It's Thanksgiving Already?

I've had the pleasure of joining my neighbors or my "other family" for Thanksgiving on many occasion. They usually have a huge gathering every year and they never know just how many will be joining them. They're kind of rowdy :), but my cheeks usually end up hurting by the end of the day from all the laughing I've been doing. Blood or not...these people are family. When we lost Grandma earlier in the year, everyone mourned in their own way. Every event, big or small I've thought of her this past year. Thanksgiving was no exception. I found myself longing to hear the shuffle of her feet, or the little humming she would do that would at times drive you nuts. I saw her favorite coconut cake and wished I would find her just one more time sitting in her recliner eating a small bite, watching her great grandchildren playing around her. I have never missed her more. I have never missed shouting so loud I thought I might cave the roof in since that was the only way she could hear, and then her promptly respond with " you don't have to shout! I'm not deaf!". I miss walking in the house and being able to hear Jeopardy blaring from the back room. I miss watching old game shows with her and her telling me each time I came that there was never anything good on tv anymore. "All the soap operas on tv are just filthy these days. Garbage, nothing but garbage." I had to clip her toe nails once. I don't miss that :). She would have had a good time today watching all her babies and shuffling around. Whether we all said it or not we were all thinking the same thing: I wish Grandma was here. It's funny how many people you have coming in and out of your life, and how some people never leave. Grandma may not be with us in body any more, but she's with us in spirit..probably wagging that finger at us telling us to behave! " I'll try Grandma. I'll try."

Never a Dull Moment

You may think you lead an exciting life but try topping my afternoons. I go into work at the daycare center at noon usually, unless I'm needed to cover an earlier shift. All the kids are laying down for naps by this point and I'm in one room from 12-2 to give the women who've been there since 7 a lunch break. So I'm sittin there right, and all of a sudden about all 20 kids magically have to go the bathroom. Then we run out of toilet paper. Then kids are cryin because it's too cold. Finally peace and order is restored and naptime is offically in progress.I look up at one point and half the kids are sleeping with their butts in the air and half are either coughing or farting. It's true...every. single. word. I can't even make this stuff up yo. Kids are amazing. You have your senstive ones who cry at the drop of a hat. Then you have the ones that yell and kick or throw little tantrums. My favorite ones are the dramatic kind. I caught one kid in my class ( which is the afterschool class ranging from 5-12) literally dragging himself on his stomach across the gym floor saying " oooh my kneeee!" and then BAM 2 minutes later he's kicking a ball to another kid. It's amazing how that happens. I found one little girl slurping milk off the table. Another kid was dumping glitter in the glitter box and then I walked over to discover The Great Flood by the water fountain. I'm guessing it was the short ones who couldn't reach and decided that trying to throw water in the direction of their mouths seemed like a good idea. Someone wised up today though and I found a chair by the water fountain. I have grown to love each and every sigle one of those kids but boy can they wear you out. That being said I'm going to go wash away the glitter and glue stuck between my fingers and hopefully not dream of farting 3 year olds. God bless their little hearts.

" You Wanna Smell My Tootsiie Rolll? "

So I started a new job this week. Unbeknownst to me I'm teaching an after school class at the daycare my son attends. I didn't realize when I was hired that taking care of 23 rowdy children BY MYSELF, with no prior experience was what I was going to be doing. Not that I'm complaining....just venting. Which I'm allowed to do occasionally :). These are great kids with alot of potential. They are also great kids with an unfortunate hearing disabilty that is apparent everytime I talk. I brought a megaphone with me today in hopes that that would get them to listen. With this crowd I think I'm going to need an airhorn. I've never yelled so much in my life. They obviously have me confused as their doormat and personal maid because when I say "clean up after yourself", they hear " please leave your area as messy as possible then go on and play with something else leaving me to clean up after you." No ma'am, no beuno.
I will never in my life forget that first bus ride with them. I was on the smaller bus that picked up just a few kids everyday and as they're all talking, I distinctly heard a little girl in the back say to another little girl " you wanna smell my tootsiie rolll?" I just kept looking straight ahead and tried not to snort with laughter. Thankfully the little girl's comment to her friend can be easily explained in that it was Monday and the day before was Halloween. So every little boy and girl was just coming off of a weekend long sugar high and Tootsie Rolls and Reese's Peanut Butter Cups were still making appearences up and down the ailes of the bus. Lord help me.

By Wednesday I was getting pictures made for me and children whose names I still don't know were coming up to me and giving me hugs. So they like me....but don't listen to me. We can work on that though. It's clear that some of these kids don't come from good homes. That hugs and a simple " good job " are hardly ever heard, and most are starving for attention. So I got more then I bargained for when I was hired for this job. I thought I was just going to be babysitting with someone else. Despite the unexpectedness of having to plan crafts and help with homework and the constant 3 hours of yelling " Dont hit!" " Don't make me tell you again!", I've found myself in the unique position of making a difference in these kid's lives. I'm definitely being challeged, literally and figurtively but a challenge never killed anyone...it usually makes us stronger. I'm not going to lie though, I can't wait for the weekend.