CHANNELING TEDDY ROOSEVELT

Sophie as Teddy Roosevelt.  She's holding the stuffed animal because the "Teddy" bear was name after TR (in case you didn't already know that).
The kids in Sophie's gifted/talented class really did a great job.  They got a kick out of making silly faces for the camera.  Their characters clockwise from the left are Teddy Roosevelt, Amelia Earhart,  Oprah, Laura Ingalls Wilder, Betsy Ross, Betsy Ross (popular gal), Queen Elizabeth I, George Washington, Walt Disney, and Harry Houdini.

Sophie's G/T class was asked to choose an historical figure for a biography project.  Of the million tasks that were assigned (seriously ya'll, when did 2nd grade become as hard as my junior year in high school???) one of them was to present themselves to the class as that person in full costume.  Duane and I had stars in our eyes as we set out to reincarnate Teddy (ok...honestly, Duane was kind of psycho about it.  Not only is TR his favorite American president but he reads BOOKS about him).  Anyway, Sophie did her part by reading a TR biography and learning about his childhood and how he became President and the importance of his presidency.  Teddy was a nature boy and loved him some outdoors so we decided on the Teddy Roosevelt Naturalist costume.  Duane hit ebay for the glasses, wig, and 'stache and I hit Goodwill for the safari shirt.  The straw hat was spray painted and the leather bag was also a Goodwill find.  Duane and I were both Theatre majors and we take this stuff seriously (besides the kid of one of the Imagination Movers on Disney is in Sophie's class and we couldn't be outdone by somebody in the "biz").  The parents were invited to watch the presentations and Sophie volunteered to go first and she knocked it outta the park!  After her two minute talk she even fielded questions from the kids and totally improvised a couple of answers.  She really had a blast doing this thing.  I wish I had been as studious and outgoing as she is when I was her age!