So what's Jaclyn into?

A couple of weeks ago I went to lunch with a friend of mine who lives on the other side of the city. She told me she's been enjoying my blog, which I didn't know because um, no comments. It was fun as we chatted and I told her that Chloe didn't like ballet (she interjected: "Much to Ken's relief") and so on. Then she asked, "So what's Jaclyn into, or are 14 year old's into anything?" And I realized I haven't blogged about Jaclyn much. She doesn't do things that are *cute* or if she does, I'm certainly not going to blog about it. She's one of my most faithful lurkers.
For the most part Jaclyn continues to press forward exactly as those who know her can imagine. Once in awhile she surprises someone like her uncle who returned one of Ken's books, Titan, which Jaclyn immediately picked up to read. That surprised her uncle a little, even knowing the way she reads. The way I explain her appetite for learning is that she has her dad's breadth and my depth. Ken has broad interests - he knows a little about a lot of things. Jaclyn has his curiosity. I know a lot about just a few things. Jaclyn has my desire for mastery. Not that I'm completely uninterested in the world around me, or that Ken is Jack of all trades/master of none. But Jaclyn has Ken's breadth and my depth.
So besides continuing to consume information and file it away efficiently for retrieval, what is Jaclyn into?
Jaclyn is into piano. She is both studying it herself and teaching it. She's preparing for the Kiwanis Music Festival in March. She will play in a recital class (3 pieces of music): Nocturne in e- Opus post. 72 #1 by Chopin, the first arabesque of Deux Arabesques by Debussy, and Sonata Pathetique by Beethoven. She's not writing a piano exam this year, but she is writing a music history exam with the RCM. I recently ordered an official copy of her RCM transcript so that next year when she is in high school she will be awarded 15 credits in music without taking any high school music classes. Not taking band in high school has been a difficult decision for her because she loves playing the flute and the piccolo. But academically, she isn't challenged at her grade level - she finished 12th grade music theory through the RCM a year ago. Ken and Jaclyn simultaneously and separately came up with the solution: buy a flute, continue to play it, enjoy, but give up band.
Giving up band is a good choice because it frees Jaclyn up to take two languages in high school. Jaclyn has been studying French for 5 years. She wants to continue to take French in high school, but she is also interested in studying Spanish. No band, no problem. It will also be easier to fit in two languages since she is going to go straight to French 30 (12th grade level). Her teacher is confident Jaclyn can handle it. Most students from our jr. high skip 10th grade French, Jaclyn will just skip 10th and 11th grade. That's the plan for now, anyhow.
So planning for high school has been a big thing lately.
Currently at school Jaclyn is taking Outdoor Ed. They're doing rock climbing and she's really enjoying it. She wants to register in some rock climbing classes privately when she's done climbing at school.
Tonight was teen night at the YMCA, and Jaclyn went with her locker mate, Maddie. They met up with 3 boys from school (I was diligent in ensuring it was not boy/girl group date even numbers before she left). They swam, played games in the rec. room, shot hoops, walked across the street to Tim Hortons. Jaclyn is into having a social life, but I am still into her babysitting on Friday nights. We'll have to work out some kind of balance.
Jaclyn is into hair, makeup, clothes. I'm sure she wishes I was more into that stuff too, because she might have more of it if I shared the passion (and my money to feed the passion).
She finally learned how to peel a banana :-)
She's very into her ipod. It's loaded up with Mika, Green Day, The Fray, 'random' songs. Random is her word.
I almost forgot. Jaclyn is in the school play again, but something more lighthearted than last year, thank goodness. If you can call The Legend of Sleepy Hollow lighthearted. I think you can.