Back In the Saddle

I loved my holiday season. I truly did love it. It was spent with family. It was not rushed. It was worry free. It made me realize that I have so much. Just so much. :)

So now we are back in the saddle again. The daily grind. Getting up to an alarm clock. Ugh!!! Trying to get one little woman up is like trying to tame a creature from Where the Wild Thing Are. Ms. Blue told me she hated school this morning. We don't use that word here. But apparently I let it slide when the little women are super tired. Picking my battles. Always picking my battles.
This school year is half way over and people are talking of Spring Break plans. Wow! And exciting!


So the real reason for this post. As I have made apparently clear in previous posts, I struggle with my Ainzli getting older. Not in the case of "oh I miss her being a baby" but, "oh crap, there is so much going on out there and how do I prepare her for all of it!".
She has an iPod. She has access to the internet on it. As of right now she is very responsible with it.  There are perimeters, but enough give where she feels a little freedom. We feel this is important for the years to come.
There is an App for everything under the sun! Seriously, everything.
Finally, Shannon is a techy person. He loves it and apparently always has. Hello Mr. I Had A Cell Phone in 1994!!!! Seriously!

All of this is leading to here................

We downloaded an App for her that allows her to text. (Please hold all judgement until the end!)
I was completely against it at first. Then we discussed it. We, as in Shannon and I. He pleaded his case. I pleaded mine. Me against. Him for. We found common ground. Finally, I agreed.

1. Only people we approve and know.

2. It cannot go on after bedtime. 

3. Mom and Dad are always aware of who, what, when, where and how.

She mainly texts with her closest friends. 4 little girls, Ainzli included. Two of them have their own cell phones. The conversations are that of 9 year old girls. They are quite cute. Very short. Very basic. Oh, to be inside of the head of a 9 year old girl!:) The other friend has an iPod too. The iPods can only text when they are connected to WiFi. This is a big sense of relief for me. She really only does it while she is at home. And she does not do it very often at all. Yippee!!

There is a sense of letting go a little, but also the reassurance that if you don't freak out all the time, they will know you are a rational parent they can come too. I believe Shannon and I are, at this point, achieving that balance. I pray everyday we are that balance.


Oh yeah, by the way, Happy New Year from the Grismore abode.


Autumn:)