Seeing "yellow"

Kendall came home with her first "bad note" today.

And Mommy is not happy about it. (Of course, now I feel a little bad about the way I acted after I saw the note.)

Every day the teacher signs a behavior chart with "yellow 1," "yellow 2," or "red" circle. (Behavior was "green" unless otherwise noted.) Kendall ALWAYS has nothing noted.

So imagine my surprise when I opened her folder today and found this.

"Instead of reading, Kendall was playing and being very disruptive to others."

OH NO SHE DIDN'T.

I think Kendall could tell that it wasn't a good move on her part to play around during reading time. I held it all in, did not raise my voice ...

I, instead, handed her a piece of paper and a pencil and told her to start writing an apology note to Mrs. Nations. It was very simple ... something along the lines of "I'm sorry for being disruptive. I will try better to be good." (Side note: I had to hide my excitement when I didn't have to spell some of the words for her. Giggle, giggle.) Then we put the note in her folder with the behavior chart.

And Kendall did the unthinkable.

She started crying. Not sobbing, like she was in trouble. This was a new cry. Like she honestly felt sorry for the way she behaved. I tried to explain to her that being disruptive is not only bad for her (she's not paying attention), but it is also bothersome to her classmates. Did she really want to bother her friends that way? Did she want her friends to get in trouble for not paying attention?

Then she cried harder because she was afraid her friends were going to be mad at her.

OK, so needless to say, after I promised to tell Daddy about the "yellow #1," Kendall was a complete wreck for the rest of the night. She was clingy ... apologetic ... "Mommy, I promise to listen tomorrow." And hopefully it will be a while before I get another note like this one.

*Another side note -- I don't know if I'm more upset with Kendall or the use of the adverb "very." Very insinuates that she was more disruptive than others ... more disruptive than usual ... like it should almost be a "yellow #2" offense ...