Ten!

That's what one of the little girls I am now tutoring replied when I asked her if she had any brothers or sisters?  Ten!  In this day and age, even Catholics don't have that many, so I assume her family is Mormon.  It is.

I asked her what number she was and she rhymed off four older brothers' names, then her, but after that she kind'a couldn't remember the littlest ones' names.  "I forget," she finally said.  I had to stifle a laugh.

She is one of five or six eight-year-olds I am helping with their reading in my daughter's grade two class here in Cochrane.  Teachers are swamped, so I volunteered to help her with remedial reading.

Every Friday, I go to her class, where she has set me up at a little table in the hall outside her room.  Settling my a-- into a miniature chair at a miniature table is quite the sight!  Then we go through a series of exercises laid out by daughter.  So, there I am, remembering my own grade one and two classes at Crichton Street Public in Ottawa, when Dick, Jane, Sally and Spot were our reading companions:

Playmates from my youth.

"See Dick run.  See See Jane jump.  See Spot catch the ball."  All phrases I remember so well from when I was seven and eight.  It's so much fun for me because the kids are so sweet and try so hard.  "Sound it out," I say, as they struggle with the words on the page in front of them.  "Just read what's there, don't add other words.'

"Here's Mrs. M-C," daughter says when I walk in.  "Hi Mrs. M-C," they all chant enthusiastically.  Valentine's Day was especially sweet, with all the girls dressed up for the occasion.  As I was leaving, one of my little pupils spoke up.  "Mrs. M-C, wait," she hailed as she rushed over.  To my great surprise, she gave me a huge hug!  I was speechless.

So, this is my calling of late.  Venturing back to a simpler time with sweet children, their entire lives still ahead of them.