The latest stupid Facebook Breast Cancer Awareness letter

I was upset about the last email that I got a few months back - I can't remember the gimmick not having read through it. The day I got it I learned that my SIL who has fought through two bouts of breat cancer now had metatasized cancer in her liver and kidneys (she's still fighting the good fight but her prognosis is not good at all). The frivolioty of it all just made me angry and I wanted to send an angry message back. I didn't because the friend who sent it is the sister of the spouse of a family member (who oddly works hard to raise money for cancer research) and I didn't want to create family discord. I resolved to talk to her quietly about my impressions next time I ran into her.

Today another friend sent me this:

It's that time of year again in support of Breast Cancer Awareness! We all remember last years game of writing your bra color as your status? or the way we like to have our handbag handy?
Remember last year so many people took part that it made national news and the constant updating of status reminded everyone why we're doing this and helped raise awareness!
DO NOT tell any males what the status' mean, keep them guessing And please Broadcast this to all ur female friends to see if we can make a bigger fuss this year than last year ;);)
I did my part... So now its YOUR turn!
The idea is to choose the month You were born and the day you were born. Pass this on to the girls only and lets see how far it reaches around. The last one about the bra went round the world.
So you'll write... I'm (your birth month) weeks and I'm craving (your birth date) !!! as your status :p:p
Example: Feb 14th= I'm 2 weeks and craving Choclolate mints!! ;);)
January-1weekFebuary-2weeksMarch-3weeksApril-4weeksMay-6weeksJune-8weeksJuly-10weeksAugust-12weeksSeptember-13weeksOctober-14weeksNovember-16weeksDecember-18weeks
Days of the month:
1- Skittles2- Starburst3- Kit-Kat4- M&M's5- Tomatoes6- Ice Cream7- Dairy Milk8- Lollipop9- Peanut Butter Cups10- Meat Balls11- Twizzlers12- Bubble Gum13- Hershey's Kisses14- Chocolate Mints15- Twix16- Cheese17- Fudge18- Cherry Jello19- Banana's20- Pickels21- Chicken Wings22- Skittles23- Gummy Bears24- Gummy Worms25- Strawberry Pop Tarts26- Starburst27- Mini Eggs28- Kit-Kat Chunkie29- Double Chocolate Chip Chrunchy Cookies 30- Smarties31- Chocolate Cake
Have Fun! :D:D

So now we are not only bring frivolity to cancer but also to infertility. I know this has been debated ad nauseum but I needed to vent somewhere. I don't think these stupid games raise awareness of anything but stupid games while at the same time being hurtful and insensitive. If you do get this silly letter please don't forward it on - some people just aren't going to get the joke.

Twins?

Not an uncommon question for us.

"No, Kamryn and Sam aren't twins. He is two years younger than she is."

Sales clerk looks at us skeptically. "Really? How old are they?"

It's happening. The eclipse. She's still taller than he is (by about an inch and a half so not really all that noticeable unless they are standing back to back). She outweighs him by one solitary pound - maybe. He was last weighed in July; Kamryn just this week. He wears shoes a half size larger than her.

Since they are opposite sexes I expected him to pass her eventually. I didn't think it would happen at the age of 7.

My kids are too talented for the parents they have.

I don’t know how we got here. Kind of funny.

Kamryn who just turned 9 has been playing the piano since she was 5. She started in a program called Music for Young Children. I pulled her out of what would have been her fourth and final year because in her third year she was leaps and bounds ahead of the other kids in the class and obviously bored. We started private lessons last September. She took her grade one national examinations in January and got first class honours. She started grade two in February and played a grade two piece in a local competition in April and came second in her class (at this point the director of her music school noticed her and things began to move kind of fast). She passed her grade two exams in early June (first class honours again) and moved on to Grade three. She’s now done with grade three and ready for exams again but there isn’t a testing period again until January. Plan was to move ahead with grade four regardless.

Yesterday, the director of the school – who has taken Kamryn on as a pupil proposed that Kamryn prepare for what is called the Canadian Music Competition. It’s a big deal and a national competition. The pieces Kamryn would play are actually a couple of grade levels beyond what she is playing now. Her teacher is positive Kamryn could play them. It would mean pushing Kamryn.

Now Kamryn is not a competitive kid. She’s ALWAYS been content to be an also ran but she’s not above questioning why other kids get recognition for things and she doesn’t – ummm…. you didn’t try at all?!?. If we didn’t push her to do things she’s sit in her room listing to her MP3 player for the rest of her life (seriously). So we push and she’s pretty accommodating because she is generally an accommodating kid. This is different though.

I’m of two minds – challenge her (and I believe she needs the challenge) and this is really something a kid HAS to want for themselves.

I originally wrote this out seeking advice but this is why writing is so great. By the time I got here I knew the answer. I’m definitely caught up in the director’s excitement and my own need to please “authority.” A great opportunity and we’ll tell her teacher that but maybe not for Kamryn this year (or ever). I think we’ll do grade four Conservatory. Take a big swing at the Kiwanis music festival in the spring and see where we are next year.

Interestingly we’re facing similar (but different) challenges with Sam who is such a different kid and stresses over not being the best at anything he tries. He’s been playing U8 soccer this year instead of U7 a little because he is a pretty good soccer player but more because it worked out better for our schedule. It has however kind of messed up where he plays next year as U9 splits into a competitive and house league stream. The U9 house league stream with the club he plays with would be a significant step down for him (we know this because this is where Kamryn is currently playing). When we asked the club coaches for advice they were shocked to learn he is only 7 and saw no problem with him starting competitive play a year early.

We’re supposed to talk to the competitive coach – I’ve been avoiding him. Sam could do it no problem and its what he would want but I was kind of looking forward to one last laid back year with him. Its evident though that we need to do something (either change clubs or let him play competitive). I'm just not ready to deal yet.

Again, don’t know how we got here.