Another Abraham Lincoln: Biography Day [School]

The Third Grade at Bradfield has Biography Day on Friday. Layla chose–as did Madysen back in Fourth Grade–Abraham Lincoln. The fact that I have many leather-bound Lincoln books and several modest pieces of memorabilia probably had some influence in their choice. I’m hoping that Emma chooses to be Nino himself. (And somehow Speed avoided the entire ordeal, probably surreptitiously.)

Anyway, unlike Madysen, whose presentation was a couple of minutes long, Layla’s was a little over thirty seconds. How in the heck do you condense Lincoln into thirty seconds? Essentially: Name, birth date and place, Honest Abe, 16th President, Emancipation Proclamation, Ford’s Theater, John Wilkes Booth, death. And because I’m odd, I never got comfortable with her statement that the Emancipation Proclamation freed slaves, since it applied only to the rebellious states, over which Lincoln’s control was tenuous at best since the rebel states had, you know, rebelled and succeeded. See, the whole thing is complicated. I wonder if any of the other parents found it unsettling? Probably not.

Regardless, Layla looked great in her black corduroy pants, white shirt, black ribbon bow tie, black cardigan sweater, fake beard, and felt top hat. She presentation was great too, though she confessed to me afterwards that she was nervous and felt sick.

Christa McAulliffe, Abe, Abigail Adams

Layla gives her speech

Nervous Abe

Taking a bow

Abe and Dorothea Dix

We outsourced the video this time, so it may be a little bit before I can post it. But I’ll have time to unearth the video of Madysen’s Biography Day, which should make for interesting viewing.

Update: For whatever reason, Holly was surfing the school website and found this picture of the girls in Layla’s class. The picture is taken after the program and after Layla had removed her hat, beard, and ribbon bow tie.