The Prize Box

Every Thursday at Charlotte's preschool is "prize day".  I have not confirmed this with her teachers, but word on the street is that they identify two kids who were the "best singer smiler" to choose something from the prize box.  This was one of the few things that would make Charlotte excited to go to school ~ she would ask me in the morning if it was prize day, and each week that passed that she did not "win" was sadder and sadder (for me, at least!).  We even started practicing her smiling at home so that she would be ready.  The first week that we practiced, she didn't win.  The next week that we practiced, she didn't win (and let me tell you, it took nearly all of my will-power to not go out and buy her that clip-on-hand-sanitizer she had her eye on in the prize box!).  The third week we practiced?  She won!!!  And two weeks after that?  AGAIN!  Yay Charlotte! :)

I realize that to anyone that is not a parent (and specifically, to anyone that is not a parent of an extremely sensitive and shy child, and more specifically, to anyone that is not a parent of Charlotte) this may not seem like a big deal.  But in our house?  It was a huge victory!  Charlotte was so proud of herself and I *might* have shed a tear or two.  By the time she won, the hand sanitizer was long gone, but she happily accepted a cherry Lip Smackers (first time) and a stuffed frog, named "Waya" who has now joined the ranks of animals covering Charlotte's bed.