Girl Smarts

There is a character in The Ordinary who is witty, fearless, and sure of who she is. She makes her debut partway through The Ordinary. She doesn't play a huge role in book one or book two, but she's pretty center stage in book three (still working on #3!). She's kind of who I'd like to be, in a way. I'm talking about Ky, Jordan's sister.  I admire Ky in so many ways, but the way Ky doesn't let fear hold her back is definitely what I admire the most. I tend to sit right in the middle of fear. Paralized and crying! Haha.

Now I'd like to introduce you to my daughter, Kyleigh. She is almost twelve (four more days, actually!) and she is fierce! We call her Ky a lot. Made a connection yet? Ky was born from this little lady right here. She stands up to her brother even though he can be intimidating at times. She's quick to forgive, easy to love and is a terrific friend. And she is fearless. She isn't afraid to be who she is regardless of the circumstance. She's awesome.

This is her first year in middle school. She's a social little gal and I was kind of surprised she hadn't found a club or group to join. But, right before Christmas, she informed us she wanted to join the Academic Challenge Team. The what now? We'd never heard of that. At first, she wasn't really sure either. We didn't get much information out of her except they push buzzers and answer questions. Before long, we were able to attend her first meet and got to see first hand what exactly the Academic Challenge Team was. We. are. impressed.

Have you seen The Chase? If not, google it and then come on back. It might be awhile because it's a pretty addicting show. It's okay. I understand. The Academic Challenge is kind of like that except without the Beast. And the chasing. The team who answers the most questions correctly wins. I could never, ever, EVER join this team. My brain would freeze and I would be dead weight. Dead, I say. 

Kyleigh, on the other hand, it's like she doesn't know she's supposed to be scared. She doesn't know it may be embarrassing to get the question wrong (which it's not. My brain would tell me it would be!). Our Ky started the first meet as the team captain and has been the entire time. No one else will do it. See. They know fear. 

I'm not just saying this because she's my daughter, but that girl carries the team. I love her little teammates and wish I could help them have Kyleigh's confidence. They got this! They just don't know it yet! 

Their last meet was yesterday and there were only three of them there. Normally, each grade level is separated into different rooms to compete but because of the flu epidemic, they were short staffed. They announced they would all compete in the same room and take turns. Sixth grade was up first. My fear swelled for her! If she noticed my wide eyes as she stood to take her place at the table, she sure didn't notice. She didn't seem intimidated by that packed cafeteria at all. She killed it in the first two rounds, which is the team challenge. They all discuss the question and she gives the answer (because she's the team captain). The last two rounds are the buzzer round and the other team had a really fast buzzer pusher. That kid was fast I tell you! 

Ultimately, they lost this round, but she was recognized as our team's high scorer. She didn't gloat or even tell her dad when we got home. She's humble, too.

As Ky's (Jordan's sister) character progresses, she may have some fear. She's up for a challenge and I'm anxious to see how she handles it all. More on that later! In the meantime, I'll keep watching my fearless girl and all her girl smarts and hopefully gleen some from her.