Who wants to be second fiddle?

I can tell by just looking at little girl's face that she's going down with some bad-ass flu.

When I pulled into the driveway tonight, she was there all smiles, albeit no jumping up and down, but still with hands waving and a Mommy Mommy that automatically drowns out my radio. But I saw instantly that she isn't feeling so well.

And that's why I'm still awake and writing some plans and constantly checking if she's sleeping soundly now.

It's never a good weekend when little girl is sickie.
Especially if I'm not well enough to take really good care of her.

So I do what I always do when I'm borderline panicking: I list the to do's.

*check on her temperature
* double the honey
* lysol the whole damn room tomorrow
* give her plenty of sunshine, rest and love!

If all doesn't work, we'll just have to check in with the Pulmo-Pedia after the dentist's appointment. :(

And I'm worrying too cuz it's her second Mastery Exams on Monday. We do have TONS work to do.
Even though she aced - really ACED- every quiz this quarter. (hooray!) And earned not just one, but two SUNS with excellent's on both hands.

She's always been the bright girl - I never doubted it. But I worried constantly.
Yet I tell her, it's okay to be second. or third. or even tenth.
But you know, why settle when you know you could be on the top?

Is it mindless pressure?
Or just encouragement?
Is it pushing?
Or just prodding and making sure she maximizes her abilities?

I'm still on the middle ground on this.I haven't really been consistently the Tiger Mom I would like to be. I get swayed by her toothless grins. Or "come on, Mommy" pouts.

I don't really tell her to study when she doesn't want to. But I tell her to read her books or go over her lessons when she just wants to watch cartoons the whole day.

I don't really tell her either that she can go on with this life without much stars in her report cards that can fill up an entire sky, but a whole wall of it won't hurt right?

I don't make her write letters, do number drills or repeat phonetics for hours no end. But I constantly inject learning even in our most mundane moments. And I make her "reviewers" so she can browse through when she isn't particularly busy with Strawberry Shortcake.

My little girl doesn't need so much prodding or tutoring, but every child needs a firm hand in taking these little learnings a little more seriously than the usual attention being given.

So what, if she's still in Kindergarten?

Isn't there a book that said All Things We Need to learn, we learned in Kindergarten?

I take things too literally :)

But tonight, I don't really give so much a damn to the Mastery Exams on Monday.
I just want this little snowball curled by my side to be pretty energetic and all enthusiasm over the weekend.

Please, flu bug, asthma attacks, colds.. go away.
I think you've done this mommy already enough damage.

You don't have to include little girl in this miserable cold-sniffing, room-arrest weekend.