Heirlooms

I used to make my 8th grade students write an essay on a family heirloom; it didn't need to be anything valuable, just something that had come from a previous generation and had a story attached to it. I wanted them to actually have a meaningful discussion with their families and get a better sense of their family history. This week I've been reflecting on how much fun it is to share some of our family heirlooms with Claire.

In the picture below, she's reading a book I won from the Boise Public Library in 1981 for reading the most books over the summer. (I know, you can tell the nerds early!) She also enjoys looking at the pictures from one of my favorite books on horses, a remnant of my horse obsession days. We even have a few books that my grandmother gave me! (Thanks mom for saving those!)

In the picture below she's about to climb on a bench that my parents passed on to me. They got this bench when we lived in Mexico City. I have many "fond" memories of dusting it's many spindles, and I can't wait for Claire to have the same chore!