A Letter to Molly's Third Grade Teacher

Dear Mrs. S.,

I apologize that you are only receiving my letter about Molly now. I have to admit this “homework” assignment wasn’t as easy as I thought.

It is very hard to describe Molly. You have to experience her. We call it the “Molly factor.” I am pretty sure you have already discovered this. Sometimes I think this is Molly’s world and we just get the privilege of living in it. I truly believe she was born to do great things.

It all started on February 15, 2010 when Molly entered our lives via emergency C-Section. Todd and I joke all the time that she came into the world on her own terms and it has been that way ever since.

Molly has a smile that lights up her face and a laugh that is infectious. She also has the biggest heart around. She doesn’t believe in 20 questions, she prefers 50. She is persuasive. How can you say “no” to just five more minutes of reading before lights out? She is direct, yet kind and has already mastered the fine art of sarcasm, at the ripe old age of 8.

Molly’s first word was “dog” which is fitting, as she has never met a dog she didn’t like. She adores her two Dorkies – Snoopy and Gretel. She is actually an animal lover. She recently named the wild bunny in our neighborhood, Ralph. She thought the name Peter would be to obvious. Her favorite movie is “A Dog’s Purpose” and when she grows up she wants to be a veterinarian or a dog trainer.

Molly believes in taco Tuesdays, likes black olives on pizza and doesn’t dip her chicken nuggets in sauce. She eats them plain. Ketchup doesn’t impress her. She sneaks sips of my Diet Coke and isn’t sorry about it, but prefers water to juice. She’ll reach for a Gatorade, usually a flavor that stains her lips.

Molly is an athlete. She plays baseball over softball and is perfectly fine being the only girl on the team for the past two years. She play soccer, basketball and is on the neighborhood swim team in the summer. She is fiercely competitive, but believes sportsmanship is everything. She is the first to line up to shake hands with the other team and takes a knee when a player gets hurt, even when she causes the accidental injury (as she says, “the first baseman should have paid attention when I threw the ball).

Molly is a helper. She roots for the underdog and isn’t afraid to tell a more aggressive friend to be nicer. She will volunteer to help with just about everything, except cleaning her room. She loves doing dishes.

I was able to volunteer at field day last spring and watched Molly’s class participate in the potato sack race. It was obvious she wanted to win. However, when one of her teammates fell and couldn’t finish. She ran to him and waved the rest of the team to come. They helped him up and then Molly got in the sack and finished for him, as he walked beside her. They didn’t win, but then again, they did!

Her kindergarten teacher described her as a “lovable hot mess.” Her first grade teacher complimented her on the empathy she showed for a particular friend and was impressed that she stayed away from “class drama.” Her second grade teacher appreciated her directness and sarcasm, but also quickly discovered that she was not a “morning person.”

I hope this helps you get to know Molly a little better. She is unique. She is fun. She is ours. We love her!

Sincerely,

Molly's Mom