The Potty Mouth Gazette

My daughter started grade 1 today.  She was SO excited to be there in her new outfit, sporting her backpack (complete with a thermos full of macaroni and cheese in tow).  There were SWARMS of people dropping off their grade 1's.   All of the JK/SK kids from various classes have been reunited into one hip and happening grade 1 class.  (says silent prayer for the teacher)
 

So there was my little girl, looking trendy and confident, chatting with all of her old friends and having a great time.  Then...the warning bell rang.  Suddenly her eyes became as big as saucers as she sought me out.   'Goodbye mommy.', she squeaked.  The chin was trembling, the eyes were filling, but there was a definite resolve NOT to cry.  I could see it plain as day.    I walked up to her, gave her lots of kisses, had her little brother give her hugs and kisses, and watched her walk into her new world of all day school.  What a big step!  .

 

Once home time rolled around, we heard all the details of her wonderful day including the decree from the teacher:  All students must bring a pencil case filled with pencils and pencil crayons tomorrow.

Being the resourceful mom that I am (OK, more like completely unmotivated to brave the crowds at Walmart)  I gathered a bunch of princess pencils from hither and yon.   I also managed to scrounge up an unused pencil case from the bowels of her closet.   My daughter and I sat together at the kitchen table while I sharpened the pencils for their school debut.   She gingerly placed each one in the case as if they were Faberge eggs..   They were all neatly packed and ready to go when I saw her brow furrow.  Suddenly she re-opened the case and yanked them all out. 

 

Me:   'What are you doing?"

Mo*:   'Mommy, I realized that I better test them to make sure they work.'

 

So I sat there and watched my little girl painstakingly test each sharpened pencil on a piece of paper.  

 

 Mo:  'See mommy, they are all working.' (holds up paper for me to see)  'I'm so glad I checked!'

 Me:  'Yes, there is nothing worse than getting to school and finding out your pencil doesn't work.'  

 Mo:  'Uh-huh,  you're right!'  (said with the intense gravity that only 6 year olds can muster)

 

Shortly after the rigorous pencil testing, this little exchange occurred.... 

 

 Mo:  'Mommy, did you do any back to school shopping for yourself?'.  

 Me:  'No Mo, I only bought clothes for you and your brother, why do you ask?'   

 Mo:  'Well mommy, I'd really like for you to be wearing nice things when you drop me off.'  

 Me:   'I'll see what I can do Mo.  I'll try my best',  I replied, all the while wondering whether its humanly possible for 6 year olds to be concerned about their mom's fashion sense and/or possibly embarrassed by the lack thereof. 

 

Right now the kids are in bed, hubby's zoned out watching baseball, and I'm off to forage through my closet for something that will make my burgeoning 'What Not to Wear' host proud. 

 

*Note:  In the event that you haven't read my bio page, Mo is my daughter's nickname.