If you are an elementary school teacher this is a must read. If you are a parent of a child of any age, grab the tissues.
Tonight at dinner I remembered the time capsule that Danny had put together in his first grade class. This could be the single best project he did in elementary school. Mrs. Smith was his teacher and the only generic thing about her was her name. A fabulous Teacher (with a capital T) he ‘looped’ with her from first to second grade. This was the woman who recognized the fact that this little boy would spend more of his energy trying to sit than it took to do his work – so she let him stand. The same one who worked patiently to get him to read even though he had a slow start – and assured me that he was going to do fine. And of course she was right as he has become an avid reader.
Tucked away amongst newspaper front pages and Y2K party favors, custom baseball cards and a bag of 1999 coins, were some amazing artifacts, including the cover with the instructions to open December 2010. We deemed this a mistake and decided that now was the time to open it.
1. Cover of the box – notice the drawing of Franklin the Turtle in the center.
2. Picture with said Franklin
3. A ziplock bag with the proverbial ‘the dog ate my homework’ remains – Mel got an A – and her puppy picture.
4. A letter from 7-year-old-Danny to 17-year-old Danny – lots of talk of goldfish.
5. His predictions of the future – yes he did say that matzoh balls would still be his favorite snack food.
6. And our favorite – self portraits at 7 and 17. We love that he predicted his blonde hair would turn brown.
Lesson learned: don’t ever throw this kind of stuff away. And most important, savor every moment because that 10 years flew by in a blink.
Haven’t had enough of me yet? You can also read me at 50-Something Moms Blog. For photo enthusiasts, visit Leaving the zip code, photos from outside the comfort zone.
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i could cry but i don't have time 
How funny we both had the same experience at the same time. That’s how I felt being with Alli at Disneyland—only instead of 10 years in the blink of an eye, it was 20. Scary–which is why you’re right–savor it all.
Ah, the fine line between memories and clutter – but I hear you.
That teacher was worth her weight in platinum, diamonds …. you and every other parent should ensure she has a happy retirement. So many teachers don’t care.
I’m crying!
I love that he predicted his hair would turn brown.
Time flies.