Pretty swell gal says goodbye to third grade

Emma just completed third grade with a flourish.  Perfect attendance, all A honor roll, awesome showing on her Reading Counts points -- an overall outstanding performance.  I am proud as punch of this girl.  I couldn't be there to take pics at her awards ceremony, so asked her best friend's mom. Not knowing anyone was there snapping pics, I guess she didn't see the necessity of smiling often.  Nonetheless, she has a beautiful one.

Emma houses an old soul in that 9-ear-old body of hers.  Her grandmother (my mom) has spent the last year remodeling her kitchen, with one of the final touches being a fridge she purchased last week.  Keep in mind that my mom raised 8 children in a 50-year-old 1800 sq ft home on a school teacher's salary and had to do things like borrow from her own kids' paper route savings accounts to fix the washer when it broke.  She has never in her life been able to remodel anything (except when they expanded our 1200 sq ft house to 1800 sq ft by closing in the garage when it became a little difficult for 1200 sq ft to house 10 people).

My mom currently lives in the largest house she's ever owned (2400 sq ft).

Here was our conversation on the way to school today, reflecting Emma's perception of things.

"I wish I were old."
"You mean old like Kirsten or old like me?"
"Old like Grandma."
"Why?"
"Because when you're a grandma you've already raised your kids so you can live in a smaller house which means smaller bills and you don't have to spend money on your kids anymore so you can spend it on things like getting new countertops and a new fridge and new floors in your kitchen."
"And your grandkids?"
"Yeah, you can spend it on your grandkids too."
Pause.
"I don't want to have to pay bills."
"Why not?"
"They would be a worry.  I think I'll just live on the street."
"How would you eat?"
"I'll just pick fruit and stuff off trees."
"How would you do things like shower?"
"I'd ask my neighbors if I could use their shower.  They'd probably complain that I was getting it too dirty."

Conversations like these are why I try and take my kids to and from school once in awhile.  Alone. As difficult as it is to make this happen, it's worth it.

Because it's times like these that I am able to get a glimpse at the souls of my kids.

Emma's soul is beautiful.  Here she is on the morning of her last day of 3rd grade (sporting the curly hair that Kirsten woke up early to style for her).

It turned out pretty swell, just like she did.