Porter climbed into the car and threw his backpack on the front seat.
“Mom, they’re going to pass out candy grams on Friday!”
I immediately felt sick to my stomach and the need for a hug from my mom. I was transported back to seventh grade homeroom sitting at my desk with a book in my face pretending that it was the most interesting thing I’ve ever read as the student council filled up the other desks around me with piles of candy grams from their adoring friends. I hated candy gram day. Junior high was hell and candy gram day was like a parade of cheerleaders and quarter backs presenting me with my own invitation to Loserville. I think I had five friends in junior high and two of them were teachers and one was my brother. It wasn’t until high school that…
“MOM?!”
“Oh, huh? Sorry. What?
“Mom, that’s cool, huh. Candy grams?”
“Yeah, candy grams. Candy grams are cool. You never know who’s going to give you one. ” (At this point I’m working up a plan to go before school to the front desk and order a mountain of candy grams for Porter. No way will his desk be empty.)
“Oh, I’ll get one for sure.”
“Yup, I know you will sugar.” (I could go right after Porter leaves for school and grab a stack of order forms...)
“Yeah, you wanna see?”
He hands me an order form with the first box already filled out.
I read it and look back at him in the rear view mirror, he’s got his arms stretched behind his head and is looking out the window with a sly smile.
“Oh the cleverness of you, Porter boy.”
(How come I never thought of that…)
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Funny how easy it is as parents to unknowingly pass on our own insecurities to our children. I don't think I give Porter enough credit; he really is one cool Cadillac and I should stop fussing. Now my plan is to order a candy gram for all the students in Porter’s class. Instead of one kid getting a mountain of candy grams, how about no kid having an empty desk. What if we reverse the system? Instead of feeling like the coolest kid because you got the most candy grams, how about feeling cool because you gave the most? This way everyone's a winner, and Loserville has one less resident on candy gram day.
I hated candy gram day too! Now I wish I had been as cool as Porter, and even more, as cool as his Mom for sending one to every kid. May the empty desk be banished forever! :)
ReplyDeleteMolly you are such a good person. Landen started preschool in January and they are having a Valentine's party on thursday and i am SO excited to get to help him make treats and Valentines to pass out. I have always been the teacher holding the party, never the parent sending treats with their kid. I also had a flasback when the teachers note home said that there are 11 kids in the class and to just put our own kids name on the back of the valentine to save time. When I was young, it wasn't required to give everyone a Valentine. I was a mean kid, nuff said.
ReplyDeleteOh I hated the all that stuff including the formal dances! yuck! Why must my loser status be known to all? I say down with grams!
ReplyDeleteHe is very clever! Why not take matters into your own hands right?
ReplyDeleteI like your idea of giving one to all the kids in the class so that they can all feel special. good for you!
Candy gram day was the pits! And I never would have thought to send myself one either! What a smart kid! I love your idea.
ReplyDeleteThat is so awesome that he is sending himself one! Clever indeed.
ReplyDeleteAnd candy gram in junior high?? We did it in high school and that was bad enough, but junior highs just need to be destroyed.
ha ha, what a smart cookie.
ReplyDeleteMolly, you and Porter are the best. I hate candy gram day more as a parent then I did as a kid.
ReplyDeleteMolly, this absolutely cracked me up on a crazy night here when I definitely needed it. Man, I love that little boy of yours. What a smartie. I hated candy gram day for the same reason as you... he is clearly of a superior intellect than us both. :)
ReplyDelete