Spelling well is the best revenge

After the whole "69 on a Kindergarten spelling test after a week of vacation" debacle last week, you can imagine my surprise when Quinlan came home on Friday to tell me that she had won her class spelling bee.

That was after I got over the surprise that she had a spelling bee. Apparently this whole "mommy's out of the know" thing starts very early, which is more disconcerting than I expected, especially since I clearly remember knowing all of her business and now, surprise! A spelling bee! That you didn't know about mom!

Next thing I know, she'll walk in with a nose piercing.

So in winning the spelling bee, she was off to compete against first graders using the same word bank, and then "against" the other kids in the K-8 school, using her own word bank in a sort of compete against yourself type competition.

And with that, we got to work for the next five days quizzing our little almost-reader with over 100 words in preparation for the big spelling bee.

Boy, is our language fucked up.

After enduring my feeble attempts at explaining why "Tuesday" is not spelled "Toosday," along with other pretty piss poor pneumonic devices for sight words, she headed to school this morning armed with as many words memorized as she possibly could.

And much to our amazement, she placed third out of all sixteen competing students across all the grades.

THIRD!

I found myself completely overflowing with emotion, not just from being so incredibly proud at her achievement, but from realizing that my little girl is growing up.

 

 And damnit, I won't be able to secretly spell stuff anymore.

Comments

[Maryanne22Henry]

I had a dream to begin my own company, but I did not have got enough of money to do this. Thank goodness my close colleague told to take the loan. Hence I received the auto loan and made real my desire.

[homemom3]

First congratulations to your little girl and how adorable she is. Oh my gosh she looks so proud of herself and for good reason. I know what you mean about being caught offguard on the spelling bee, I just found out this week my daughter made it in it. She goes on the 17th. Congrats again to you and your daughter. (yep no more spelling ICE CREAM)

[tubal reversal]

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[Boston Mamas]

Yay for Quinlan! And man, that picture is damned cute.

[Sandra]

I am very delighted to see a fresh face for the technology generation who appreciaes spelling. I showed my daughter old fashioned phonetic spelling videos when she was 2. That was 16 years ago. She held honor roll every year, gtaduated and turned her part-time high school job into a management position.

It does not matter how you educate your children...just do it in the way you are most comfortable. They will understand your being comfortable with the "media" as an understood assurance that this is something good to understand.

Your hometown libray is a free source for everything you will need. A weekly trip to this free store of books. CD and DVD format media, monthly, weekly and daily print punlications, and FREE access to the WWW, plus printing resources, and much more, makes the library an often overlooked source for education purposes.

[PunditMom/Joanne Bamberger]

She is the most adorable child I've ever seen -- after PunditGirl, of course! :)

[Fairly Odd Mother]

So adorable! Yay for Quinlan!!!

And, yes, English is a stupid language, something my mother has said her whole life as she's learned it.

[Karen (SubMommy)]

Look at that beautiful girl with the great big brain!

Congrats, Q!

[mom-101]

Okay, let's not forget the fact that she is only in KINDERGARTEN. Now we know who we can turn the keys to the kingdom over to in a few years.

You go Q! Auntie Liz is extraordinarily proud.

[Chrissy]

The teachers at my children's school won't let me miss a beat. They send notes home, they email me, they catch me when I'm picking up the kids...the fact that your daughter took the initiative to get into and win something on her own is AWESOME, so congrats on the parenting that made her feel good enough to do that!!

[Secret Mom Thoughts]

Awesome. Congrats Quinlan!

[Stacia]

So now, when she comes home with that nose piercing, who cares?? She got third in the spelling bee! Congrats to her (and you).

[Julie @ The Mom Slant]

Smart and beautiful, just like her mama. Congrats to you both.

[Amanda]

Congratulations to Quinlan! That's awesome! My oldest learned to spell very early. We had to resort to saying words backwards that we didn't want him to know.

[Secretia]

That changes many conversations!

[Lady M]

Woot! That's so cool.

I'm definitely having to be careful what I write if I don't want the little dude to figure it out. Scribbly cursive is still my friend.

[laura]

from one spelling bee champ to the next generation i say congratulations, Quinlan! That proud smile says it all!

[mom, again]

My parent's did the creative speaking and euphamism thing until a situation precisely as 'my kids mom' describes it! except they'd called it 'frozen dairy confection' .

I've used it too, though it took my husband a while to catch on to the style when he came along in the middle as a step-parent. We already use it with out 32 month old, when we don't want him to understand. We'd spell, but I have an issue with being unable to remember the first few letters by the time the last few are said. I'm sure that would be an LD these days, but I've gotten along in life nonetheless.

[Djinn]

I'll have to try the pig latin suggestion...my 5 year old knows how to spell all the curse words.

[Karen Chatters]

Kristen, she is so freakin' cute!!

[Leticia]

Congratulations to Q and Mommy! Be proud! Yes, I am constantly amazed at a child's brilliance and ability to process an amazing amount of information. Guess we're doing something right in setting life's groundwork. Yet another milestone. Enjoy because, indeed, the time passes too quickly. Again, felicidades!

[DeAnn G.]

aaww conrats!! And now may I add I will never forget the time I turned to my husband and replied, to his snorting laughter over me tripping over my own feet, "F-U-C-K Y-O-U" and heard a little angelic voice sound out from the hall "ffffffffuuuuuuuuu......fffuuuuuucccccccccccc.........." Yes that was my 6 year old daughter, sounding out what mommy had said. Luckily she got it wrong and I stopped spelling and instead just started flipping him off beside my body where the kids couldn't see. Because of course I couldn't stop all together where would the fun be in that?

[Stacy]

Yes, it sucks not being able to sit at the dinner table and smile lovingly while you tell your husband that the girl at work is a b-i-t-c-h or to stop being an a-s-s. *sigh*

Good job to your little girl on the Spelling Bee! They grow up to fast. (my oldest is in 1st grade)

[Shelley]

She's adorable!

[Issa]

Texting. My husband and I started texting each other, when spelling words no longer worked. It's funny to text your husband when he's standing next to you in the kitchen. Or it was...anyway.

She's adorable.

[Rebecca at Alice]

So cute! Congratulations! Sounds like another writer in the making :)

[Emily]

She is so adorable and (yay!) a kickass speller. Take that evil kindergarten teacher!

[Motherhood Uncensored]

@patois - THANK YOU! Completely forgot about that.

[Sheri]

Congrats!!!!

I have a kindergartener too. Looks like we are in the wrong school system, because the kindergarteners don't have a spelling bee.....or at least one that I'm aware of.

[Julie]

Sucks when they're smart, doesn't it?

[Jeannie]

Awww! Good for her! I don't think that I can spell certain things now and mine is 20 months. I was talking to the huz the othe day on the phone and said that it was time for her N-A-P and she started crying! Ugh! Why do they have to grow up so fast?

[Kelly]

Way to go Quinlan!!!

[patois]

You should be able to get away with Pig Latin for about two years.

[Keyona]

I am so happy for you guys. I know you are super proud of her. I can't wait for Lael to have a spelling bee. Last week she got 100% on her weekly spelling test (including the bonus words) and I cried. I would lose it if she came in 3rd in a spelling bee! Go Quinlan!!

[Angella]

Way to go, Quilnlan!

And yeah, Graham reads now and it's a whole new world. We're getting good at "creative speaking".

[My Kids Mom]

We try to use euphemisms as much as possible. I speak French, but my husband isn't strong enough with his to always get it, so we get creative. "Do you think that post repast we should look for below zero confections?" And soon, they will expand their vocabulary and turn to us and say, "Yeah ice cream!"

[Mary Anne]

When my oldest repeated the letters and then said, oh you mean ____. I thought how in the world are my husband and I going to be able to talk above them??? Then it came to us....backwards spelling. It takes some getting used to and a whole lot of concentration, but we use it alot. The 10yr old sometimes figures it out, but we just tell her to hush her mouth and not ruin the surprise!

[Michelle]

Congratulations Quinlan!

And, yes, I'm afraid that phase of your life is past. It could be worse though. My daughter (nearly 16 now) doesn't even need a hint know what is going on. Example, 'Let's go to ***.' 'Why, are you buying me a signet ring?' And we had not discussed it anywhere near her even being in the same house! Starts talking about what I'm about to say to her. I swear I don't know how she does it. My response: 'Get out of my head!' :)