AA & EE & The AP Family

I found this awesome little page in Hubba's backpack. Rather than point out the inappropriateness of certain words, I have learned to ask questions. So I casually asked, "Hey Hubba, what's this paper for?" "Oh. It's my word list. We had to think of all the words we could that have the AA or EE sound. I could only think of one with AA, but I thought of two with EE!" he told me proudly.

It reminded me of when ElemenoB was in the 1st grade and she called me from school and asked me to come pick her up because she wasn't feeling well. As I entered the classroom her teacher was asking the kids if anyone had any good words in mind from the '-AP family' that they could add to their class spelling list. "Map!" shouted one child with her hand in the air. "Perfect!" the teacher exclaimed as she wrote it on the board. "Cap!" the next boy she called on suggested. "Great!" she answered as she added it to their list. "Nap!" came the next answer. "These are all so great!" the teacher said. ElemenoB's hand had been up the whole time so the teacher called on her. "Crap!" ElemenoB suggested proudly. "Oh," the teacher responded thoughtfully, not even fazed. "That's a very good idea, ElemenoB, but I think we're just going to use words with three letters this time around." I stood there in the back of the room, red-faced, knowing it was me she had learned that word from. But since no one else seemed to mind at all, I gathered up my little angel-faced girl and took her home without a word of apology.

I'm sure our family nAAme will live in infamEE for these little mishAPs.

I just hope their teachers have a good sense of humor.