December 6

I chaperoned my first field trip today. It's kind of shocking that Abby got all the way to the fourth grade before I was able to step up and help out in that way, but circumstances were what they were. I won't dwell on the things I've missed out on.

Anyway, here are some of the girls from her class after we'd left the wildlife museum:

I realized, after spending time with several of them during the car ride and inside the museum and at a picnic table during lunch, that they're all really neat kids. They're sweet and kind and honest and thoughtful and in some cases, amusingly quirky.

They really gave me a sense of hope for the future of this world.

And that, especially in this day and age, is an exceptional thing.