Patriotic Pride

Second grade was my favorite grade as a child. I had a wonderful teacher and that year has always held a special place in my heart.

So far, it's my favorite year for Kyle, too. While it's not hard to beat our crummy 1st grade year, this year has been a joy. Mrs. Grubb is a dream teacher, and with her zest for all things science, Kyle has been one happy guy. There are many things I could definitely gush about.

But here are my two or three all-time favorites:

1. Birthday advice: They celebrate birthdays once a month, and each birthday kid gets to give the class some "advice." Kyle's advice?

"Being a big brother can be hard. Just keep trying."

It was on the board for a month and I laughed everytime I saw it.

2. Patriotic Pride: Everyday after the pledge, the entire class stayed standing and sang two patriotic songs. Some were funky, some serious, and some just fun. But I will tell you that I

never once made it through "I'm Proud to Be An American" without tears welling up, or the Air Force fight song without a proud lump in my throat. Pretty awesome.

3. This super awesome Christmas program: I wish I could post the video, but this low-quality picture will have to do. Mrs. Grubb is a bird fanatic. Fanatic in the best possible way, of course! So these kids recognize and know about all kinds of birds. They've taken several fieldtrips out to Paiute Pond, a little wetland in the middle of our desert, where they scope and observe birds for hours. Thus, for Christmas they sang, "The 12 Days of Christmas at Paiute" and dressed up in these awesome, hilarious bird headpieces. It was a crack-up and totally adorable.

Is it any wonder that we've LOVED 2nd grade?