Here's a typical nap time scenario: I sit as the little ones lay on the floor around me and fidget and squirm to make themselves stay awake. As the wee ones finally get numbed to sleep by the lullabys, I read important stuff on my phone like twitter and facebook, or I read a real book using my phone as a flashlight. And as the days go by and the lullabys continue to drone on, I'm beginning to believe napping for the bambinos is just a defense mechanism against these awful songs. If so, then these kids are brilliant and I'm an idiot for staying awake.
Some of the things the kiddies do as they drift off to sleepdom are, Riley lays on her mat and conducts her imaginary symphony before she drifts off to sleep. Owen cries for his mother EVERY SINGLE DAY and when he just can't keep his eyes open another second, falls asleep 6 seconds before nap time ends. Addison, who I consider a fashionista, cause this girl knows how to dress, wakes up before anyone else and talks softly to herself in the sweetest little whisper as she waits on the other kids to wake up, melts my heart.
After nap time we have snack time and then it's off to the art room where 10 three year olds (plus some older kids) arm themselves with loaded paint brushes that they attempt to use like wands waving them around the room and pointing stuff out in a manner that causes me and the lady I'm working with to duck and weave so as not to go home painted from head to toe. It's extremely dangerous work for reals. After an especially difficult painting day last week, we both agreed crayons are where it's at for the next 6 weeks. After art time it's gym time which is dangerous for different reasons because from the minute we walk in the place, the big kids use the little kids as targets for any and all play activities.
Movie time is a whole other thing. Kid's movies are some of the most sick and twisted things I've ever experienced. For example, yesterday we watched A Shark's Tale which is about a shark who happens to be a vegetarian. Ridiculous. As I was looking at my phone, a certain scene in the movie caught my eye when the father shark of the vegetarian was trying to make him eat "shrimp cocktail" which just happened to be alive and begging for his little shrimp life by giving many reasons why he shouldn't be eaten as all the other little shrimp who were also part of the cocktail were waiting to see if they were all gonna get eaten as well. I was horrified and became overcome with concern and fear for all the shrimpies. I nervously awaited the outcome fully expecting the meat eating father shark to QUICKLY gobble down the tiny begging shrimp. It was like a Freddy Kruger film for children! Thankfully at the last second, the vegetarian shark grabbed the shrimp from his shrimp eating father and sent all the little shrimp on their little shrimp way. It was a big "whew" moment for me. A kid friendly "almost" shrimp snuff movie. Wowsers. And don't even get me started on the other kid movie watched this week, Finding Nemo, which begins with the mother and hundreds of her children being eaten by a barracuda leaving Nemo and his neurotic overprotective father all alone. Then Nemo is kidnapped and sold. It leaves kids with warm and fuzzies. If children are depressed or nightmarish, therapists need look no further than to "precious" kid movies.
At 5:00 the evenings begin and consist of me recuperating from the day as well as going to Owen's 9000 degree baseball games. The big ball park games are still lasting 4 days and remain boring, but Mom and Pop attend every single game. Monday was wacky hat day at the ballpark where one boy wore a lobster claw hat and another a Dr. Seuss hat. Owen went all crazy and wore his Texas Longhorns hat that's orange and has a bold T on it. The boy is off the chain wacky.
And here's what I find I'm doing with my life.....trying on different jobs and seeing how they fit....and I'm pretty sure, although this one ends in July, summer program work may not be for me after this year. Of the three ladies I've worked with so far, all of them are teachers except for me. They all just roll different than me, and as I told them after my first few days, I'm really more of a child "herder" than anything else. Don't get me wrong, child herders are needed and necessary, but they don't fit in all scenarios as I reminded myself today while wiping a three year old's BEE HIND after going to the "real bathroom." Glamor don't live in preschool. That statement may indicate that I'm looking for glamor when in fact that isn't true. I'm just looking for coworkers or peers who can go to the bathroom without any and all assistance needed. Cause it's NEVER good when you hear a little boy or girl yell from the bathroom, "Hey! I need some help in here!" Private bathroom time is a fundamental of future job applications as I continue to look for my next vocation.
And then tonight, John and I went for a walk for the first time in a long time, and it was just as awful as it always has been.....then we saw the evening sky all lit up ahead of us and we both turned to see this.....
It was stunning. This sunset ranked in the top 5 all time most beautiful things I've ever seen in my life. And as we stood in the street and watched as it turned a thousand colors and glowed like spun gold, it really made me stop and think that God, in His infinite wisdom, said softly in my ear, "Lisa....hon....only 27 more days and then no more Kumbaya ever ever EVER again." And I felt at peace and let out a small sigh of relief.
Okay, that's not really true, BUT it DID make me stop and think that even if I was the only person on earth, God would have made a sunset just this beautiful, only for me. And it made me smile knowing that.
And that could be said about you as well.
I can feel forward progress being made in my life and it makes me say, "Ahhhhhhhhh........."
1 comment:
Love the moving forward process. Much better than sitting still.
Your description of nemo is completely hilarious!!!
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