TAWANDA!

i love this photo of Peanut because i think of the fearlessness of a child! i wish i had a little of that back! although, i would for sure land on my head, donning a supersonic wedgie, and a mouth full of dirty, grassy water!

Yesterday Peanut brought home her report card. A's and B's! we were so pleasantly surprised because we have been nervous about her reading skills. Both Bert and I had very average grades in school and i can tell you that it is NO FUN to struggle. NO FUN to watch those "naturally" smart people study for 5 minutes and make A's on every test while I had been to a tutor, studied all night and barely squeezed out a C! my parents were always telling me i was building character. I now know they were right. according to their rules, if you were bullied, character is built...if you were left off of a birthday party list, more character...didn't make cheer leading, a freakin PYRAMID of character would arise!! WOW i am so chalk full of character i am BULGING!
i WANT peanut to UNDERSTAND that if she is not invited to every birthday party, it is OK and not the end of the world! i want her to REMEMBER how it feels to be left out and then be aware of not leaving others out. character right? the character that is built will become empathy and love for others. Character is not so easy to build alone. it is like the builder that built his house on sand and it washed away. the builder that built his house upon the rock built the strongest house (click on this post title to read the verses). i want peanut to understand that she is to work hard in school, but, if it becomes as hard as it was for me...we will run that race together and remember the ROCK in which our character is built.