Caitlin in a bag

During the second week of school, all of the kids were asked to fill a bag with 5 different things that would tell the class things they liked or were interested in and all of the other kids would have to guess who that person was.

Suggested items included:

• Favorite color.
• Favorite snack (Include a wrapper, it said).
• Favorite toy or collection. (Include a picture, it said. Very smart.)
• Favorite book.
• Favorite hobby or sport.

We actually had to argue with Caitlin over the items in the bag.

I know, sounds horrible, doesn't it? Like I am the World's Most Controlling Mother.

However, in my own defense, what happened was this: on the way home from school with the bag we asked Caitlin to tell us what her favorite things were and she did. Once we arrived home however, she started throwing whatever she found in the bag and claiming that it was her favorite. Suddenly her favorite color was orange and her favorite hobby was the harmonica?! I think not, Lazy Child! Strangely enough I wanted it to represent, you know, Caitlin. Not what Caitlin thought everyone else was going to do or whatever was laying around the house at that moment and her eyes fell across.

Picky!

In the end the bag contained those things that actually did represent Caitlin.

• A small piece of purple construction paper with the words: My favorite color, written on the back.
  
• A printout of a Calico Critter family. She has 8,098,259,432 of them. I'd call that a collection, wouldn't you?
  
• The book The Trumpet of the Swan by E. B. White, sent by my older sister (Thanks!). Caitlin has read it repeatedly, somewhere upwards of 8 times (Sometimes while we waited for dinner to be served in restaurants.). I'd call that a favorite, wouldn't you?
• Cherry tomatoes in a plastic bag, from the garden, with a note that said: My favorite snack doesn't come in a wrapper. Because people! You have no idea of the lure of the tomatoes for this child. I've mentioned it, but nothing in a wrapper compares. Besides, most things that come in wrappers contain peanuts and that's a no go around here.
• A self-portrait drawing of Caitlin singing. On a stage. Under lights. OK, I did the tiny musical notes, but only after being asked. That child sings constantly. One day we may even harness that power for good, or something.

Now that is a bag that actually represents Caitlin. Not an orange harmonica (although she does enjoy it), not a bag of M&Ms (because all the other kids in class would identify), and not a book she'd only ever read once before but it was close by.

That's my kid, in a bag.