From A to Zed?!?

Do me a favor y'all... sing the Alphabet Song. Go ahead. Sing it.

If it makes you feel any better, I'll sing it with you.

Ready. Set. Go!

A-B-C-D-E-F-G... H-I-J-K-LMNOP... Q-R-S... T-U-V... W-X... Y-Zed.

Ha! Gotcha! You heard me, I said "Zed". Betcha didn't see that coming, now did ya?!

Where is this coming from, you ask? Well... we went to Orientation last Thursday night for Junior Kindergarten. Yes, my little sweetpea will be starting full-day, lunchbox and backpack, flashcards and library cards, mommy-can't-walk-her-inside-the-classroom, big-kid-school JUNIOR KINDERGARTEN in September. September! Three months from now. Did I mention that it's in a big kid school where she'll be the littlest kid? And did you hear the part where they told me I was forbidden from dropping her off inside the classroom, that I just have to leave her at the curb with one of the aides?! September. Three months. My baby. Real school. Where did the time go?!

I digress.

As I was saying, we were at Orientation last week. One of the dads asked a teacher for clarification on the last letter of the alphabet.

Excuse me? Clarification? It's the freakin' alphabet... it's the same everywhere.

WRONG!

The answer I heard come out of that teacher's mouth was "well, Americans say Z but Canadians say Zed. It's Zed. Always Zed." And that's the point where I packed up Savannah's stuff, grabbed her by the wrist, and made a run for the nearest exit! Oh, I kid. We didn't really run away... instead I raised my hand and asked if it would be okay for Savannah to say "Z" because we ARE American.

Seriously. I did.

Orientation was setup in four different rotations. In the first rotation, we learned about the school's reading program. Impressive. Really impressive. I think I like the Canadian school system. The second rotation was play-doh fun. It also happens to be the rotation where the letter "Zed" first made its appearance. Strike One against the grand ole Canadian school system! The third rotation was a cut-and-paste center, where Savannah absolutely amazed me by writing her name. Y'all, she WROTE her name. We've been trying to draw the letter S for months, to no avail... but she learned. And she's proud. And let me tell ya, that child has one LONG name. The fourth and final rotation was an alphabet center. This station was particularly enjoyable because we got to meet Savannah's JK teacher... the hyperactive, child-loving, crazy but passionate Mrs H that will shape our little one's first year in "real" school. This is also the station where I decided I will never again sing the Alphabet Song...

Y'all, "Zed" does not rhyme with "Vee"... it just doesn't. And the Alphabet Song doesn't sound right when it doesn't rhyme... it just doesn't. And I can't bring myself to sing "X-Y-Zed"... I just can't. By those little pre-JK kids did it. Every single one of them sang "X-Y-Zed" instead of "X-Y-Z", even my sweet Savannah. And a cried a little tear.

Apparently this is just the beginning of the confusion for my sweet little S. First it's "Zed". Then it's that stinkin' extra "U" in words like "colour" and "favourite". Next it will be "Oh Canada" instead of the "Star Spangled Banner". Dare I mention that she's decided she wants a brown and white kitty named "Vlinter"... except we live in Canada, so it will have to be "Vlintre"?! Someone rescue my poor multi-national child!!