Caroline: 78 Month Letter

Dear Caroline,

2371 days.

You have been on this Earth for 2371 days.  Don't worry.  I used a calendar calculator to figure that out.  I didn't count each day.

It has been a trying month for you.  After Christmas break, much to your dismay, you returned to school.

First grade.  Man, it is a tough one.  You were slammed with a penguin research project (damn you, core curriculum) and you made your first C on a test.  You showed it to your Dad first.  Actually, I think he just got your test papers out of your folder first.

He talked to you about it.  Why did you not answer these two questions?  Why did you not follow directions and write the equation?  What in the world?  You did this as an addition problem when really it was a subtraction problem!

You teared up.  Your little heart was broken.  You walked in my room as I was working on the computer.  In those short 20 or so steps you took to get to me, you had already thought up excuses for every single problem you got wrong.

I wrote down those answers but they were wrong so I erased them.  You can't see where I erased them because the teacher gave me a really good eraser.

I didn't hear her say to write the equation!  She hasn't told us all week to write the equation!  How was I supposed to know?

I added those number because I read that question wrong.

You had messed up.  You messed up and you were trying to make things right.

In your little first grade brain, you were trying to make it better.

We have moved on and you know that you can do better.  Lesson learned.  Take your time, kid. Slow down.  You don't have to be the first to finish on everything that you do.

As for your penguin project, you are doing the research at school.  You were asked to build a penguin at home and bring it in.  You got a royal penguin.

Do you know who much I love penguins?  Oh, I love them.  Because of my love for them, I think you find them extra cool too.

Most kids will bring toilet paper roll penguins, styrofoam penguins, paper penguins.  Not you, my go-big-or-go-home child.

You will show up Friday morning with this....

Drawn by Grandmom.

Cut out by Poppy.

Painted by Caroline & Mommy.  (We have to finish painting the eye and add his head feathers.  REAL feathers, I might add, per your request.)

Go big or go home.

Paper just would not do in your eyes.

Wood.

It had to be made of wood.

You, my sweet child, will always keep us on our toes.

On the bright side, you will always keep us young.

(I am going to be an optimist in this situation.)

Love always,
Mom

PS- You shucked your first oyster during your 78th month of life.  Pretty cool, I think.