haul was greatly enhanced by the creature.