A Lost Post...A Lesson Learned.

During the last month of school, I had my second graders do the age-old Plant Seeds in a Milk Carton science project. While this might not seem like a big task, it takes monumental amounts of organization and patience (at least for me) to get 28 overly-excited- end-of -the- school- year- eight year olds to collect and prepare milk cartons and then to add dirt and seeds into the equation without some major catastrophe occurring. But we prevailed. Over the course of two weeks (because I only teach on Fridays) my students learned about the life cycles of plants, fashioned planters out of milk cartons saved from lunch, filled them with soil, noted some observations in their science journals, planted snap pea seeds and watered their precious projects. We carefully labeled each carton with their names and then placed them in a tray so I could bring them home to care for them over the coming week.

Mark picked me up after school and home we went carrying 84 snap pea seedlings (3 to a carton) and the hopes and dreams of 28 second graders and their bouncing baby snap pea plants on my shoulders. Once home, I carefully placed the tray in the sunshine on top of an overturned gardening pot, and then went about my business. Mark started work in the backyard, Isabella was happily playing outside and I retreated to the office to check my email.

At some point some point I noticed that it was quiet. Too quiet. Isabella-quiet, so I got up to investigate. I opened our screen door to go out to the side yard where Isabella was playing and this is what I saw:

19 of the 28 milk carton snap pea planters had been removed from the tray and exploded on our sidewalk. I was so shocked I didn't know whether to laugh or cry. Isabella noticed my alarm and cheerfully declared: "Look Mama! I made dirt parties!" Oh, yes you did, little 3 year old darling of mine. I salvaged what I could, replanted a few new seeds and hoped for the best.

Parenting lesson #362: Always, ALWAYS, tell your 3 year old what they can and cannot touch.