Chloe brought home her first “Home Reading” book along with a journal to record book titles, the date and the person she read to.

 
Grade one is the real deal.

 
I was so excited for Chloe to have homework like her big sisters and was thrilled at her excitement over the first day. I have learned this excitement over homework does fizzle and by grade seven there’s just angry poems and black make-up but let’s not skip ahead to the fun stuff too quickly.

 
Chloe’s home reading journal is numbered with a reward given in the form of a prize for every ten books she claims to have read.

 
The best part is Chloe’s home reading journal numbers start at 171 so by my calculation, Chloe’s teacher owes her seventeen prizes just for showing up. Hooray for reading!

 
She pulled out her first ever home reading assignment and gazed at the cover in awe.

 
We both marveled at the two black and white geese, or maybe they’re loons and wondered, why wouldn’t this book have a little more life to it?

 
The title of the book is “Swim.”

 
Chloe grabbed the book from my greedy, little paws and said, “I want to read every word and you can’t help me.”

 
Deal. I was in the middle of writing a strongly worded letter to the people who chose the cover for a grade one homework assignment to be two black and white birds floating on the river. This looked like a 500 piece puzzle at my Grandma’s Retirement Residence.

 
My little genius looked at the word “Swim” and carefully sounded out each letter. She looked at the ducks/geese/loons and ran her finger under the word from left to right. I knew something epic was about to happen.

 
I asked her, “Are you ready with the title Chloe?”

 
She said, “Yes. It’s ‘Ducklets.’”

 
Maybe that’s what they are?