The Mighty B!

The kids and I have found a new favorite show ---Check it out!

The complex, completely relatable and slightly off-kilter dreams and ambitions of a 9- ("and three-quarters") year-old girl, Bessie Higgenbottom.

Bessie is a bit awkward - especially in the social arena. She's still getting her teeth in, so there's a slight lisp and a watery spray to her high-octive speaking style. She is fearless in a daunting world but also struggles to be good at basic things, like how to fit in, how to get along and be understood.

Bessie channels 135 percent of her energy into her Honeybee troop, where her pursuit of Honeybee badges is legendary. Getting Honeybee badges seems to give her a purpose, and it lets her get closer to her troop mates. She's a bit obsessed with collecting all the badges, so pigtailed Bessie zeros in on each badge challenge with real zeal. Because earning a badge is a little bit like fitting in.

And there's a higher purpose as well. Bessie believes that if she's good enough to collect every possible badge (numbering at least 5,000), she will become a superhero - the Mighty B!
If you're venturing a guess that "The Mighty B!" is partly about growing up and fitting in and the anxiety that can come with that, you're right. It's also about being an individual, about believing in yourself despite adversity, having a zest for life and setting goals. Those are all good traits in kids who are 9 "and three-quarters."

But don’t even think you are getting an episode of Arthur when you tune in to Mighty B. There are lessons, sure, but they are buried in pure silly, mindless entertainment. Not that there’s anything wrong with that, and this show is FUNNY!

Bessie lives in San Francisco, which I easily figured out the first time I saw the show- cable cars, recognizable architecture and a multi-ethnic cast. Her mom rides a motorcycle, sports a tattoo, and I haven’t heard any mention of a father figure yet

Because even though "The Mighty B!" is firmly out of that wonderful no-commercials block of educational children's television, it still has an important message to convey: that transitioning into the "tweener" stage of life can be daunting and formidable, particularly for a girl, but that they are not alone. Did I mention that this show is FUNNY! ?

"The Mighty B!" proves that Bessie has no shortage of self-esteem and that given a shelter dog named Happy and a ragtag group of friends in similar stages of awkward growth, she's going to do just fine.

The Mighty B! Cartoon Network---Check Listings...

Grandma

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Jane Maude Pittaway Eggleton

June 14,1900-September 25, 2008

Soccer Fantasy

Today was one of those amazing fall days full of sunshine and crispness. It was the perfect day to go to my six year old's soccer game and I was able to leave everyone else at home and do just that.
A little while into the game, my son had still not made an appearance on the field and since I have no sports sense, I didn't think much of it. Until the coach (one of the most dedicated-to children-never -loses -their -patience -people I have ever met) came running over to me to tell me what was up.

Turns out my son was "not mentally prepared to play yet" and they were trying to get him on to the field, but he was resisting by making excuses, warming up...
I immediately thought of my conversation with him in the car on the way to the game:

"I'm so glad I get to come to your game today without Will and baby
Clare because I can really watch you play. Make sure you pay attention and
play your best because I will really be watching today."

This conversation was intended to make him feel special and supported, but I think it was a little too much pressure. What was I trying to do to this kid? Yikes.

So eventually the game ended and we were headed home. He filled the air with a recap of all of his shots toward the goal, how the coach tells him what a great job he is doing, how he got the ball from the other team and even how they almost won.

I felt like I was in the twilight zone for a moment--none of those things matched up with the kid I saw playing. When he would actually agree to play, he would run around kind of aimlessly and half heartedly, never really making contact with the ball, never really playing soccer.

My first thought was that he was delusional. Then I thought again. This soccer fantasy is what he wished had happened. It was how he imagined I wanted things to be and therefore how he wished they were.

I think of how often we wish we had done things differently and we know people we care about wish the same thing for us. When other people handle things better than us, or think of smarter ideas or catch on faster. When other kids are the ones who make contact with the ball and even kick it--in the right direction.

So instead of asking him why or correcting him, I just went along. I told him that he has a great team and that I think they are lucky to have him as a player. I wanted him to know that I knew how he felt, that I too had been there before, so I joined him in his soccer fantasy.

It was a good day, we made lots of great shots, and we almost won.

K

Argiope aurantia

We recently had this gorgeous and talented spider hanging near our front porch. We peeked in on her everyday, to see what she was up to and even saw her catch a fly, wrap it up and munch on it a little---good stuff!

We found out that she is a type of writing spider called argiope auratia and the bold zig zag that ran down the middle of her web is a trait of her species. The conspicuous line means fewer birds flying in to destroy the web, but it also tips off insects. These spiders catch 34% fewer insects than most other spiders.

One day, we checked on her and she was gone----Thank you for letting us be part of your interesting life for a few days.