To spell or not to spell

I tried to avoid thinking about it-- the "Just for Fun" Bee that is coming up in two weeks.

Then I ran across this post by Rocks in My Dryer.

Dash is uber excited about the Bee and absolutely loves spelling! Why? Because it comes naturally to him and is by far the easiest subject for him in our homeschool.

In fact, we usually do one word list a week (including the more difficult alternate words). Most weeks he gets 100% the first time around and, on a rare occasion, he might miss one word. Then the next day he spells that one word correctly. No problemo, easy-schmeasy.

So I worry about two things:

1. The disappointment he will feel if he does not make it past the first round.

2. The total anxiety and nervousness I will feel during the Bee-- as well as the time spent thinking about the Bee, preparing for it (like I have all the time in the world) and the actual event itself. It turns my stomach, y'all!

*sigh*

It makes me think back to my spelling bee days.

The spelling gene runs in the family... my DAD even won the spelling bee at his work! I know, who knew they had those things? He works in budgeting/finance at Lockheed, won the company Bee and then went on to the regional competition. Yup, you heard me right-- he moved on to the next level (it may have been called something different). It was essentially other companies sending their best spellers to compete. Just thinking about it totally makes me laugh! I love my daddy!

Anyhow, this "just for fun bee" makes me nervous. *I* really really really want to back out. My mom still quizzes me on "television"... the dreaded word that *I* missed in my school spelling bee in 2nd grade.

I got a really big second place trophy but have been haunted by that word ever since!

Oh, and in the 5th grade I missed "doornail." But I'm telling ya, I spelled it right!!! I just happen to mumble and go very quickly when I'm nervous and the judge did not hear me say the "i". Come on, who would ever spell doornail without the "i"?! Give me some credit here. The humiliation. The agony of defeat. Oi.

So, have any of you won the big tamale of spelling bees? I know y'all have spelling bee stories to share-- both good and bad. I want to hear them! Why? Because it's fun.

And I don't want to feel alone in my anxiety of the dreaded "just for fun" bee. See how I'm putting the "just for fun" in the :quote: :unquote:? Yup. I have no idea WHO it could possibly be fun for! Ack!

Oh and a couple of words that are on the list for this K-3rd grade "Just for Fun" Bee are minuend and docile. I hope he gets a couple of the other words on this same list... words like in and gut!