Telling the Date

My Grandmother was a teacher.  She was the third of ten children and the oldest girl.  She graduated from high school, took a couple of college courses over the summer and started her teaching career that fall.  She had two of her younger siblings as her own students and taught three generations of children before she retired.  When I say three generations, I mean it literally.  She took class attendance the first day of the school year and recognized a new student's last name.  Upon speaking with the student, she discovered she had taught the child's parents and grandparents.  She left the room to let the principal know she was retiring on the last day of that school year.

Grandma was always looking for ways to teach Lyn something new and succeeded in unexpected ways sometimes.  For example, Grandma taught Lyn how to determine what is a day's date.

When Lyn would take the morning paper to Grandma, they would work on learning the date by looking at the front page of the newspaper.  Each day, they reviewed the date.  November 1, November 2, etc.  For some reason, Lyn would never say "first".  There was no January first or February first, for example.

Mom was reminded of this earlier this week when Lyn brought in the newspaper, took off the rubber band and announced "Today is November Oneth!"  Mom had to chuckle and confirmed that "Yes, it is November first."   Mom remembered that Grandma never corrected Lyn because at least she had it right in her mind.   More proof of Grandma patience.