4th Grade

Did you ever read Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing by Judy Blume? I did, and even though I don't remember much of it, I can tell you that being the mother of a fourth grader is actually a whole lot of something. Monthly book reports, weekly spelling tests, book orders, fundraisers, little random projects like the one that had us making some gloopy clay mixture at 10pm the night before it was needed to make a topographical map of Utah--fourth grade is BUSY!

Do you ever feel like keeping up with all the "parent paperwork," homework, and other school needs of your children is like a part time job? It still amazes me at times. Of course, you can't begrudge all the work that the school and teachers are doing, but, well, it still amazes me at times! (The bad and lazy side of me just wants my kids to go to school, learn the three R's, and come back home with no strings attached. And why does the PTA create so many darn extra things for us all to do!?)

Well, the big event of recent days was the fourth grade play. Fourth grade is the year to study state history, so the fourth graders put on a little musical about Utah. Will was a Spanish settler, and even though he had a really cool hat to wear that actually looked like a costume (previously used for a pirate costume--again, love digging up costumes for random plays and performances almost as much as digging up old pictures for "Star of the Week" posters), I guess he didn't want to draw attention to himself because he didn't wear it.

Will kept complaining that the songs were "bragging" about Utah too much, because it's not that great. What a crack up! (He's still got a healthy dose of California pride in him. I think it sets him apart in his mind.) The upside of the play was that his teacher unknowingly put him right smack dab next to someone he was more than happy to sit by.

Here he is getting ready to step up to the mic:

 Can't you just hear the dramatic inflection in his voice?

There was a little "rock-n-roll" number about the different types of rocks in Utah (yes, corny) and Will told me how he really got into the dance moves during practice to make everyone laugh, but then said he wouldn't do it for the performance even though I wanted him to. In the end, the ham in him won out. This isn't the best picture to show how much he was getting into it, but it still reminds me and makes me laugh:

 Will and his little friend:

I was feeling a little bit of state pride myself after that rousing performance, and this beautiful sky waiting for us outside after the play didn't hurt either. (Courtesy of my marvelous neighbor, Jen.)