“You Got a Bunch a Kids or Something?”

I’m not sure if I’ve already mentioned it, but this is my 11^th year of teaching.  All of that time has been spent in the lower primary grades, primarily in Kindergarten and First Grade, and I also did a one-year stint with the “big kids” up in Second Grade.  My heart truly is with the little ones.  Being a part of teaching a child to read…well, there really is nothing else like it.  

My first year was in Kindergarten, so fast forward 11 years and these kids are now bona fide teenagers.  I see some of them every now and then…at the Fair in the summer, or at various sporting events throughout the school year, and just the other day one of them even bagged my groceries!  Mind you, seeing them around town is one thing, but seeing them working, as in a real job, is quite another.  Though I was, of course, thrilled to see this student, seeing her at her job, at her place of employment, was quite a slap in the face as to just how quickly these past 11 years have gone by. 

I stumbled a bit because I was so taken aback, but I quickly recovered and gushed about how wonderful it was to see her, and truly it was.  We chatted for a teeny tiny bit, she was working after all, and then I bid my farewell. 

I was back at the store a few days later, and, once again, she was there to bag my groceries.  I was a bit more graceful this time and commented how lovely it was that I was getting to see her again.

“Yeah,” she said, “I see you in here, like, every day now.  You got a bunch a kids or something?”

It was so hard not to laugh out loud!  I did manage to hold it together, though, as I bumbled, “Um, well, no, just two.”

Was I really in there, like, every day?  Not quite, but dang near close, I tell ya’. 

As I bid my farewell and walked away I thought:

Wouldn’t it be great if I were one of those moms who actually plans her family’s meals in advance, and not on the drive home from work?  Wouldn’t it be great if I could be one of those moms who clips coupons, saves cookie crumbs for ice-cream toppings, and shops for groceries only once a week?

The fact of the matter, though, is that I’ll never be one of those moms.  I’ll always be the one trying to pull dinner out of a hat at the last minute.  And when it comes to things like clipping coupons, well, even if I did manage to actually clip them, I would most certainly leave them at home…buried in a stack only to be found months after their expiration date.  It's just not in me to be Supermom.   

Looking on the bright side though, cuz’ that’s just the kind of gal I am, at least I’ll get to see my former student “like, every day now!”  And really, that’s not such a bad thing now, is it?