Not Lucky, just Clever

Wonder tickets are all the rage in Ms. Janes' First grade class.

She passes them out to unsuspecting students when she sees them staying on task or doing good deeds. When you get a wonder ticket you write your name on the back then drop it in a box on the teachers desk. At the end of the day she pulls 1 or 2 tickets from the box and the chosen students get to pick something from her treat bucket.


Every time I volunteer in Ben's class he is one of the "lucky ones" whose wonder ticket is picked.

"This kid is so stinking lucky," I thought to myself today. "There has to be at least 50 wonder tickets in there. How does he always get picked?"

On a side note, I'm convinced that there is such thing as a "luck gene," although it's most definitely NOT in my DNA. I've suspected for a while now that my oldest son inherited it from his father and I was beginning to think that Ben had it too, but not anymore.

Today, Ben let me in on his wonder ticket winning strategy.

"Mom, " he whispered in my ear at the end of class.

"You wanna know how I always get picked to do the treat bucket?"

I looked at him in wonder. He went on...

"I save up my tickets for a whole week. Then I put them in,......... all at the same time,..... right on top."

Of course!

Just then Ms. Jane announced it was time to pull wonder tickets before heading to the buses.

Ben gave me a knowing look.

"Benjamin!" said Ms. Jane, holding his ticket high in the air.

Ben shot me a smile with a twinkle in his eye.

"You're such a lucky boy Ben, you got picked again!" said his teacher.

I suppressed a smile as he walked to the front of the class to pick his treat.

He's not lucky, I thought.
He's just clever.

I love my little Ben.

Ben showing me his "Square One Art" picture he drew of himself at the beach.
(I love the snorkel nose)