two weeks ago, sebastian came home waving a large piece of white paper.

"mummy!" he exclaimed loudly.

immediately i was intrigued. firstly, he was about to volunteer information, likely about school. how RARE. secondly, he was excited! how fantastic!

"yes?" i inquired, as happily as possible.

"i’m the special person next week. and i get to make a poster about myself!"

kennedy school has a special person programme in primary one. each week, a student is selected for the special person in the weekly year one assembly, which is attended by all the primary one students. in the assembly, the student presents their poster, which relays details about themselves.

as any parent of a six year old knows, when they say "they" get to make a poster, "they" aren’t telling the 100 per cent truth. sebastian answered a few questions, but the colouring, decorating and printing of photos, was left to tess and magnificent.

but here are the questions.

1) what is your secret wish?

2) what are you good at?

3) what do you like about kennedy school?

4) what are your hobbies?

and here are my little man’s answers, as he spelt them, which he wrote in pencil.

1) what is your secret wish?

to have a lit sabr

2) what are you good at?

karata, reading and rememembring

3) what do you like about kennedy school?

my friends and teachers

4) what are your hobbies?

rubgy, soccr, playing with frends, my famly

having completed his work, i coloured in bits and applied stickers that said things like, "i am happy to be me!" and charles downloaded photos. photos of sebasian playing in the waves with rachel and leah, kayaking with nathan, eating ice cream with pammy, with galen, with adam and rufus, with his brother and sisters, with our family on the first day of school, at kennedy sports day. took charles and i bloody hours.

the night before assembly, sebastian came in early from the playground and announced he wasn’t feeling well. his forehead was hot but the half mast eyes are the kicker. i gave him some mild drug and he went to sleep. the next morning he wasn’t feeling well and mum was putting the heavy parental pressure on me to forget assembly and to stay home. but i gave sebastian the option of going to school for assembly and then coming right home, which he took.

sebastian was right in the middle of all the year one kids being honoured. it was just lovely. the deputy head looked over his poster and admired all the pictures. commented on the canadian lifestyle, all the outdoors and fun. and all the siblings sebastian has. and then my dad and i got to walk up and put a badge on sebastian that read "special person" and i watched his chest visibly puff out with pride, despite his fever and shuttered eyes.

then i helped walk the year one kids back to their classroom, i took a picture of sebastian and his teacher, and then i headed home with my little man.

and his week as special person passed.

but the next week, he came home waving a small spiral bound book.

"mummy!" he exclaimed loudly.

oh no, who did i owe money to now, and why was sebastian excited about it?

he stopped short, and his chest was puffed out again.

"look!" he said.

look indeed.

the book was entitled "special person….sebastian"

and each student in the class had written SEBASTIAN IS OUR SPECIAL PERSON BECAUSE…

and then their own explanation for why he was a special person to them. and they also drew a picture.

the most popular reason was that he was a superhero. approximately half the class wrote that. oh did sebastian love the pictures of himself flying through the air, saving people.

but then there were others such as:

– he is a good reader

– he is friendly

– he is funny

– he is handsum

– he is good at writing

– he is our frend

– he is gud at games

– he doesn’t hit

– he is happy

– he is cute and he is sweet (this picture had him holding hands with a girl)

oh what a gorgeous book. what a gorgeous little boy.

what a great idea special person is.