I was right. Sophie is okay. More than okay. She called me after school on Thursday — she’d learned that morning that she didn’t make the freshman cheer line — and before I could ask about that, she launched into a story about a boy she’s got a crush on. Over the weekend she […]

  Does anyone need a giant white cheer bow? This morning Sophie was ready early, waiting by the back door, yelling at me to hurry up so she could get to school and see if she made the freshman cheer line. “Now remember, you might not make it,” I said as we climbed in the car. […]

I am so grateful to Sophie’s teachers — past and present — and to everyone at her school (she pretty much knows them all by name!) for educating, enlightening and including my little girl. Sometimes, knowing where to begin to say “thank you” can be tough. As usual, Sophie gave me the best lesson when […]

For many years, I wrote about Sophie’s school without naming it. Now that she’s finished there — moving on to junior high — I have no reason to keep the name a secret — and every reason to tell you what a fabulous place it is. Was. Is — for lots of kids. Not for […]

I met with the principal at Sophie’s school yesterday. It had nothing to do with what’s going on at school — not this school. It was time, finally, to pull the trigger. To figure out the next step toward junior high. I won’t bury the lede. At this point, if I had to make a […]

Ms. X did not sound pleased. “Sophie had a really bad day today,” she said. We were on the phone, but I could see her shaking her head. Sophie was out of sorts all day, in ball buster mode, totally stubborn. Refused to come in from the playground, wouldn’t listen to directions. “Oh, and she […]

Word around school this week is that Sophie’s been swiping other kids’ drinks at lunch. She drains her juice box and nabs someone else’s drink, particularly if it’s strawberry milk. I stuck 35 cents in this morning, so she could get her own, which she thoroughly enjoyed. I didn’t mean to be in the cafeteria during […]

So the Elmos aren’t working, as you already know. It looks like the tough love approach might be the ticket. Ms. X called the other day to report that Sophie had had a pretty terrible morning. In the afternoon (and without any interns to help out) Ms. X tried a new tactic. She sat Sophie […]

I was really excited for Halloween this year, and not just for the usual reasons. I couldn’t wait for the Kindergarten Halloween Festival and, finally, a chance to spy. It’s a tradition at the girls’ school. (The festival, not the spying.) Every Halloween, all the kindergarteners — and only the kindergarteners — parade through the […]