Who Knew? A History Lesson on the US Penny

We already know that I am not smarter than a particular 5th grader ,but last night when I realized that I am not smarter than a particular Kindergartner, it was a little disconcerting, alarming, demoralizing...(insert adjective here) to say the least. Now, I have never been much into history and have no desire to be a historian, much to my father-in-law's dismay, but as an American who has spent years collecting pennies in a wine jar and even more years spending these shiny copper coins, you would think I would know a thing or two about our U.S. currency/coins.

Um-no!

Take a look at this picture:

What do you see?

Tails, the back of a penny, the Lincoln Memorial, 12 pennies? All good answers and ones that proudly and quickly came to my mind.

Ok, let's get a little closer:

How about now? Anything else?

My pride quickly diminishes as I think that this is a trick question in an attempt to wipe away any dignity that I have left.

Oh, you need me to get closer?

Do you see it now? No? You need me to get even closer yet?

Ok, closer, closer... (prepare yourselves)

There it is! (pay no attention to that litle microchip that is taking away from the focal point of my lesson here, it's the only picture I could find that actually shows what I didn't know existed.)

Who knew that there was actually a tiny picture of Lincoln sitting inside the Lincoln Memorial on the back of a penny? Please tell me you did not know this, paleeaasse!! Tell me it isn't so. (that was a rhetorical question, by the way, you didn't have to rub it in!)

The only saving grace here is that my husband, who is much smarter than me, especially when it comes to U.S. history, did not know this either. But now, our cover has been stripped away likes stripes off of a Zebra. The wizard behind the curtain has been exposed. Our 5 year old son now knows that his parents do not, in fact, know everything!

I guess the silver lining here is that our son is getting a quality education and learning more than we, his parents, can teach him! I guess this does not speak highly of the education that both my husband and I received at Charles E. Riley Elementary (yes, we went to Elementary school together). Sigh!

I'll just be behind this curtain if you need me, pretending that I know everything and I'd appreciate it if you would join me!