The lights are off in the kitchen. School is out for summer.
It's hard to believe. Some weeks were painfully slow and others flew by.
Here's what I learned.
I love the third grade talent show. Do you remember thinking you could do anything? Do you remember having enough confidence to sing in front of your peers. To dance in front of your peers. To throw caution to the wind and just bust out some karate moves? I watched one of our autistic students sing So Happy Together with his teacher, I saw some fast footwork to the Party Rock Anthem and I heard a cute rendition of Amazing Grace. They played recorders, they sang, the did gymnastics. Those kids are brave.
Chicken nuggets are not a popular face painting selection. This year on fun day I mostly behaved although I did sneak a quick slide down one of the blow ups before Dr. Principal could ban me. (thanks, Kristin). Last year I broke my foot and jacked up my summer plans. Like usual, I face painted and tried to convince the kids that they wanted broccoli, carrots and chicken nuggets on their face. Stupid snakes and pawprints kept winning.
Kids don't notice appearence. My boss busted up her face and nary a kid notice save one little boy we never would have expected too. Not only did he notice but he expressed grave concern for her and wished her well. A few months ago when he opened a fortune cookie proclaiming him a future community leader, I had doubts. But now, I think that cookie may have been onto something.
Every year those kids get to me. Just like my own kids, at times they drive me crazy. But the hugs and the miss yous and the will you sign my yearbooks all sort of wipe the slate clean and help me to remember why I love elementary students.
My boss. For 30 years, my boss has been in a school kitchen. She made me laugh everyday we worked together. She taught me how to properly cut a cauliflower, how to fold a towel and how to put the toliet paper roll on right. I am trying to convince her to allow me to write a book about her. Words cannot express how much I will miss her.
Enjoy your retirement. The kitchen will not be the same without you.
I'm sure your boss's retirement won't really hit you until next year.
ReplyDeleteCan we expect "lessons from the pool" again this summer?
Re: the third grade comment.
ReplyDeleteHeck - over the winter when I'm with my over the hill gang in AZ, I sing AND dance in front of them. I don't care if I look like an idiot. Half of them won't remember in the morning anyway - they're two sheets to the wind (similar to me).
re: your boss
Maybe you could do a post on what IS the correct way to cut a cauliflower? :)
Have a good summer with your kids. But I'd recommend you not paint chicken fingers on their faces; just feed them to them.
Can't believe it was only a few short months ago that you started another school year's worth of Lessons for us! I don't have kids in school anymore, but it sure doesn't seem like they should be done with another year already.
ReplyDeleteHave a wonderful summer and I can't wait to hear some things from poolside!