A Scientist?

I got to help the husband with a project not directly related to family life. It was fun to show off my mad nerdy research and writing skills, but it was even more fun to feel like the husband still appreciates something that is just me without all the bells and whistles of motherhood and marriage. Because, let's be honest, sometimes the everyday runaround eats up any spousal conversation that is not directly related to the kids, the bills, the calendar or the to-dos.

So I helped the husband with a writing project, and I got to thinking about how it is I came to enjoy writing and reading and, yes, grammar and punctuation. And I traced it all back to my first book report in second grade. I can't remember the book, though I believe it had a blue cover. But I remember the report was due on a Monday and that my bestie, Adrian, had a birthday party at Classic Skating on Saturday, which meant my big bad parents wanted me to do it on Friday. So while my brother and sisters played with my cousins and our parents played cards, I sat secluded with my no. 2 and wide-rule notebook.

The thing is, I really wanted to play with the rest of the gang. So I flipped the book over (which I did read, just for the record) and tried to figure out a new way to rewrite every single sentence in the synopsis and added an "I really liked this book" onto the end. That's right, I cheated (Sorry, Mrs. Meano Reno). And it worked. And everyone told me how well I had done on my five-sentence book report. And I got the Excellent! worm-in-the-apple stamp in happy red ink next to my name at the top of the page. And right then and there, I was pretty sure I was a better writer than anyone else in the second grade. And I liked that feeling a whole lot, so I kept writing (though I did, eventually, stop plagiarizing). And I got more happy-worm excellents. And then a bunch of straight A's. And then a scholarship. And then a boyfriend who I would not have met had said scholarship not brought me to his sleepy college town. And the boyfriend became a husband who saw more promise in what I could do than I did myself. And because we were newly married, I listened. And I got another degree. And then a job. And then a great job. And here I am, all grown up and amazed to think of the first book report that changed my life.

My musings on the book report that led to everything else turned to my kiddos, wondering about the little things now that may become everything down the road. And while I'm pretty sure my girlie will never be an actual princess, I suspect the boy may be a scientist in the making...

Or an artist.
But my fingers are crossed for a scientist, by day at least.

The solar system is his very favorite, followed closely by volcanos.

And trucks, of course. But I'm holding my breath for a scientist.