Lily or Lillian or both

Lily's full name is Lillian, of course.  Most people just call her Lily, although I have always called her Lillian quite a bit.  Not always in anger...I just love the name.  Even at a young age, Lily wanted people to know she had another name.  It drove me crazy in pre-school when she would tell people, "My name is Lily.  But it's really Lily-Ann".  Once we finally taught her how to properly pronounce her name, she's been using them both to introduce herself.  And once she learned how to write Lillian, she will alternate what she writes on papers.

In Kindergarten, her teacher put Lily on everything.  But Lily would sign 1/3 of her papers Lily, 1/3 her papers Lillian, and 1/3 her papers LilyLillian.  I explained that while I loved BOTH of her names, she would eventually have to decide which one she wanted to be primarily called, or else it would confuse people.  In true Lily fashion, she disregarded me completely and continued to be Lily AND Lillian at the same time.

In first grade, her teacher put Lillian on everything...desk name plates, hooks, etc.  I asked Lily what she was called in class, and she said Lily and Lillian.  She continues to alternate which she writes on her papers.  Teachers call her different things.  She responds to both.  Somehow this is working for her.  As a girl who grew up telling teachers on the first day of school that "I like to be called Gigi, not Giselle", I am fascinated by her fluidity with her name.  And surprised her teachers are being this flexible too.  I just wonder which one she will choose to be her primary name eventually.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

This week, Lily is taking the standardized test to get into our gifted program.  I kind of forgot until 2 of the 3 days of testing had passed, so she didn't even get the normal "test day big breakfast" that I have always tried to give Andrew.  She doesn't know what this test is for...in first grade they are constantly being evaluated so the teachers can place them in reading groups, math groups, etc etc.  So it's no big deal to her.  It WOULD be if she knew what it was for.  Because she desperately wants to follow in her big brother's footsteps and desperately wants to be in Humanities (our district's gifted program).

I don't think she is going to get in.  I think she is very very smart, and I maintain that I think she will end up being my most successful child professionally because of her attitude towards hard work and stubborn unwillingness to give up.  HOWEVER, I don't think she is gifted.  Which to me means an ability to think outside the box and above and beyond the "normal" way of thinking.

Jeff adamantly thinks she will get in.  He thinks she is very very smart and that her mother is comparing her to the one child who got the highest entry scores in 5 years at our school.

We'll find out in a few months who is correct.  But I have a feeling that if she doesn't get in, I'm going to have to console Jeff as well as her.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I am kind of terrified of Lily growing up and losing her confidence in herself.  I know it is coming...self-doubt is too much a part of girl growing up.  We were watching a modeling show (I know, great job, right?), and the contestants had to participate in a physical challenge.  These wafer thin models could hardly walk DOWN a flight of stairs without needing a break to catch their breath.  I paused the show and pointed that out.  And told her that being STRONG is way more important than being skinny.  That she should not worry about her weight but about how strong her heart and muscles are (something I tell myself everytime I go to the gym).  After harping on for a few minutes, Lily stands up in front of me, skinny as a bean (19th%tile weight), and flexes her muscles and then stretches down and touches her toes.  She says, "You've seen me run, Mom.  You know I am strong."  Just keep up that attitude, girlfriend.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

One thing I always try to do is infuse math and science knowledge into the kids' everyday lives.  Almost anything can be made into a math problem ;)  So when we are watching the Voice, I pause and ask Lily, "There are twelve contestants.  Two are going to be eliminated.  How many will compete next week?"  Stuff like that.

Yesterday morning, it was snowing a little bit, but our outdoor thermometer read 40 degrees.  So I pointed a question at Andrew, "What temperature does water freeze?"  Imagine my delight when Lily immediately pipes in, "32 degrees!".  I give her a high five and then ask (again kind of directing it at Andrew) how it can be snowing if it is 40 degrees...much higher than 32.  AGAIN, Lily beat Andrew to the punch, declaring, "It is colder high up in the clouds where the snow starts.  And then it melts when it hits the ground because it isn't cold enough."

Yowza!  Good thing Andrew was eating breakfast so I could discover just how brilliant Lily is.

She, in true girl fashion (grrrr), immediately said, "Mrs. V just taught us that in school, that's how I know."  As if that detracted in any way from her remembering it.  I quickly told her that is why she is so smart...she listens to her teacher and then remembers it forever!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~