Ahhh…. Mica! Last night was the underclassmen awards. We got a letter that Mica would be receiving something so I’ve been excited for her all week. This means a lot to me because she is always in Mia’s shadow and I know that must be tough. They are so different. All of Mia’s awards have been of the sports variety, so I had never been to the academic awards program before. I wasn’t surprised that Mica was getting honored. That girl is SMART! Everything comes so easily to her… She reminds me of me when I was in high school.
The gym was set up with folding chairs and a stage. We got there right before it began and just about every seat was full ~ except for the front row, which was completely empty. Mica didn’t want to sit there, but HELLO! Front seat! Perfect for making a VIDEO! It’s funny because at the elementary school the parents all fight for those spots. I guess it isn’t cool in high school. [After we sat down, two girls came and sat by us, so Mica wasn’t quite as mortified.]
Each department gave out awards to students who showed excellence in their classes, choosing between two and twenty kids each. Mica found out at school that her history teacher had nominated her. She’s had at least a 100% average in that class the whole semester. With extra credit I think she may have inched over a bit. We were checking out the schedule when we heard her name called for Physical Education. What?! Two awards! There are roughly 2,300 kids in her school and maybe a hundred got recognized last night. The fact that she was chosen twice makes me super proud.
Mike had to work and Julie didn’t show up. Mia watched the kids at the house so it was just the two of us. We laughed and laughed. She seemed really happy that I was there with her. It was a perfect night. I took about a million pictures. Most of them came out blurry because she was smiling/laughing so hard she couldn’t sit still.
Science Night
Thursday the elementary school hosted its annual Science Night. This is something that the kids look forward to every year. All of the science fair projects are lined up in the hall. [You can ask Bleu about humidity in the air vs. underground!] The library is set up with lots of hands on stations where the kids can learn about different concepts, make things or do puzzles. It is a good time all around, but the highlight of the evening is what happens in the back of the school.
Kids line up in the cafeteria and craft rockets out of paper. Outside, they line up to get their rockets blasted with an air compressor and run to catch them. Seriously, an hour and a half just isn’t long enough! Click here to see a video of Echo with his rocket.
Track
Last night, Mayfield hosted the track meet here in town at the Field of Dreams. Mia ran three races: 3200m, 800m and 1600m. We watched the first on together and then went home. I came back to the track for the other two. She was having a bad day yesterday and her times were off by 10-20 seconds. After the last race she dropped down and stayed down for a long, long time. I couldn’t help crying but didn’t rush onto the field this time. She doesn’t want the attention. Even though I know she’ll be all right eventually, it hurts to watch her crying twenty feet away and not be able to go to her. She came in 3rd in the 3200m, 8th in the 800m and 4th in the 1600m.
She is worried about not being able to compete at state if she has a bad day. She doesn’t want to come in last or disappointing her coach/team. What can I say? There isn’t a whole lot we can do to control it so I hope she can relax and just enjoy the experience without putting too much pressure on herself. Click here to see a video of Mia in the 1600m.
Good, Bad and Ugly
Mica has had a hard semester. She hates math and hasn’t been doing well in her honor’s math class. She trys to avoid studying when she needs to do more of it. Lately it feels like every time we talk to her it is something negative. I hate that. Yesterday we got a letter in the mail from the principal letting us know that Mica will be getting an award next week at the underclassmen awards assembly. It was a wonderful surprise. I have no idea what it is for and neither does she. Suspense!
She called her mom to invite her and Julie agreed to go. She told the girls she would come by the house so they waited in the yard all night. She never showed up and when they called she didn’t answer the phone. It’s just a little thing but all these little things add up and I worry about their ability to trust. You can only be disappointed so many times before you begin to get jaded. It’s hard because I love them so much. I really wish she would be more involved because they need her.
Mia went to Prom with a new dress, makeup, curls… the whole nine yards. It felt a bit full circle for me. I never went to prom as a junior and when I went as a senior I had just found out that I was pregnant with her. I was scared about what I was going to do with my life. I was worried that I would fail as a parent.
But what I didn’t understand at seventeen is the power of unconditional love. Everyone makes mistakes and no one is perfect. Children don’t need perfect parents or perfect houses or perfect lives. They need unconditional love, attention and time.
Mia is a very kind, caring and giving young woman. She already has a strength of character that took me a lifetime to learn. I helped her get ready and watched her walk out the door with a lump in my throat. I am so very proud of her.
Saturday we traveled to El Paso to watch the girls compete in their track meet. Mica made the JV squad and threw the discus 66 feet, her personal best. Mia ran two relays: the 4×1600 and the distance medley. In both events she ran a mile, or four laps around the track. Supporting her decision to keep running has been difficult for me. Mike thinks I baby her too much [but technically he thinks I baby all the kids too much]. He thinks we need to help her push through the pain because this is a condition that is chronic. She will be dealing with it for the rest of her life. The last thing I want is for her to give up, but it is SO HARD to watch her suffer.
Right now, her pain is constant but manageable. Some days are better than others, but it hasn’t been debilitating EXCEPT when she runs. During/after each race, her back starts to spasm and she experiences extreme pain. Also, the tenderness to touch that she deals with every day worsens. Even the lightest pressure on her skin hurts. Mia was always the kid that would finish the race with a smile and bop around like she hadn’t done a thing. Everyone would comment on how easy it seemed for her. Now, the last leg of the race is just an excuse to cross the finish line and collapse.
One problem she has is that what she needs is the exact opposite of what is normally done for the runners. If an athlete crosses the line and falls to the ground, they are pulled to their feet and walked around. The trainers rub their backs and shoulders and apply ice to sore muscles. When Mia falls down, it is because her back is spasming and most of the time she can’t talk. She shakes her head when something hurts too bad. We know this, but the people on the field don’t always get it.
After taking this video, Mike and I rushed down to the field. We told them to let her lay down. After about five minutes of deep breathing and stretching out her back she felt much, much better. Her coaches know about her condition, but trainers from other teams at other schools don’t. We have to work with Mia to help her find a way to communicate what she needs. She doesn’t like to draw attention to herself; she doesn’t want to be different. I have a feeling this is going to be a long hard journey for her, but I’m proud of how hard she tries not to let it change her life.
“If children have the ability to ignore all odds and percentages, then maybe we can all learn from them. When you think about it, what other choice is there but to hope? We have two options, medically and emotionally: give up, or Fight Like Hell.” Lance Armstrong
