Four eyes are in

#54 Glasses are not the end of the world... I promise

Some people are just destined to wear glasses. Most of those people are direct descendants of my blood line. We all need them. We all either wear glasses or contacts. We all have since these things were invented. A few days ago in Kindergarten, my precious, shy and self conscious oldest niece failed her eye exam at school. To a six year old who is already very tall and the older sister to kid who is always doing something cute, this is devastating news. This could potentially make her stand out, when all she really wants to do is fit in.
Let me be the first to tell you that this is NOT the end of the world. Glasses not only make you look smarter, but they open up a world of accessory to you. There are many women in the world who "wear glasses" when in reality their eyesight is perfectly fine. Tina Fey is the first one to come to mind. She admits that her glasses are fake, but that she likes the way they look on her.
My mom and my sister (her mom) took her to the eye doctor and afterwards she got to pick out her first pair of frames. I am certain that a parent on a tight budget would have been thrilled if she had leaned toward the frames in the $10 -$20 range. They would have probably also been thrilled with anything in the $30- $50 range. However, the only pair of frames in the entire store that my niece felt comfortable in were not in either of those ranges, but what are you going to do? The one of frames in the entire store that will make this experience more enjoyable for her? A parent is going to take out a loan if they have to, just to ensure that this transformation is as painless as possible.
As an aunt I would like kudos to my niece for having style and refusing to leave until she had it her way.
Not only do the trees now have individual leaves, but suddenly she is now the cool girl with the glasses. She is the one that the other kids will ask, "Can I wear your glasses?" "May I try them on?"
Now when some of her friends start to need glasses later on, she will be the one that they consult with and she will be the one telling them "They aren't so bad, and everything will be so much clearer."
Don't freak out if you need glasses. Embrace this opportunity to stand out in a good way.

Kindergarten is not a scary place...

As a grown up, I realize that in the course of life I have learned many valuable lessons. Some of them were taught to me by my mom and dad. Some of them I learned in school and through experience. many of them were taught to me by my aunts. Now, I am an aunt and my oldest niece recently started kindergarten. I know that they say everything you need to know, you learn in kindergarten. I disagree. I believe that there are many things that one cannot learn in a classroom. These are lessons that can only be learned by living. So, here it is. A year's worth of tiny words of wisdom for all of the nieces and nephews in the world, or really for anyone who will listen. They may not work for everybody and you may not agree with all of them, but each one is a rule that I either try to live by or wish I did.

# 9 Kindergarten is not a scary place

I found out today that my precious niece is having quite the hard time adjusting to this whole kindergarten thing. She has nervous stomach anyway, and this kindergarten thing is really getting to her. She works herself into a frenzy and just gets so nervous and emotional about it that some days, she just can't physically do it. Go to kindergarten, I mean.
I understand that there are so many things that can be scary to a five year old, in new place, who has to wear a plaid jumper everyday. She is terrified of fire drills, which I get. The thought of fire is horrific. However, as a grown up, I realize that with every good fire drill, occasionally you get some really hot fireman.
Maybe she is scared of messing up or doing something wrong. Perhaps she is afraid to color outside of the lines. As a grown up, I realize that coloring outside the lines isn't always a bad thing.
She could also very well be afraid of the upcoming musical in which she has to play a sheep. It was the kindergarten Christmas pageant, when I wore the tinsel icicle costume that my mom slaved over. I hated this costume until I walked on stage and the entire audience "oohed" and "ahhed". From that moment on, I had the acting bug, and it never went away. Thank you kindergarten for causing me to move to NYC.
Maybe she is afraid that she won't make any friends, but one little boy in her class told the teacher that he prayed for her and hoped she would be his girlfriend. Maybe she is afraid she WILL make friends.
I don't remember being scared of kindergarten. My mom stayed home with me and we had crafts, and storytime, and naptime, and snacks. I'm fairly certain that I went into it thinking it would just be my daily activities, but with more people and in a different setting.
To this day, I don't still speak to a single person that I went to kindergarten with. However, I do remember that I learned to tie my shoe, count to 100, read on a second grade level, make butter in a jar, and I found the passion that I have taken with me everywhere I go. That is passion is what motivates me to get up in the mornings, and scour the audition notices.
Kindergarten isn't scary, it is a wonderful place for learning, and having adventures, and growing. If you can survive it, you are well on your way to at least being a well rounded first grader.

Recommended reading: The Night Before Kindergarten Reading Railroad Series
The Night Before Kindergarten (Reading Railroad Books Series)