(Second part of the story about my daughter's experience in kindergarten)

That day after school, I took Christa out for a special surprise.

"You've had a tough day," I told her. "I think you deserve a special treat."

"I hope it's ice cream!" she said with a big grin. (Ah, the resiliency of children!)

We went to Build-A-Bear, a wonderful shop where kids can make their own stuffed animals. (www.buildabear.com.) She selected a white puppy and named it Angel. I wanted her to have something to hold and hug if she got scared. I also wanted the stuffed animal to remind her that God was watching over her--hence the "Angel" name.

After that, it was off to eat pizza and--yes!--ice cream.

During the weekend, we talked with the principle and with Christa's teacher. We kept a close watch on Christa, talking with her about it when she wanted to and stopping when she said she didn't want to talk anymore. Her three older siblings rallied around her too, which was wonderful to see. She slept well all weekend--no nightmares.

I learned that the boy involved lives with his grandparents and has no contact with his mom and only limited contact with his dad. So, there is some instability there. But, up until this point he had never caused a problem in the class.

Our hope is that Christa felt loved, protected and secure--and that she would recover quickly from being threatened. If, for some reason, Christa was afraid in the classroom, then the boy would be moved out of her class. Christa continued to say he was her friend and that he was sorry. Once again, I admired how quickly young children forgive.

To Be Continued