Too hard to choose...

Taylor decided a few weeks ago that she would participate in her Reading class extra credit project. She would have to read a nonfiction book about someones life and then write a book report. Her teacher said he would even give 10 extra points if they dressed up in character.

The first day I learned about the project Taylor opened the door of the car, in the carpool line, and informed me that her friend Katie was mad at her. She seemed quite disturbed that Katie wasn't talking to her, but as I investigated the happenings of the day I found myself siding with Katie. "I wouldn't be too happy with you either if you had done that to me", I told my daughter.

Apparently Katie was already in the middle of reading one of the books the class could chose from and told Taylor that she was going to pick that book to do her report on. For reasons Taylor still hasn't admitted to, she decided she was going to pick the book first. Needless to say her friend became upset.

I told Taylor she had a choice to make here. She could choose to keep the book and risk the chance that her friend will lose trust in her or she could go to school the next day and ask her teacher if it would be okay to trade with Katie. I could tell that she was torn and really didn't want to approach her teacher. Nevertheless the decision was hers to make and she would have to live with the consequences.

The next day when I picked Taylor up from school she had a big smile on her face. "I talked to Mr. Baer and he said I could trade with Katie", she announced before she could even close the door. "And what did Katie say?" I asked. "Nothing really, all she had to do was smile and I knew she had forgiven me!" was her response.

Taylor worked long and hard to finish reading her book. I was impressed when I read her report a few nights before it was due. She did an outstanding job and enjoyed looking at thrift stores for possible things to wear for her costume.

The morning of her report I convinced her to go to school in costume since her Reading class was during first period after homeroom. I had to go in to work early which meant she had to get up an extra half an hour early so I could do her hair. As I was curling her hair I told her how much I wished my Little Grandma was there. She seemed confused and asked if I meant Grandma. I told her Grandma too, but my Little Grandma, Grandma's mommy would have known how to fix her hair just perfect with all of the waves and bun on the back of her head.

She looked beautiful!


We were thrilled last week when Nathan's mom showed her a picture of the Roosevelt family that had been published in a magazine she received this month. Taylor wanted to take it as a prop for her report and so I found a frame she could put it in.

I didn't have a cameo necklace for her to wear so I pulled out the medallion I received when I completed the Personal Progress Program when I was a teenager. It has an emblem of a Young Women on it. I told her what a cameo necklace looked like just in case anyone asked her why she was wearing it. This way she could explain she was pretending it was a cameo necklace.


“Who was Eleanor Roosevelt?”
Written by Gare Thompson


I am doing my report on Eleanor Roosevelt. She was born on October 11th 1884 and died on November 7, 1962. She was from New York City. When Eleanor was little she helped the poor with her father. Eleanor’s parents died when she was young. Her mother died from an illness and her father died from drug abuse.

Eleanor married Franklin Roosevelt. Did you know that they were distant cousins? They had 6 children named Anna, James, Franklin Jr., Elliott, Franklin Jr., and John. The first Franklin Jr. died after 7 months in 1909. James wrote that “I think of my mother not in her role as champion of the oppressed and underprivileged, but as our generous, ever-loyal, deeply human mother, who has taught us, inspired us, loved us and spoiled us all our lives.”

Eleanor Roosevelt is known for traveling around the world and meeting world leaders. Her husband Franklin Roosevelt ran for president four times and Eleanor was the first lady longer than anybody else. She also wrote a newspaper article and a book. Eleanor was known for wanting equal rights for African Americans. In conclusion, I found that it is too hard to choose only one interesting fact about Eleanor Roosevelt because I enjoyed learning about her life.