After picking up the boys from school, I toss out the usual mom inquiry..."So, what did you do today? Did you have a good day?" "Yup" or "Oh, the usual" are the responses I typically get. Today though, Sam's 4th grade answer made me smile and sent me on the memory train back to when I was in fourth grade.
I had barely closed the van door, before he jumped into his seat and announced, "Guess what happened today?!" in such an excited voice, that I thought someone must have lost their lunch at a pivotal moment, or at least had bloodshed on the playground. I didn't even have to answer or wait for a delayed turn in the conversation. Before I even pulled out of the carpool line, he dove in.....
"Mom, ___ got sent to the Headmaster's office today! Because he launched applesauce from his spoon like a catapult and it splatted into a girl's hair!"...then silence from the backseat...
I should have said, "Oh really? Yes, we shouldn't do that." But, I just couldn't! The animation in his voice and picture in my mind of a little girl dripping in applesauce made me burst out laughing. After I gained a bit of composure, I looked into the rear view mirror...I think the boys were shocked at my response and my next question, "He really got sent to the office for that?!" They just looked at me and then began lamenting the fact that it was unfair that other friends had to go as well, just because they had their spoons pulled back in "ready position," but never fired...the injustice!
As I pulled out of the parking lot with a smile on my face, I recalled the one and only time I got sent to the Principal's office (not counting the times I had to sit in the hall and copy "I won't talk out loud" sentences 500 times...something about that is just wrong...didn't I have any schoolwork to do??). I vaguely remember that it was a sunny day out on the playground and I was on the teeter-totter with a certain boy...one of the cute, smart boys...one that I always longed to have attention from...however, this certain dude was also mouthy and a smarty-pants. I remember that he must have said something to peeve me, just at the moment that I realized there were a few pebbles underneath the seat of my teeter. I'm not sure what possessed me, I guess whatever he said, but I picked up the pebbles and launched them at his head! I think I missed, and I think we were both even laughing; however, the teacher was not amused...I guess I wasn't covert enough, because she saw everything, and marched over, jerked me off the play equipment and into the office. "She threw a ROCK at another student!" she spewed to the principal. I remember feeling misunderstood, confused, and also a little miffed that I was caught...and also bewildered at how it all happened in the first place!
All of these scenes ran through my mind as I heard further testimony about the misfortune of 4th grader ____. I kind of felt sorry for him, while also imagining the sound that pureed apples would make when hitting the soft fluff of girlie hair. Ah, fourth grade pranks...such a learning experience (and kind of fun)...just glad it wasn't my kids doing the pranking!
I had barely closed the van door, before he jumped into his seat and announced, "Guess what happened today?!" in such an excited voice, that I thought someone must have lost their lunch at a pivotal moment, or at least had bloodshed on the playground. I didn't even have to answer or wait for a delayed turn in the conversation. Before I even pulled out of the carpool line, he dove in.....
"Mom, ___ got sent to the Headmaster's office today! Because he launched applesauce from his spoon like a catapult and it splatted into a girl's hair!"...then silence from the backseat...
I should have said, "Oh really? Yes, we shouldn't do that." But, I just couldn't! The animation in his voice and picture in my mind of a little girl dripping in applesauce made me burst out laughing. After I gained a bit of composure, I looked into the rear view mirror...I think the boys were shocked at my response and my next question, "He really got sent to the office for that?!" They just looked at me and then began lamenting the fact that it was unfair that other friends had to go as well, just because they had their spoons pulled back in "ready position," but never fired...the injustice!
As I pulled out of the parking lot with a smile on my face, I recalled the one and only time I got sent to the Principal's office (not counting the times I had to sit in the hall and copy "I won't talk out loud" sentences 500 times...something about that is just wrong...didn't I have any schoolwork to do??). I vaguely remember that it was a sunny day out on the playground and I was on the teeter-totter with a certain boy...one of the cute, smart boys...one that I always longed to have attention from...however, this certain dude was also mouthy and a smarty-pants. I remember that he must have said something to peeve me, just at the moment that I realized there were a few pebbles underneath the seat of my teeter. I'm not sure what possessed me, I guess whatever he said, but I picked up the pebbles and launched them at his head! I think I missed, and I think we were both even laughing; however, the teacher was not amused...I guess I wasn't covert enough, because she saw everything, and marched over, jerked me off the play equipment and into the office. "She threw a ROCK at another student!" she spewed to the principal. I remember feeling misunderstood, confused, and also a little miffed that I was caught...and also bewildered at how it all happened in the first place!
All of these scenes ran through my mind as I heard further testimony about the misfortune of 4th grader ____. I kind of felt sorry for him, while also imagining the sound that pureed apples would make when hitting the soft fluff of girlie hair. Ah, fourth grade pranks...such a learning experience (and kind of fun)...just glad it wasn't my kids doing the pranking!
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