Teacher's Pet

August 29, 2007

Erin almost burst waiting for school to start. I had visited with her principal last week about bathroom options now that Erin was on cyclophosphamide and not supposed to "hold it" all day. During the meeting he let me in on the TOP SECRET information about who Erin's teachers were going to be this year. When I told Erin who she would have, she was singularly unimpressed, having (apparently) figured it out months ago. She had wanted a particular teacher (the inestimable Mrs. Kutzenberger), and Erin "knew" that Mrs. Kutzenberger wanted her. Voila! In Erin's mind it was a done deal.

Following that conversation, I had to broach the delicate subject of what would happen since she and Mrs. Kutzenberger already gee and haw together so compatibly. I didn't want Erin to find herself on the receiving end of taunts or name calling like "teacher's pet" or "brown noser." As I tiptoed around the topic, not wanting to hurt her feelings or spoil her relationship with her teacher, it finally dawned on her what I was trying to warn her about. She said, "Oh you're talking about being the teacher's pet."

"Yep," I lamely replied.

To which she said, "Of course, I want to be the teacher's pet. You'd think everyone would want to be the teacher's pet, wouldn't you? Think of the advantages."

Mom: "I don't know. When I was in school, kids could be pretty mean about the ones the teachers favored."

Erin: "Even if someone called me a name, I wouldn't care. You'd think people could figure out that it really is A LOT better for the teacher to like you than not to like you."

Problem solved.

So, after playing four soccer games this weekend, school started on Monday morning. Erin hopped into the clothes she had laid out the night before, woofed down breakfast, and headed out the door laden with classroom-sized bottles of hand sanitizer, antiseptic wipes, a soccer ball for recess, a lunch box (a one-day-a-week privilege), and the Erin grin plastered on her face. From all reports, the first day went as planned (at least in Erin's mind), with the added bonus that she got to see her big buddies Chet and Lea Ann Edwards that evening (side note: Walter and I showed up to an Edwards fund raiser Monday evening without Erin. Chet was so disappointed and insistent that Erin was always invited to anything he was involved in, we felt compelled to fetch her). Erin went to bed extremely happy Monday evening, basking in the feeling that everything was right with the world.

Somewhat unfortunately, things lurched to a stop on Tuesday, when I had to pull Erin out of school around 10:00 for a trip to Houston for clinic. Fortunately, things looked quite good to the nurse practitioner Shari Feinberg, so I think yesterday will be the last day Erin will have to miss until October 2, when she is scheduled for tests and scans. Erin had gain another half an inch in height and about three pounds in weight. Her counts were all normal or very close to normal. I will bask in that information and the full flush of Erin's complexion for about two or three weeks until scanxiety starts to creep in.

Thanks for stopping by.