My girl. She turned 6 on Friday, and this post is much delayed by life, work, Milo...like so much of our attention to her these days.
I brought two dozen decorated sugar cookies in the shape of the number 6 to her classroom on Friday. I got them from Central Market, and that is okay. That compromise allowed me to show up in her classroom vaguely on time and smiling.
As part of her birthday celebration, Ms. P invited the class to think of compliments for Lucy. The birthday girl got to call on 6 people, and they said:
• I like your printing
• You run fast
• You're cool
• You're my friend
• You're my best friend
I forgot #6, the compliment from the youngest, most ostracized member of the class, but I was most proud that she called on him. We'll call that #1: her kindness. Here's the rest of what I like about Lu:
Her emotional intelligence. She's tuned into other people's feelings, and she understands nuance.
Her singshpiel. Lu's Gilbert and Sullivan-style operettas are elaborate, if somewhat off-key. She thinks in song.
Her manners. She has written 17 of the 36 thank-you notes she has to write. It's been a bit of a battle, but she understands the importance of writing them. Also, she can't play with the gift until she has written the note.
Her imagination. The other day, I heard her say haughtily, "Trevor, please bring the limo 'round." Seriously. We should put this both in the category of imagination and ambition.
Her sense of humor. She likes knock-knock and fart jokes. She inherited this from her father.
There is so much more that I truly like about her: her brain, her curiosity, her confidence. She's a good kid.