What's the capital of Montana?

So, I was sitting in Primary with Makenna (I'm one of her teachers) as class was winding up and an interesting realization came to me...

One of our visiting 5 yr. olds said out of the blue, "I know all the states and their capitals."
"Oh, that's great," said Sister Ash (the other teacher) "So, what's the capital of Hawaii?" "Honolulu," replied Ellie.
"Wow! What's the capital of Nevada?", Sister Ash asked.
"Carson City," Ellie said.
"Wow! I didn't remember that. What's the capital of Montana?"
"Helena," mumbled Ellie as she munched on her saltine cracker.
Makenna bursts in, "Oh, I know that movie. I've seen 'Hannah Montana' on T.V." (It's a Disney Channel original series about a girl who's stage name is the same as the title.)

O.K. ...I thought...Ellie, here, knows many of the states and their respective capital cities and my child can only associate "Montana" with a T.V. show. YIKES! If that's not a sad commentary on how differently these two children have been made to spend their summer vacation. Being a teacher by profession, I was left with a little pang of guilt, feeling that I had not worked with her or Brooklyn enough to get them ready for school. With summer nearly over, "coulda', shoulda', woulda' " is very appropriate.

However, I'm telling myself I shouldn't feel too bad. These past several months have been crazy for us. Keeping our family afloat has been accomplishment enough. And then I start remembering a couple experiences from within the last week. My teaching skills have not gone to waste.

As I continue to sub occasionally for the music leader in Primary, I often tell the kids that I know when they are singing with the spirit, because I get goosebumps. That means I can feel the Holy Ghost teaching me through their music. Last week at church, one of the young women played "I Know that My Redeemer Lives" on her violin. During the song, Makenna leaned over to me and said, "Mom, she's playing really good. Do you know how I know? I've got goosebumps on my arms." She had felt the spirit and I had helped her to learn how to recognize it. Nothing to feel guilty about there. And it didn't stop at that. Today, during another musical number, a child sitting behind us said, "I feel goosebumps. Their song is pretty." Hey, I must be doing some things right! How great it is to reap what you sow even if it is something as simple as helping a child's testimony grow.

So, maybe my daughters won't be the "brainiest" of their classmates; maybe they won't get straight A+'s - but, they will go to school everyday knowing who Jesus Christ is, that he is with them, that the Holy Ghost testifies of him. And they'll know all that because their mother taught them.

Capital of Pennsylvania, anyone?