I have 17 kids!

I stayed at work this evening to watch the program put on by the 2nd and 4th grades at our school. Not because I particularly like being crammed into a gymnasium full of perfume and sweaty people with crappy manners, but because I know that it's meaningful to the kids to see me in the audience.

It gives us something to talk about when we all hang out together the next day, too.

High points included me getting to the gym early so I could sit on the top bleacher and have a place to lean back. The old fart in front of me evidently thought my knees were a place to lean back. Over and over. Without apology. Without even appearing to notice he was rubbing on me. I realize he doesn't know that I'm living with a knee that isn't right. That the fucking thing hurts all the time. But still... no concept of personal space? DUDE!! GET OFF ME!!!

I considered telling him that until he introduced himself, he wasn't going to be allowed to sit on my lap. Instead, I rolled up the little blue program for the concert that one of my kids brought to me, and made a sharp little point on the end of it. Then, I positioned it next to my knee, carefully not sticking it out any further than my knees and waited. I didn't have to wait very long, he leaned back and got poked in the shoulder. He jumped a little, but otherwise didn't react. The third time, he got the "point". HAHA. He stopped leaning on me.

The woman who sat next to me was doused in some sort of perfume. Eau de Urinal Cake, I believe. Argh. I think she also ran into a bucket of plaster or something. Or maybe she's a clown. I don't know.

But I did enjoy seeing the kids singing. I had a total of 17 kids in the program as well as a seeing a few who aren't currently enrolled but have been in the past. I got a lot of hugs, which made me smile.

When the 2nd graders performed, there was a little boy smack in the middle of the front row of the risers who smiled broadly and applauded every time the audience did. He was so delighted that he just couldn't control himself. Adorable.

Both grades sang a song that had sign language, and they were very well-rehearsed with it. It was very sweet to watch and left me a little teary. I realized that the kids who were 4th graders when I started this job are now in their junior year of college. Or if that's where they went after graduating, anyway. And made me think of how fast time really goes.

I put away my whole program this evening because the cafeteria was going to be full of 2nd and 4th graders. And I thought about the teachers who are overwhelmed with the sheer numbers of children trying to keep them from climbing the walls and messing with my stuff and decided I should put the stuff away.

That will make our morning interesting, but we'll manage. Always do.

So there's my report for the evening. I am running behind on my blog technically, although you ARE still getting a post every day. Tami.