There is a writing contest going on at the school on base, one in which the kids are supposed to write a story or poem in the spirit of Dr. Suess.  We’ve had a busy couple of weeks and I’ve been feeling a little under the weather too, so I wasn’t sure we were going to get around to working on it. But Claire (who has already proclaimed that she wants to be an author/illustrator when she grows up) has been working on it quietly and independently the last couple of days. So late tonight, as in after American Idol (as in 9pm) she was still sitting at the table, furiously rewriting her story. But she wasn’t finished with it yet. Tomorrow is the deadline, but the girl’s gotta get some shut-eye too..So I told her it was bedtime, and she looked up at me tearfully and said she had dreamed up a really great idea for her story and wanted to surprise me and Daddy and to please let her stay up and finish. So I relented and my little girl didn’t get in bed until 11pm!!!! Ahhh!  (Have I mentioned that one of the excellent benefits of homeschooling is flexibility? She can sleep until 10 tomorrow if she needs to!) So then she showed me what she’d done, once she was happy with it. And I’ve gotta say, she’s a really good little writer!!! I’m so proud of her. Indulge me and allow me to share with the whole wide world (or whoever cares) just how talented and bright my 7 year-old is:

“Horton the Egg Sitter”

One day in the cool of the pool

Horton saw an old friend from school

He went over that way

to ask the Doodlebird to play for the day.

But before Horton could speak a word,

a strange request came from the bird.

“I’m SO tired of watching this egg!

Can you come over and watch it instead?”

Then Horton said,

“Sure,sure! I’ll watch your egg!”

The bird jumped off the egg with glee.

“Bye, Horton! I’m going to the circus to see

the clowns and to eat pink cotton candy!”

For five long years, Horton sat.

He sat and he sat and he sat and he sat.

But then some men came by and they laughed.

“Silly Elephant! Get off that egg!

Come with us to the circus instead!”

Horton was tired so “Yes!” he said

but only if he could bring the egg.

Horton saw the Doodlebird there,

and that bird gave him one scary stare!

“You stole my egg!” the Doodlebird said.

Horton was all confused in the head!

And at that moment, the egg did crack,

the egg where Horton had sat and sat.

And out of the egg

what did they see?

A tiny elephant with Doodlebird wings.

Horton loved her and still today he sings,

“DIddle-doo, Diddle-doodlebird, I love you!”