But uttering, "the new f-word", that is not going to happen.

Dear Laurel,
This is your mother...JCW.  Tomorrow is Monday and I don't want to hear anything like what you said on Friday morning.  I know you were tired and it was a very hectic first week.  But uttering, what I consider, "the new f-word", that is not going to happen.

There are going to be days, weeks when school isn't "fun".  Perhaps you misunderstood your kindergarten teacher last year.  She wasn't teaching you that school should be fun.  She was showing you that the potential of learning could be fun and creative.  Sometimes (the learning process) can be hard.  But the sheer exhaustion and the finished product of what you have learned, can be so satisfying that maybe it may feel fun.

But Holy Cripe, you are in the first grade!  You are a smart girl.  I don't think that you struggle and not only that, you wear really cute, comfy clothes.  Looking back, you are going to regret not appreciating the cake walk you have to Cabot Elementary.  I hate to say it, but school will be harder and there will be so many days that are justifiably not fun.  Those are the days when you do something embarrassing like accidentally farting in front of a group of people or realize that your body looks different.  There will be exams that you will not be properly prepared to take.  Or perhaps exams, while going in, you think you are prepared, but as you start, you realize that you are totally sunk.

I don't want to hear "fun" said like that again.  The word isn't a given for school.  Again, my f-word.  But you probably have another f-word that you hate.  You know, the one that Daddy uses all the time:  Focus.  Yeah, I know, I hate that word too.  We will address that one later.  One F-word at a time.

Love,
Mom