Boy Oh Boy, Oh Boy

Crushed

Here's my most recent Mother Load column, timed perfectly with the Ryan Sheckler business. It's about crushes on older boys. 

The Mother Load

Ryan Hall. I can't remember what country he's from.

Big Bear Grizzly

By ARRISSIA OWEN TURNER
Reporter

Published: Wednesday, September 15, 2010 9:49 AM PDT

Chloe felt horrified when she was first assigned a reading buddy. Reading buddies are volunteers, whether from the community, parents or high school kids, who spend time listening to kids read.

Not everyone has a reading buddy. In my 7-year-old daughter’s class only a few do. She’s one of them. Chloe is not sure why she is one of the chosen ones, but she knows she doesn’t like being different.

“Why me, Mom?” she asked.

I tried to explain that her teacher thinks she can benefit from a little extra practice. Chloe was visibly crushed. She’s been reading chapter books all summer and is very proud of her progress, as am I.

Chloe has a tremendous amount of confidence, but she knows she struggles with her schoolwork. She is doing so much better right now.

For years, we have had a mantra. I would ask her, “What would Ryan Hall say?”

Click below for the full story:
http://bigbeargrizzly.net/articles/2010/09/15/community/doc4c900d896503d934661025.txt