lindsey’s in fourth grade now. william’s in sixth. i remember william in fourth fairly well–after all, it was only two years ago. it wasn’t terribly memorable in that no big drama went doooowwwwnnn, but i remember bits and pieces nevertheless. that’s a part of my job description. remembering the bits and the pieces. one of those bits that stands out is his nerves. he is one nervous fellow, that william. he’s just one of those types who likes to fit in, to be liked, to wear the right clothes, not entirely comfortable in his own skin. lindsey, well, she’s so different. she’s more like nathaniel. the two of them, for the most part, walk to the beat of their own drum. i cheer this trait on, usually. wearing what she wants to wear, doing what she wants to do, happy to be, well, herself. she doesn’t overthink things.
now she’s in fourth grade. and i will say, despite her whole, “this is me, take me or leave me” stance on life, fourth grade has its share of drama. ho boy, does it ever. i mean draaaa-ma. you’ve got to say it like that. really emphasizing each syllable, drawing it out like so: DRAAAA-MA!
william used to come home from his fourth grade day. it’d be something like this: i’d ask, “how was your day?” he’d respond, “good.” “anything interesting happen?” “nah.” “want a snack?” “ok.”
now ready for a pendulum swing? hold on tight! lindsey comes home. “how was your day?” “well! betsy* told us that we stole her song and then she said, “talk to the hand!” and then the teacher yelled at us! and then lizzy said ‘it’s totes obvi that you guys stole our song.’ and then at recess i didn’t want to practice our dance, so sybil got mad at me! and then i went to swing and they told me i wasn’t in their group anymore. and then mary told me and rachel that she was rating our wardrobe and that we got 3 out of ten. and i just told her i didn’t care and then i went to play on the monkey bars. but then heidi came and said that i could jump rope with her only if i switched seats with her at lunch. and can i go to a sleepover at kiki’s house this friday night?” and i’m just now interjecting for the first time (just making sure you’re following), “same kiki you got in a fight with last week?” “yep! that’s the one!”
her daily breakdown of the day could make your head spin.
it makes mine spin every day.
girls and boys. they couldn’t be more different.
and speaking of girls and friends and non-friends and fighting and drama… here’s a little ditty she made up with her friends. it was a group thing. till they got in a fight and split up. like the backstreet boys?
warning: it’ll be in your head all day.
Ugh – I've taught grade 4, 6, 7 & 8 and one year had a year from hell group of girls in grade 6. The amount of time I spent moderating fights was ridiculous.
Good luck 😉
haha! that video is a gem! She's got such attitude and she's got that groovy little dance down. And I love that you had the Chaka Khan song playing at the beginning and the end.. And 4th grade drama.. oh how I can still remember that all too well. i think 4th grade is where the drama with girls really begins. So hold on tight and good luck 🙂
Janell
love that parker piped up in the video. making himself known. classic youngest child.
so cute. She is sassy! I have two girls. There is always drama till they graduate college.!
I like that it makes the Bachelorette look tame. This 4th grade-ness.
I have no recollection of 4th grade…none…it's a blend of 2-6 I think…I wonder what that says?
I do have pictures though…and from what I can gather of those, it says I was still brushing out my curly hair. *shudder
Poor kid – she doesnt even know whats coming… this video could be blackmail one day.
Kind of like the time I let my parents record me singing Celine Dion…. lord help us all
Ah, grade 4. The year the drama officially begins. I know it well.
so totally read this post then watched the video, tried to comment, but it failed, so i stepped away for a bit, and you are right, that dang rap is totally in my head.
oh grade four. i remember my little sisters grade four experience. crazy. funny thing is…. the drama seems to follow you right into college. different scenarios, of course, but girls are girls and while it starts in fourth grade, unfortunately it never ends it feels. (i wish though).
It amazes me how well you write about each child- it's so interesting and completely detailed down to the cadence of their voices. I can imagine being in your household and hearing Lindsay explain her day, dizzy spell and all.
Okay, this just made me so happy! Lindsey is hilarious. Her last rendition was my favorite. She's a keeper, that one!!
omg…are you at MY house with MY 10yo? seriously, my head spins too!
Oh yeah. I used to teach 4th grade and the girl drama is unbelievable! Good luck! At least she's talking about it. You'll always know where she stands 😉
Hahaha so glad to have a boy!! lower maintenance all the way.
dude, school drama freaks me out!
i want to keep dylan preschool age – maybe forever?!
girls from 3rd grade until after college are just obnoxious, in my opinion. i thought about being a high school english teacher and then realized all of the drama i'd be witnessing and decided against it. girls are too much.
hopefully she can keep that "i don't give a damn" attitude. that's a very helpful one to have.
I love Lindsay.
But I'll take all boys. I'm that scared.
Oh the girl DRAAAAA-MAAAAAA!! I've been witness to. I remember it starts small around 4th grade. 6th grade is worse. I'm not even going to think about Middle School because my youngest is about to start. I hope it's not any harder than it was with my oldest.
Good Luck to you both!! 🙂
fourth grade teacher right here. today i sent two kids to the dean's office to work out whatever problem they had. the dean called me later to say they'd completely forgotten the problem by the time they went down to her office! so i "totes" hear what you're saying!
catchy little hook that song has. truely i loved it!
Haha! Oh, that girl drama! I remember it well!
(And I see it even with the first graders sometimes. Oy vey!)
whoa, i do not remember 4th grade being that dramatic. times are a changin.
I've taught first grade and (most recently) third grade, and let me tell you, you can only imagine the girl draaaa-ma that I had to deal with (with a straight face, no less)!
Most memorable one was probably when one of my third graders came back from recess bawling her eyes out because her friends had told her that she needed to cut her fingernails since they were too long and would scratch them when they were playing. I am talking hyperventilating crying here! I had to talk her through why it was okay to have long nails if she wanted them and then talk her through how to tell the other girls how their comments made her feel. All I wanted to do was say "Are you serious?? Who cares, if you have long nails or not?!?"
The struggles of being an 8 year old girl! 🙂
hahaha yum that's going to be in my head alll day!!