Appreciating the world's largest rodent

Capybaras are the largest rodents in the world, grow to 140 lbs and eat each other’s feces.  These are a few facts I discovered when I googled William’s assigned rain forest animal. The project was twofold; research your animal and create a 3-D model.   The children then present their work during a morning breakfast in the kindergarten classroom.

You’d think a full month would be enough time to get this done, but we’d already sat on the assignment for a good two weeks.  William had his heart set on using paper mache (because his older brother Christopher had done a paper mache model of an ocelot for the same assignment years ago).  One thing I’ve learned from years of parenting experience - DON’T PROCRASTINATE ON PAPER MACHE PROJECTS!

It was no easy task trying to form the capybara shape.  For a good while I had William rolling up newpaper, handing me strips of masking tape, taping balls of newspaper together to make the round rump, skinny rodent legs and flat snout.  Meanwhile his brother had left the project to play basketball on the driveway.  We could hear the bounce, bounce, bounce underneath our window.   

Soon enough, William said, “Can I go out and play basketball with Christopher?” and with my nod, he bolted. I could see why.  After thirty minutes of concentrated effort, the “capybara” sat as a barrel shaped blob of masking tape and newspaper.

While they played, I worked and wondered what other kids were doing with their animals.  Were parents allowing their kids full reign on research and animal construction?  Were any other parents doing 100% of the work while their kid was playing basketball?  Most of the kids still can’t even read, I rationalized – there can’t be an expectation kindergarteners can accomplish the entire project by themselves.  Of course other parents were helping….right?

When William came back inside, he spotted the now identifiable gigantic rodent.  

“I love him,” he said as he sat on the couch cradling it as if it were a soft new puppy.  

After mixing the paper mache solution, the boys immersed themselves in the next phase.  They covered the creature in strips of wet and sticky newspaper.  They giggled, consulted each other on technique, “use little strips on the legs and really little ones on the ears” and cracked jokes about its round bottom.    

Afterwards, William wanted to hug his capybara again, even though it was sopping wet.  For bedtime, John read him a book… about capybaras, as he drifted to sleep.  This morning he ran down the stairs to see if his project had dried.  He can barely wait to do another layer of paper mache.  “Then I get to paint it!”

When the assignment came in, I dreaded it.  I said to myself, “How am I going to fit it into my busy schedule?  And of all things, couldn’t we have gotten a more attractive animal?”

It’s projects like these that make being a mom so worthwhile, but after 16 years of parenting, I still forget.

So as I mop up dried paper mache from my floor, I chuckle at my newfound appreciation for the world’s largest rodent and I’m thankful for the reminder of how fun and fulfilling it is to work together with people I love.