AR, popcorn, and root beer floats

Let me just put this out here. I hate Accelerated Reader. I know it has many uses and I applaud it as a way to check a child’s reading comprehension, but I still don’t like it. I haven’t been a fan of AR for many reasons, not the least of which is Middlest, who refused to read any book that didn’t have an available AR test so she could get the points. She missed out on some good stories because of it. Eldest had a friend who would miss enough points on the AR test to stay at the reading level she chose to be at instead of what she was capable of, because the teachers wouldn’t let her read what she liked because the AR level was too low. Since I will read just about anything with words, it broke my heart to see a child denied a book she wanted to read. Fast forward 15 years and Youngest is coming home upset about missing her AR goal and not being allowed to attend the popcorn party. If AR was a person, I would slap that bitch into next week. But because AR inanimate, I was forced to higher ground. I my girl her not to worry about it and promised to pack popcorn in her lunch the day of the popcorn party. She is seven, and that promise was enough move her thoughts to more pleasant things, like who got in trouble at school and no, it wasn’t her today. Youngest wasn’t sure when the popcorn party would be, so I packed popcorn in her lunch two days in a row. I am awesome like that. Anyway, yesterday was the popcorn party, which she did not attend. All would have been well in my kingdom, complete with singing and dancing with unicorns, but the popcorn machine was broken. The teacher substituted root beer floats for popcorn. I don’t have any idea how she pulled root beer and ice cream out of her hind end or how to pack vanilla ice cream in a lunchbox. So upset was Youngest by the root beer floats and attendant gloating by her peers, we have scheduled a trip after school tonight to the grocery for ice cream and red pop. I was able to convince her that red pop makes a way better float than root beer, because I like it better, and she agreed. I probably should have encouraged her to try harder to make her goal next time, but I wouldn’t want her to think I had been abducted and had an alien robot put in my place.