Preschool perks...

There’s one bummer about working fulltime in the preschool now, and that’s not being able to be around the high school kids as a sub. I was really, really enjoying that—chatting with them, being a sounding board, building relationships and trying to be an example of Christ for them.

But, there’s a lot of benefits to working with wee people. I think it keeps me young.

For example, Gretchen (the teacher) and I have really embraced being the youngest and weirdest people on the staff. We were thrown into this thing with not only no clue, but also with no furniture. So when we finally got our first table and chairs last week, we broke out our best dance moves, right there in the hallway.

Just last week, I had a particularly hard time not grabbing one of the tricycles that happened to be in the hallway and riding it down to the office, where I was headed anyway. Because, really, how much more fun is that than walking like a grown-up?

We sit in teensy chairs. We play with the kids in the teensy kitchen with the teensy fake food. We thoroughly enjoy snack time. And nap time. Sometimes, we watch Barney movies. We dance. We sing. We play with play-dough.

And my students, by their examples, have given me a whole new arsenal in my wrestling with Eric. So now, when we get to grappling because he’s sparked my fury by making fun of my grammar or trying to smell my armpit or getting on me about the endless Kim stories I tell, I can just break out their moves and win every time. My most favorite of late is my little guy’s limp-noodle move he pulls when I’m trying to get him to move from one place to another. I’m telling you, it works like a charm. I win every single time. Every. Single. Time.

So, sure, it’s a bummer not being in the high schools. But, there’s lots of perks to preschool.