Lunch Lady Confessional

It's that time again.  Confession time.

I love working lunch duty for Myles's school lunch.  I am known as "Myles's Mom" to all of the little tykes.  I love to help the kids, meet his classmates, and get inside scoop on his friendships.  Some of the kiddos, during these first few weeks of school, appeared completely bewildered with the lunch process and I am so glad that there are moms there to help each and every one of them.  I take Jillian with me every time I go and I also love watching her blend right in with the kindergarteners.  I pack her a lunch and she just pluncks right down at his class's table and eats it.  Today it was so fun to see Myles actually get up from his friends and go and sit with her.  That was a first.  Adorable.  So - I love it and I will keep doing it.  (Especially since Myles begs me to come on my days off.)  I just want to put that all out there before I get to the nitty gritty truth about lunch with six classes of kindergartners.

They are sticky.  Everything is sticky actually.  There is milk splashing, pasta sauce smearing (all over my skirt), applesauce spilling, and tubes of yogurt popping...everywhere.  Many kiddos will suck on things and then ask you to open them.  Everyone has to go to the bathroom.  Everyone.  All the time.  (Despite the fact that only two girls and two boys can leave with the bathroom pass at any given time.)

How about the little guy last week that had something SO IMPORTANT to tell me.  I got down to his level to hear him better, but it just wasn't close enough.  So, I got even closer.  Really close.  I'm thinking...oh no...the poor little guy probably peed his pants and he doesn't want anyone else to hear.  Nope.  He says, "Last night...I puked all over my bed."  Awesome, kid.  So glad I got right in your face to hear that.  Annddd...why is he at school today?  I think you all already know that I am a germophobe.  Ick.  That doesn't even begin to address the runny noses, snotty sneezes, and bodily fluids that are everywhere.  There is just something different about your own kids boogers, right?  Then, of course, there was the kid who had a used diabetic needle in his lunch box that his mom "must have accidentally packed in my lunch after she used it on my brother."  Again, awesome.

I have always appreciated teachers.  They are wonderful people and they have patience to manage gads of kids with grace and composure.  After working lunch for the last three weeks, that respect has increased ten fold.  I am always just fine leaving after my half-hour duty is over.  Seriously,  I love kids...but I don't know if I could handle everyone else's kid day in and day out.  I'm happy minimizing my exposure to just my own kids full time.

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On another - less messy note.....

The WINNER of my very first giveaway is......drum roll please.......

'Sina from Field of Poppies!

               

Please email me (nicole_bruinekool@sbcglobal.net) with your address for shipping!  The next giveaway will be unveiled soon!