Mean girls

I just spent an entire day sweating my proverbial tata's off at Hallie's beach volleyball tournament in Galveston.  It was glorious this morning (at 7 am), then by 10, it wasn't so glorious anymore.  I used one million SPF sunscreen, so I think we escaped serious damage.

All I know, after this past week, is how I have been reminded how MEAN girls are.

I mean, for REALS.

I remember it started when Lacey started middle school.  We went to Edmond schools for a minute, and as a single mom, we wore Skechers, instead of Doc Martins, and she came home from school in tears the first day because the girls made fun of her clothes.

Once we moved to Midwest City, she found some friends that didn't own Doc Martins either (though by this time, I had scraped enough to get some for her).  So it didn't really rear it's ugly head until she made pom her sophomore year.

She came home crying almost every day.  The older girls (except for one) were just horrendous to her.  I have never seen a kid practice double turns and toe touches more than my Lacey.

It is just a heart breaker for a parent.

You try to FIX everything for your kid and make it smooth, and sometimes, you just can't.

I was lucky with Kip.  She walked to the beat of a different drummer, and very little affected her calm zen self.  She wore what she wanted, did what she wanted, and it mattered NOT to her what anyone else did.  Made life fairly easy.

Now we have Hallie.  She started out 9 lbs 9 oz, so I should have had a clue she was going to be a special mess.  In kindergarten, I went to a parent teacher conference and there was one adult desk in the room, along with the teachers, and all the other little bitty desks, and the teacher sheepishly explained to me, that Hallie just didn't "Fit" in the little desks.

She's always been a tall chick.  She has had to embrace that fact.  Volleyball has helped because it's intensely fantastic to be a good volleyball player and TALL.  So that has helped.

Mean girls exist almost everywhere.  I don't know if Mean Little Girls grow up to be Mean Moms, and begat Mean Girl Children, but there are a plethora of Mean Girls out there.

I overheard an 18 year old team of girls, just dissing the crap out of another team, and I just shook my head.  I mean, I understand competition, and the need to be the best.  That runs rampant in our family.  But, taking it to a mean level and cutting down another person to make yourself better???  Gets all over me!

I try to tell my very tall, very self consciously aware of her tallness child, that most of the bitterness out of other girls mouths come from jealousy. (sometimes I'm totally jealous of her) Still, It matters not.  It cuts this gentle giant's heart, and it makes me intensely sad that I can't protect her more.

Even on the JV team, that she worked her BUTT to get off on, you'd think those girls would be THRILLED to have a tall middle, that knocks the bejeebers out of a ball, but NO, they would rather say tacky, horrible crap and shake her self confidence.  I just do NOT get it. I have told her that once they start playing games, those terrible upperclassman will be happy that the FRESHMAN won the game with her wicked slams.  It almost helps. 

Can't we grow up a generation of children that are kind?  It just wears me out.  I'm sorry, I had to vent.

I love my kids.  I love other people's kids.  Just say NO to meanness.