Monday, January 18, 2010

Lunch with Big Kid

On Thursday I was invited to eat lunch with, go to recess with and read a story to Big Kid's class since he was student of the week.

I brought McDonald's and as kids filed into the cafeteria, they gathered around me. "You're Big Kid's mom?" "Is that McDonald's?" "I like hamburgers." They fought for seats near me, leaving the one next to me empty for Big Kid. His face lit up when he saw me there (with McDonald's).

The tables are round and hold 12 people. So I attempted to eat lunch with 10 wide-eyed little people peering at me from above their sandwiches and lunchboxes. Timidly, one of them attempted conversation and once they realized I would talk to them, they competed for my attention and told me that their mom had a baby a year ago or that they had two houses, one mom house and one dad house, and someone would shout to interrupt with the helpful information that if babies ate a Barbie shoe, they could die. I could barely understand what they were saying but attempted to seem engaged and interested.

It was surreal. Also, first graders have really big heads. This one teeny, tiny pale little guy with gigantic eyes stared at me with his head pushed all the way forward, like he was straining his neck to get the closest look possible and slowly munched his sandwich, never taking his eyes off of me. He eventually worked up the courage to tell me that he liked hot dogs. First graders are weird and are super funny.

I also got a first hand look at the situation with Big Kid's one true love (of the year) and her best friend who conspires to keep them apart. From what I can tell, this little group of 3 girls likes to make Big Kid chase them around the playground. Duh! They all like you! They love you, in fact! I assured him.

"No, dey hate me. I hafta chase 'em all da time to be near 'em!"

I've tried time and time again to explain that the more a girl acts like she hates you, the more she's probably in love with you (at least while you're in elementary school). He tried time and time again to explain that these girls are running from him screaming, clearly they don't love him.

After witnessing the running away screaming, I can tell they do indeed love him. I don't know why we are so fond of mixed signals as females, but it starts young. Poor Big Kid. He chases them, but he wishes they'd quit running.

8 comments:

Karlise said...

Ahh I've done lunch with ODS both in K and 1st grade. It's quite an experience!

Human runner said...

Is that the type of experience I can look forward to in a few years? :-)

Children used to scare the crap out of me. I could talk to people 50, 60, or 70+ years my senior, but I'd start stuttering whenever I'd have to communicate with someone younger than 18.

Now that I have a kid, I am much better at talking to children. Nice to see my mom skills kicking in.

Lindsey said...

oh to be six again and chase boys on the playground! ha

hope you had a nice lunch date with big kid! :)

Angela Tolsma said...

this is just to funny! I loved working in a kindergarden class for this reason!!

Jennifer said...

Aw, poor Big Kid. They do love him for real. I remember those days.... and it won't be long before I have one of those little girls. Actually, I have one now. I need to examine this a little more closely.

Anonymous said...

I love that you live in a school district where they let you come in and have lunch with your kids. That rocks. I'm not sure I could have faced Big Kid's teacher after the fiasco with her hubs in the AM. Hopefully you didn't have to see her. (You may want to inform her that Big Kid is unaware of the move so she doesn't say something stupid to him like 'My hubs would really like to bring people into your house to sell it, Big Kid. Can you ask your mom if that's ok?' In my experience, people are just that stupid.)

Unknown said...

Meg, he has 2 teachers and luckily, I usually deal with the other one. I do see the one married to the idiot on occasion but not since the incident. I would think her husband would have mentioned his plan to drop by--wouldn't you have told him NOT to do that?? Maybe he didn't, but still. Makes me wonder about both of them.

Anonymous said...

Makes me wonder too... Hopefully she didn't know and my faith in humanity doesn't have to be shaken LOL! Love what you're doing here, you crack me up.