Hello Junior High

Jessie started seventh grade the other day. Out here in our neck of the woods, seventh grade is the start of Junior High. I was so excited for her I spent the whole day wondering where she was at that precise moment. It’s 9:30, where in the world is Jessie? Is she in Math! I hope so…I love math! (Jessie not so much.)

Jessie is growing up so fast. She’s growing about two inches a week (seems like) and shedding clothes and shoes like she thinks they’re disposable. She’s growing so fast she’s almost as tall as me. It makes my heart ache, a little, to look at her now. I can see the woman she will become, in her face, and it floors me because she is still my little girl. She’s just not so little anymore.

I’ve started a new chapter in my life, too: I got a job! I didn’t mean to it just kind of happened to me. Since Janet and I bought our condo I joined the HOA board to become more involved in our community. When the groundskeeper left a couple of weeks ago the other board members asked if I wanted to take over for him and much to my surprise I said yes.

The first day was great: I walked over twenty three thousand steps and never felt better. The next day, man, my feet hurt! It’s taken me three weeks to adjust but now my body feels back to normal. I’m averaging about sixteen thousand steps a day, have gotten to know several new neighbors and I don’t wobble when I walk anymore.

I told the rest of the board members I’ll work until the end of the year and we’ll take it from there but this seems like a great job for me at this moment; funny how life works out sometimes. It’s a part time job, flexible, allows me to spend time with Roxy the Boston Terrier, and I’m able to still be involved with Jessie’s life because, at the moment, she still likes me. That could change at any moment…right along with her shoe size!

jenn

ps. I still consider myself a writer, it just became too hard to promote a book all by myself. I signed up with Bella books and they told me they would publish Blue Hydrangeas sometime in early spring. That’s a long time from now, from my point of view, and I haven’t been writing much lately. I just haven’t felt like it much. So, this new job is perfect for me: keeps me busy and out of trouble (Janet hopes) and when Bella does need me to do something…I’m ready!

Letters to Jessie and the Avengers

Janet, Jessie and I (The Three J’s) went over to my mom’s house to visit and bring her birthday gifts. Happy Birthday, mom! We couldn’t bring Roxy over because my mom’s cats would probably eat her alive. They don’t like dogs. Roxy, on the other hand, loves to play with cats!

As we sat in my mom’s cozy living room, we couldn’t help but notice the giant TV in front of us. Mom had bought herself a sixty inch 3D TV. Can I just say WOW? Mom was so excited about the TV she wanted us to watch a bit of her favorite movie so we could see the special effects up close and personal. Since my mom is in her mid sixties her favorite movie is, of course, the Avengers.

We ended up watching the whole movie, we happen to love it too, and can’t wait for the Avengers 2. As we sat around the living room, trying to catch flying objects in 3D, wearing our special little glasses, I couldn’t help but say, “Look at us all sitting around like twelve year olds.”

Janet’s response, “Yeah, twelve year old boys.”

Jessie loved the movie so much I borrowed it from Netflix so she could watch it again. She also streamed Thor and Captain America before the Avengers arrived. Jessie is now a true Avengers fan vowing to go trick or treating as the Black Widow. Now, if only I can find a chaste version of the Black Widow’s outfit we’ll be just fine.

I think she was truly inspired by the athleticism of Black Widow. I walked into the kitchen and found her standing on the counter rummaging through the various boxes of food we keep on top of the cabinets. When I walked in, I must have made a noise because Jessie’s head whipped around to look at me.

“Jessie”

“Yes, mom?”

“What are you doing up there?”

“Nothing to see here, mom, move along.”

“How did you get up…oh, I don’t want to know. What are you looking for?”

“Cookies.”

“I left them in the living room, Jess.”

“Oh, I should probably get down then, huh?”

Notes to Jessie

There are so many things I want to tell Jessie. She’s twelve now and growing up so fast both literally and figuratively. I had ‘the talk’ with her a couple of years ago and I think I traumatized her when I explained how things worked. I’ve decided to write down a few things for her to read, I just think it’s easier on her young, still developing mind.

If you don’t want to read them, I’m incorporating them into my blog here, I’ll differentiate them using, ‘Dear Jessie: Don’t Be Stupid” or “Dear Jessie: Debit Cards are NOT Credit Cards” or something along those lines. Don’t worry, I won’t write anymore about the birds and the bees unless it’s been a while and you need a refresher course! I can send you the PowerPoint personally. Just to forewarn you: it’s not for the faint of heart.

I’ll try to write one a week for a while until I run out of wisdom…shouldn’t take long! Hmmm…am I done already? I realize she won’t take all my advice to heart, I guess the true path to wisdom is a personal one, but if she could set her sights on a less slippery slope than the one I followed, I’ll be happy. Plus, this way if she does something really stupid, down the road of life, I can say, “I told you that was a bad idea.” I’ll even have it in writing.

jenn