Did Nothing

BG has a diorama due in 2 weeks on harp seals and their environment. Usually she hems and haws until the last moment then whines and cries that I'm not helping her and throws something uninspired together. So I decided to wait and see if she was going to make good use of the 2 weeks to plan, sketch, design and create.

She surprised me. She asked for a box right away and I told her to put her ideas on paper first. She had some great ideas and started to work on the box. Then BB offered some ideas that got them both excited and they brainstormed on how to make it work.

She started gluing and cutting. I was popping in and out not quite sure what to think of this new-found exuberance. After 2 hours of work, she carried in her diorama and I was floored!


There is a top layer of ice with a hole in it. Next to the hole is a polar bear. Under the ice are blue fish and eels (which harp seals eat) hanging by string. The seals are to the left under the ice. They are attached to a stick that moves back and forth so the seals can "catch" the fish. The big white chunks of paper on the top of the ice are the icebergs.

I was impressed. And she did it herself. No whining. No procrastinating. Just good, old-fashioned creativity and 2nd grader know-how.

Then the girls had some time to kill before bed, so they decided to play cards. BEG didn't like where she ended up sitting because she would have to look at the cards upside down. She started crying and pouting. I was about to announce that she was too tired and should go to bed, when BBG told her bigger sister that she could trade her places and "have my spot- K?" AW! What a sweet peacemaker. I told BBG that I was proud of her for being so grown up. And I told BEG that BBG knew how to be kind because she had seen the examples of her older sisters. I was glad that the older two could see that BBG is watching what they do and that there lots of good to rub off onto her.