CANDY POSTER

So it began a couple of weeks ago

with a World Cultures project

assigned to the Horizon's class.

The project: Make a Power Point project about Child Labor issues (with a bunch of 'things to be included' per check-list plus bibliography...that's what it's called right? the references?)

ANY-WHO...my little Overachiever (not sure where she gets it) went all out. She's been loading us down with Child Labor facts you and I never knew...never wished to know...and now wish we still didn't know. The project was b-e-a-utiful. It was really good, definitely an 'A'.

EXCEPT...it wasn't 'perfect'. What would make it perfect?...music...the 'perfect' music.

So she had to use Movie Maker to add the song. Only the song she wanted...(the perfect song)...previously acquired via itunes...wouldn't work on Movie Maker. After many looong hours of trying to make it work, I paid Walmart $1.01 for the MP3 version...and voila!!!...it was...well...perfect!

For those of you who don't strive for perfection on almost everything...you may not understand where I'm going. But frequently...in the pursuit of perfection...things can go terribly wrong. Yes...that's where I'm going with this.

The night before this brilliant Power Point is due, right before bed, Emma gets her handy-dandy flash drive and loads it up on the computer. Why? Well, to add the perfecting details, of course! It popped up...but not for long...before disappearing.

You caught the part about 'spent a couple of weeks on the project'? I'm talking class time...home time...a couple of weeks! My poor Emma was in tears in front of the computer. I searched, and searched...and searched some more. But it was no use...it was in fact...gone!

Then I did what any mother of a boo-hoo-ing child would do: I wrote to the teacher explaining the mishap and begged an extension.

"There's NO way!...(sniffle, sniffle)...She's NOT going to let me...(sniffle, sniffle)...turn it in late." With crossed fingers and hopeful hearts we waited for the morning.

As Jesus answering our prayers (as Lulu would say)...top of the morning I get a note back from her teacher. She, too, has been there to wipe the tears of a daughter whom inadvertently lost a really important computer file. She understood, she said, and would in fact grant Emma an extension. And also, she said, that she liked Crunchy Cheetos.

Emma made a new Power Point...a brilliant Power Point...a Power Point that will turn you off Nike...and off Gap (sniffle, sniffle...what am I gonna wear?). It was perfect! But not really. There was no music.

But that's okay.

I hope if she learned anything from this project, it was that perfection is over-rated. After all, she's gonna make an 'A' with or without the music. She would have in the first place.

In gratitude for her kindness and understanding,

Emma made the following for her teacher:

In typical Child Labor fashion...she did not get paid for it.

And, by the way, it was perfect!