Annie and the Bee
My Annabelle is in 1st grade, and she has signed up to compete in a spelling bee. She found out about the bee on Friday – and it is this Tuesday night. Not much time to prepare, but she’s up for the challenge.
More challenging is the fact that this bee is open to the entire county, not divided by age, and it includes kids through the 8th grade.
[Actually the rules state that it is for kids through 8th grade or 16 years of age, but somehow I'm thinking that if you're 16 years old in the 8th grade, a spelling bee probably isn't your thing.]
I’m really proud of her for taking this on.
Don’t get me wrong – we don’t think she’s going to win. In fact, if you ask her she’ll tell you that she’s entering the first round of a spelling bee. We figure if she can get through the first round, the rest is gravy.
She’s a great little speller, but a 7 year old against a 16 year old is hardly fair. I blame the organizers for not having a better system. But I give lots of credit to my spunky little girl for wanting to do it anyway. She isn’t afraid to go up against kids more than twice her age, even knowing she’s going to lose. Once she saw Akeelah, she mapped out her path pretty quickly. “I’m going to do that some day,” she told me. And I have no doubt that she will.
Gumption, she’s got.
She’s so smart, so brave, so confident. She’s fearless. There’s nothing she thinks she can’t do and do it well, and she always, always goes for it. She never gives up, never backs down. She’s so tiny for her age, and yet so scrappy. So determined. So much wiser than I am.
Once upon a time, I was like her. I would put myself out there. Once upon a time I, too, would go for it.
I lost that somewhere along the way. I lost my confidence and my courage. But I look at this little girl and I admire her tremendously; she makes me think I could get it back. She inspires me to do better - to be better.
In many ways, my young daughter is a role model for me.
On Tuesday night, I’ll be the proudest Momma in the building, regardless of the outcome. The first round of the spelling bee this year is just practice for next year – the year that she wins it all.
I know she can do it. And even better, she knows she can, too.
Smart girl.
Lucky me.
Tags: akeelah, annabelle, spelling bee
My beautiful daughters | Heather February 28, 2010
By Cindy522, February 28, 2010 @ 3:38 pm
I LOVE IT!!!!!
Once again, we are so much alike. Im not sure I lost my confidence or my courage, but I did lose something.
Maybe we lost the spirit of doing it to DO IT. So now its super easy to decide its not worth doing. That, mixed with having seen that accomplishments often do not bring the expected rewards.
Or, maybe, I just lost my will to bother.
In any case, go Annie!!
(and, Mr. Facilitator, please give the 1st grader a reasonable word. She cannot win, so throwing her a soft one wont hurt anyone.)
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By Darcie - Such The Spot, February 28, 2010 @ 10:35 pm
Smart girl indeed. I hope she takes down a 16 y/o or two along the way…just for kicks. Go Annie!
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By Casey, February 28, 2010 @ 10:43 pm
Good for her! No matter what the outcome is she’s a winner.
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By Eva, March 1, 2010 @ 2:55 pm
Maybe that’s why we have so many hopes and plans for our children? We see that they’re able to do anything and we encourage them with all the love we have. I will be happy if what’s stay with my kids is the love, that they can give to their children. That will change the world little by little… And for now, I will keep on dreaming that they will do great. Don’t you think we hope secretly that our kids will achieve what we couldn’t?
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By Amanda, March 1, 2010 @ 6:38 pm
GOOD FOR HER! I’d be just bursting with pride!
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By tracym, March 2, 2010 @ 12:03 am
Go Annie!
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By Cindy, March 2, 2010 @ 11:30 pm
Go Annie! I wish her all the luck in the world! (Although I wonder why the put the early elementary kids in with the middle schoolers? In our district, only 4th and up compete with the middle schoolers….)
Anyway! I’m so proud of her! With her attitude, she WILL do it someday!
My daughter is a speller too. She’s won her school spelling be every year since 3rd grade (except the year she was out with scarlet fever…she is in 7th grade now). 5th and 6th grade she went on to the county bee and placed 8th both years. This year she got 2nd in the county, and went on to regionals where she placed 10th! She got out on the dutch word “klompen.” You might want to add that one to your daughter’s repertoire!
Cindy´s last blog ..Nervous, nervous, nervous
By Francis, March 9, 2010 @ 1:19 pm
Best of luck to your daughter in the spelling bee! I did a spelling bee when I was in the third grade. I didn’t win…but it was great fun!
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