This article appeared in the Dominion Post Newspaper on February 29

THE DOMINION POST - MORGANTOWN WEST VIRGINIA www.dominionpost.com
This article appeared in the Dominion Post Newspaper on February 29, 2004.

Mother born on Feb. 29 teaches children about leap year

Looks forward to celebrating birthday every four years

Bob Gay/The Dominion Post

Amy Hopkins McClung, 11 (or 44), reads a story while daughter Katie McClung watches over her shoulder at
Katie's first-grade classroom at Mountainview Elementary. Hopkins McClung is a leap year baby, and she
gave a presentation to her daughter's class to promote the unique day. About one in every 1,461 babies has
a chance of being born on a leap day.

BY JAMIE HENLINE

The Dominion Post

Amy Hopkins McClung is an 11-year-old mother of two.

In fact, she is the same age as her oldest daughter, Lindsey McClung, and only four years older than her
seven-year-old daughter, Katie McClung.

She said when she teases her husband, Mike McClung, about being married to an 11-year-old, he just shrugs
his shoulders.

Hopkins McClung is a leap year baby.

"I'm really curious to see if there will be any leap year babies this year," she said. "I still have The Dominion Post
article from my birth year. I will always treasure it."

According to the Web site www.leapzine.com, there is a one in 1,461 chance that a baby will be born on Feb. 29.

Hopkins McClung, who technically turns 44 today, said she really likes being a leap year baby. She said it makes
her unique.

"It's something fun and different," she said. "I always look forward to leap year."

On Tuesday, Hopkins McClung went to her daughter's first-grade class at Mountainview Elementary to talk about
leap year. She said she wants to create more of an awareness of the special day.

An actual year is about 365 1/4 days long, the time it takes the Earth to orbit the sun. To keep the seasons in
order, Julius Caeser made the calendar year 365 days and declared every fourth year a leap year in 45 B.C. Leap
years have 366 days.

Hopkins McClung said her family always makes a big deal out of her birthday during a leap year.

"We have a big party or a little party. When I was younger, I would always get some little memento on my birthday
cake that I could keep," she said. "This year my husband is taking me out of town, and on Sunday we're having a
birthday party at my parents' house."

During non-leap years, Hopkins McClung said she likes to celebrate her birthday on Feb. 28.

"Some people pick March 1, but I think that takes it out of the month," she said.

Joe Newcome, principal at Daybrook and Arnettsville elementary schools, is also a leap year baby. He turned 14,
or 56, today.

He said when it's not a leap year, he's never sure if his birthday is finished or not. He said he usually waits until
March 1 to decide how old he is, but he likes to spread his birthday out for a couple of days.

"Mostly, my age confuses me on the years I don't have my birthday. I like to spread it out over two or three days, and,
of course, I milk it for my family," he said, laughing.

Newcome said being a leap year baby bothered him when he was younger.

"Other kids had birthdays every year, and I go to parties. But I didn't have a birthday every year."

He said as he got older, however, he appreciated the uniqueness of his birthday, and it became kind of fun.

"It was always a big deal in my house, and we'd have big dinners and everything," he said, laughing. "Now, my
students think it's neat. I used to have a student who was a leap year baby, and that was our little bond."

©1996-2004 The Dominion Post