Wednesday, March 26, 2008

In Search of a Good Egg


These days, it’s more difficult to get into Teach for America than Harvard Law, but it’s even harder for an Easter egg to make it into the basket of one John Emmett Becker. There were two criteria that must have been met for an egg to make it into his basket: (1) orangeness of any kind and (2) the (imagined) scent of chocolate wafting from those tiny little crevices between the egg spheres. While other kids scarfed 20 or 30 eggs, he carefully meandered along, picking up each one gingerly, shaking it, and taking a moment to decide if it was indeed worthy enough to be placed into the soccer-ball basket.

Four. That’s how many he chose. One for each year of his life and one to grow on.

Quality prevails over quantity yet no chocolate was found. “For one thing,” says Miss Caleigh Ann, "a whole buncha kids are allergic to it, and for another, we had a bad and vast melting incident last year which involved the school director’s Chevy Blazer.”

Regardless, the basket doubles as a helmet, and he got to spend time with his teachers.

Basket head

JEB & his teachers at the egg hunt

Then we went home and dyed:

Delightful Dying

Mostly orange ones.

Orange Eggs are Serious Business

But despite our love of orange, we are on the Pink Panthers soccer team, which begins practice this Friday night barring rain. Yesterday, The Dad took him to get outfitted. They came home with socks, shin guards, and cleats, all of which he wore to school today with a camouflage Mississippi Highway Patrol shirt and dirty, too-short blue jeans.

In other news ...

Today I picked up a prescription for my SECOND ROUND OF ANTIBIOTICS and tomorrow The Dad will likely take The Goose in for an ear check since he has spent most of the afternoon/evening crying and holding his right ear and begging for medicine. He's like a little bioterrorist -- spreading abominable germs which strike fear in the hearts of all who dare to wipe his nose or kiss his cheeks.

And finally ...

I have to ask for your help. As stated in a previous post, I am currently enrolled (auditing) a creative writing class. My next assignment is a piece of creative nonfiction, and my professor--knowing that I am a blogger--suggested that to save time I put aside my work in progress (incidentally, Macy, it's entitled "21 Please") and submit one of my blog posts. So, I need some input as to which post might be a good choice. I was thinking about one of the birthday posts (see anything written on September 16 of the years 2005, 2006, or 2007) but am open to any/all suggestions. Please cast your vote by posting a comment or emailing me directly: kimberly.becker@gmail.com.

The assignment is due THIS FRIDAY (3/28), by the way.

As always ... Onward, upward, & sideways ...


4 comments:

Basha's Mama said...

I vote for his two year old letter - aka your trip around the world. :) We're getting into the 3-6 month honeymoon stage ourselves except she still wakes up 5 times a night. Ok, just 3 times a night. I hope you start feeling better soon!

Me said...

I vote for either 2006 or 2007.

Eron said...

I know I'm too late to cast my vote, but (for what it's worth) my favorite post is the first birthday letter to the Goose. Which post did you choose? I try to check your blog when I get a free moment (meaning the kids are asleep).

Mary Beth said...

Sorry, I got here too late to vote. However, I'm with the goose - anything orange AND chocolate has to be good! Our orange eggs this year were horrible - we redyed them red because they were so blah! Yours came out much better!

To my first on his 14th, 15th, and 16th

Dear John, Happy Sweet 16th, sweet boy. You are now taller than me and your dad. You can pick me up. You have a job. You built a motorized b...