We are 2 weeks in to your first week of school! You have done so amazingly well! You are motivated to learn, keep coming home with stars on purple (the highest color for behavior) and are taking your work so seriously.
You talked all week about an invention you were making in STEM. You couldn't wait until Friday when you would bring it home and show us your "cup." When I picked you up today, you said it was a "water bottle" and you tried very hard to make sure you sealed anything that would leak. I was excited at your ingenuity
Today your brought it home and in the car ride home expressed how you were excited to test it out. I smiled and agreed. When I pulled into the drive and opened the garage door, you eagerly raced inside. It took me maybe two minutes to gather my lunch and work bag and make my way in the door, and in that time you had managed to pour gatorade into your "sustainable water bottle" and it was now leaking all over my living room floor.
As I unknowingly walked into the house, my eye spied the blue gatorade pouring out of your invention and onto my floor and I reflexively yelled, "Jace!! What are you doing?? What were you thinking?"
You tried to fix your error by reflexively turning your invention upside down; but this only further caused all the remaining gatorade to pour out onto our living room floor and rug.
I angrily pulled down paper towels and told your to clean it up, which you dutifully did. Two minutes later you were out on the back porch in a chair with your head down. I told you sister to wait inside and came out to talk to you. I apologized for yelling and asked you why you were so glum.
"I didn't know it would leak like that," you said in despair and tears welled in your eyes.
"Oh Jace, how could you have known? Every good scientist and inventor has to test their invention. You didn't have a chance to do that. I wish you hadn't done it with blue gatorade, but that is what scientists do or they would never know if anything worked! You didn't fail Jace. You just learned that this particular design has holes and now you know how to try and make it better."
Your face brightened. Your eyebrows raised and you seemed to understand.
A Facebook friend reminded me in the comments of a famous Thomas Edison quote
Keep inventing. Keep dreaming. Keep putting your dreams into practice. Fail forward. Know that any failures are not failures but a lesson. Keep learning. You're so amazing Jace. Always believe that.
More importantly, be kind. Keep in mind that your God given talents were given to you to serve God's people. Always have an attitude and mind for service. If you do this, not only will you be happy, but you will be prosperous as well.
My son. My little dude. My little man. You are here to change the world for the better.
Love,
Mommy
