50 States

Bebe finished this "project" about a month ago, but I'm just now getting around to telling about its completion!  At the start of school this year, along with a thousand things you get from the teacher, one item talked about sending in postcards from different states.  The kids would pin them up on a large map of the US, thus gaining familiarity with the states that make up the US.  The goal was to see if they could get postcards from all 50 by the end of the year.  The teacher also made note that they got all but 6 last year and that the midwest was particularly hard to get.
Well, my first thought was "Cool, I bet we can get one from Alabama, Virginia, Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Mississippi, and Massachusetts."  Seven.  That's what I was thinking. Seven.
So, when we started asking some friends and family we easily pulled in like 10.  I talked with Bebe about the project and we decided we ought to try and get all 50 states, including DC!  She liked the idea immediately.  I mean who doesn't like getting mail anyway?!  I found an old Marathon gas map that was perfect...it was cartoon-style and all!  We took some stickers and I had her place a sticker over each state as she received it.  Thanks to Jason's aunt and uncle...Wanda and Johnny and their kids...Caleb and Katie we were on fire with over 25 postcards in no time.  Then other family members pitched in, too.  Every time I'd get to thinking about ones we didn't have like Wisconsin, Rhode Island, or the Dakotas I'd think...no way...that's gonna be hard to get!  But sure enough, we'd find someone traveling there, through there, or that actually lived there.  Either way Wanda was on the case and she gets a TON of credit!  A few times either Wanda or I would ask 2 people from the same state to help Bebe with her project.  One person we just knew would enthusiastically mail a postcard out right away and the other we figured might not and was sort of a back up.  Ironically, the postcard often came from the person we least expected.  It was kind of funny too, because I would hear about a state on TV or see a license plate and be like "We got that state" or "Shoot, we still need that state".  And if you know Wanda then she probably asked you at some point from September to February what your travel plans were like! ha ha  The hardest states actually ended up being Washington, Oregon, Montana,Delaware, and Missouri.  (Which is kind of funny because we knew people in like 3 of those states.) 
Seriously, thanks to all who helped Bebe with the project.  I believe she is the first kid to ever bring in all 50 states.  She even had multiples of some states.  One student did bring in about 20...so she kinda "owned" the project after awhile.  When we get them back at the end of the year I can't wait to count them and make her a little book so she can keep them.  I'm actually kind of sad that the project is over.  I enjoyed it as much (or maybe more) than Bebe!!!  And by the way, Sumner will be in 2nd grade in 2 1/2 years so get your postcards ready!

Finally, for all of you interested (if anyone is still reading at this point!) here is the order (or close to it) in which they were received...
Illinois
Virginia
W. Virginia
Maryland
New Jersey
Massachusetts
Connecticut
New York
Pennsylvania
Florida
Mississippi
California
Alaska
Utah
Texas
Alabama
Louisiana
Vermont
New Hampshire
DC
Georgia
S. Carolina
Arizona
Colorado
Michigan
N. Dakota
Kansas
Nebraska
Indiana
S. Dakota
N. Carolina
Ohio
Idaho
Tennessee
Maine
Arkansas
Hawaii
Oklahoma
New Mexico
Nevada
Iowa
Wyoming
Kentucky
Minnesota
Wisconsin
Rhode Island
Missouri
Delaware
Montana
Washington
Oregon