A Fabulous Prize

This year, I volunteered to help with the Reflections contest at Brandt and Blythe's school.  My good friend Becky was in charge, and I wanted to help her.  At the beginning of October, I went over to the school and made a visit to each classroom wearing a very goofy yellow flower headband that sort of looks like sun rays and encouraged the children to "let their creative light shine" by participating.  Then I came home and encouraged my specific children to participate.  Brandt was totally uninterested.  "No!" was all he said.  So I turned to our wonderfully creative Blythe whose artistic output is so great I can't keep up with finding a place for all of it.  She said she wanted to do a dance with Mia Bella, a girl in her class.  Unfortunately, that didn't happen.  But, I did suggest a second alternative.

Over the past month or so, Blythe has been writing and illustrating a story about a mouse she rescues.  The mouse sneaks cheese out of the fridge and is eventually invited to become the family pet.  Kent and I think it is absolutely darlingly wonderful.  At five, she is already creating complete works.  I look at her and think, "Blythe is going to be a children's book author/illustrator when she grows up."  At five, we know what her future holds.  I said that I thought she should enter her story in the competition and see what happened.  Blythe did not want me to give away her story, but I assured her that it will come back to us at the end.  So she agreed and we submitted the story.

It turns out that Blythe won a trophy!  She was one of two children in grades K-2 who were selected as being outstanding and worthy to move on to the district level.  Yeah!  There was an assembly to recognize those who won and all who participated, and Blythe got to go up in front of the whole school and receive her trophy.  She was really, really excited to be recognized, and to win a fabulous prize.  Here she is getting her trophy.

She was super excited to get her award, 

but also a bit nervous to be going up in front of everyone.

I walked up with her but then sent her up to get it alone so that I could take a picture.

We went home from the assemby, and before I could get a close-up picture with Blythe and her trophy, it fell on the floor and broke.  The top part separated from the bottom and was very difficult to repair.  It was my fault and I tried to glue it before Blythe was aware it was broken and Kent got home and she wanted to show him.  The super glue didn't hold, the epoxy didn't hold, I was in trouble.  Fortunately, she was kind and understanding and wasn't too, too mad at me.  She knows Kent is a fixer guy and would make it right.  He did.  So here is a picture of her with her fabulous prize.

The trophy has the theme "Believe, Dream, Inspire" on the top, then the name of the school, her name, and Literature on the bottom.  Her story will go on to the district level and we'll wait and see what happens.  

I must acknowledge here that there were only two literature entries for Blythe's age group, and two "winners," those chosen as being outstanding.  She was a shoe-in.  But she didn't know that, and so the thrill of winning was certainly not diminished.  I hope this early success fuels her drive to keep writing/illustrating.