Filling Jenna's Cup

Jenna is about as Extravert as it's possible to be.  She thrives on busy, and meeting new people, and talking (ohh the external processing, it's like a constant running commentary on everything that goes through her head).  As she gets older, it gets harder to meet those needs without planning and concious thought.  *I* need to get out, and love to talk.  *I* intensely need social interaction and time with friends.  We get out of the house every day, and half of every week those are places with people to talk to.  Still it's not enough for this girl of mine.

As intensely as she needs people, though, she passionately values her freedom and choice.  She is definitely, defiantly, adamant that she does not want to go to school and believes that she is happier at home learning what and when she wants.  Even at the times when I'm tempted to enrol her just so that she is in a large group for much of each day, she tells me articulately that it wouldn't be good enough.  She says she would still want to  have someone over every evening, she would still want to go out to exciting places at the weekend, she would get in trouble for talking *alll* the time.  (She's probably right on that one!)  So we do what we can, even though to date we've not had a great deal of luck with home-ed groups.

Drama group is *definitely* helping.  Once a week she gets a good chunk of time in a large group, doing something she absolutely loves and wants to do, with her friends.  It's great for her.  Even the very gruelling week of late night rehearsals and long performances this week has been great for her - she has thrived on the pressure and the intensity.

Her last night was magical.  It was the show we were going to as a family, and we'd quietly arranged to take two of her very best friends with us and keep them afterwards for a sleepover.  :)  Jenna was so fabulous in the show.  She's really enthusiastic, un-self-concious, and had been driving us crazy with practising so that she would hit every cue.  She really shines when she's performing!

Next on the list is getting a space for her in the dance class she's been looking at for over a year now...