snippets

Matt tells me I should share this story of my time trying to leave preschool last week. You may not know, but I teach two days a week of preschool at our church's mom's day out program, and the boys attend. Last year I had to use a stroller to get in and out with three lunches, three sets of coats/mittens/etc. (we started mid-year last year when it was cold out) and a babe who had just started walking two months before. Since then Caleb has learned to "walk with mama" so now we just carry all the stuff. We walk in with two backpacks, a purse, three lunches, and sometimes jackets these days. And usually, two lovey bears. We walk out with all that plus several "art" projects that are usually dripping off pieces and parts as we go. I am usually dehydrated by the time we are leaving and need my drink in the car on the way home. Who can stop to drink when you are caring for 11 2.5 year olds and keeping them all as busy as possible so they will stay happy? So, I got the bright idea to pour my cherry coke zero into a previously emptied water bottle so I could tuck it somewhere without worrying about it spilling. This does not seem to be a bad plan. Pop goes in bottles all the time. They sell it that way in vending machines and grocery stores everywhere, right? So, I put it in my purse, and put that over my shoulder. We eventually traipse our way to the time clock so I can check out. Here there are many things to distract the boys, so of course the few items I have enticed them to carry down the hallway get thrown to the ground and they start pulling out things from the toy storage bin or the lost and found. I am bending down to help Caleb get his bear and put away the toys (again) when suddenly the bottle explodes all over my side and back. It is dripping in my purse, down my leg, into my shoe, all over the floor. I am right in the doorway blocking traffic of other moms and kids trying to leave. So down everything goes again while I find some paper towels to try to at least get my back dry, because this drink was still cold, and I didn't want that against my side! We finally got all the right things in the right places and made it out to the car. Maybe I should bring a wheelbarrow. Or just take the stroller even though no children are in need of it!

While on the subject of preschool, let me just say that easy ups are the bane of my existence. Most of the time my boys are barefoot at home, so we use easy ups here too on occasion. But at preschool when trying to accomplish 11 diaper changes in 10 minutes, taking off a child's shoes and socks and everything in order to use an easy up is the pits. (I think most people reading this blog know what I'm talking about, but just in case, easy ups function like underwear, while diapers can be put on without having to stick the feet through anything.)

Why I love preschool:
-four hours a day that my darling kids are being loved and educated by someone other than me :-)
-hearing one of my three non- English speaking students talk. I love to hear them speaking and singing their own languages (two Japanese, one Korean), and earlier this week we started hearing some English words!
-I may be surrounded by kiddos, but there are also other adults around at all times
-once we're home, Ian tells me the most elaborate details of all he learned, what the other kids did, what his teachers said, and especially his Bible story. Right now he mixes up Daniel and Jonah sometimes, but hey, they both were in trouble and big animals were involved, so he's categorizing. :-)