Tissue Paper Wreath
One Christmas year when I was in first grade, the teacher asked each of us to bring from home a wire hanger and tissue paper. She told us that we were going to learn how to make a Christmas wreath for the holidays.
When I got home, I explained to Mom that we were going to learn how to make Christmas wreaths at school, and that I had to bring a wire hanger and tissue paper to class the next day. Later that evening, we went to Longs Drug Store. In the arts and crafts section of the store, Mom found the many varieties of tissue paper. We both agreed that the white paper with a light pattern of green, red, and gold specks was the best because it looked Christmasy.
The next day at school, the teacher asked us all to get out our wire hangers and our tissue paper. We all went to our cubby holes, pulled out our supplies, and returned to our desks. I was excited about the project. I sat quietly in my chair, admiring the pretty tissue paper that I had, and waited for the teacher to give us directions.
The teacher looked at me, and I smiled back. She then asked if that was the tissue paper that I had brought for the project. Proudly, I said it was, thinking that she must want to show the rest of the class the lovely paper that I had brought. I then quickly crashed to earth when she pointed out that I wasn’t supposed to bring tissue paper, but tissue paper!