Despite the crazy year we find ourselves in, my girl is growing, thriving and creating. Elisabeth had another birthday recently and has matured so much the last 18 months that it has been hard to keep up. The Covid-19 Pandemic took a toll on our mental health early in the year, but the last couple of months have been much better. Elisabeth has found good creative outlets that are critical for her well being. Digital drawings are her go-to, but she has also enjoyed an online photography class that she started in the spring and more recently a small pottery class at a local art school. She was forced to give up track club due to the lockdowns, but, over the summer, we convinced her to give fencing a whole-hearted try. She has come to actually enjoy it, though you can't get her to say the words.
Just for kicks one evening, she let me fix her hair and add some makeup (which she doesn't wear).She had been complaining that there wasn't any reason to wear anything besides exercise or lounge clothes, so I suggested she dress in something that she has not been able to wear during this pandemic. The result was a fun, little, impromptu photoshoot.
Selfie for Photography by Elisabeth Rose
From our photoshoot
From our photoshoot
From our photoshoot - we rarely wear sweaters in Florida!
Brother and sister at fencing
Elisabeth getting a point on her brother during a practice bout
And all the sudden we find ourselves planning for high school with an eye toward college. This guy has shot up over the last year. We have had to replace his fencing uniform twice! This summer he went from push-mowing the front yard to doing that plus trimming and blowing the debris. We returned home from a week away and he put away a bunch of stuff WITHOUT ME ASKING! What new world is THIS that I am living in? I enjoy making him laugh and he loves doing the same. He is quite the practical joker with a a sweet spirit. Needless to say, I think he's pretty great. I am one proud mama and look forward with some dismay to all the changes and adventures ahead. Happy Birthday Jonah!
Jonah competed in his first fencing tournament this past month. It was a local, unsanctioned affair but was still hard on the nerves for all of us. Jonah contracted a cold the week before and missed practice the whole week prior. My momma-bear side hated knowing the odds were against him performing well and that he would likely have a negative first experience with competing. Having never witnessed a tournament before let alone been a participant, there were a few things about the process which added a layer of bewilderment atop the frustration of not feeling well. He left with a combined sense of confusion, fatigue and disappointment. Afterwards, we chalked the whole thing up to a good learning experience over lunch and dessert at Culver's as a celebration of making it through his first fencing tournament.
The next day, he went to practice at my behest despite not feeling up to it. It turned out not to be a great idea. He became exhausted before practice was even over, and the next day awoke with a terrible cough that hung on longer than expected.
As a result, I have come to the realization that we both have some things to learn that simply can't be taught except by experience. He has to learn how to lose, and by this I mean lose well, with grace and without taking it as utter defeat, while I have to learn how to judge when he is genuinely spent and not just uncommitted.
There are other tournaments on the calendar in the coming weeks. Of course, I hope he does well, but more importantly I want us to enjoy the journey keeping in mind that sometimes the greatest victories do not come through winning.
Jonah during a preliminary fencing bout (Photo by Jason Davis)
My oldest turned 12 this month. It is hard to believe that I will soon have a teenager in the house!
Jonah has matured a lot this year in many ways. This momma is very proud of the young man he is fast becoming. May God continue to lead him and us, his parents, as he approaches adulthood. May God make his path straight, his faith strong and his future sure.
Jonah has taken up fencing this year. He is enjoying it and improving quickly. We are thankful to have found a sport that he is truly interested in and also challenges him, as well as the new friends God has brought to us through the sport.
He got braces this summer which has added to his mature look.
At this point, his upper body strength exceeds mine, so he was a big help prepping his room for painting over the summer.
On a recent hike in the notoriously steep Tallulah Gorge, he stayed ahead of the rest of our group the entire time. Here he stopped to wait on us. All that physical conditioning from fencing is paying off.
He may be maturing but he is still a bit of a clown at heart, who enjoys a good laugh and likes to entertain others.
I'm so thankful that God made me his mom. He may be my oldest and he may not be a baby, but I still can't help but call him that from time to time. Afterall, there was a time when he was my baby.
