Crazy

All the projects are about finished. The whole ornament a day thing we do is fun for the kids and although it's fun for me, it's also a pain in the ass. Some of the things we did this year require more drying time than we have in just the two hours or so in an afternoon. So I have to leave them drying on their paper plates on the art table. I put them away the next morning so I can give them to the kids after school.

The problem is, the kids who only attend in the morning want to make whatever project it was, and I can't say no, so then I end up with another bunch of wet projects. And I have to let those dry in non-existent extra space in the back room until the next morning when of course there's another project we've done in the afternoon and then the morning kids want to do that one and, and, and....

I have finally had to just say that if you miss out on a project because you weren't there on the day we made it, you will just have to miss one. Still make sure the morning and afternoon kids get to do the projects, but it helps a little to be able to tell Dave* that we made that project on Tuesday and I'm sorry he wasn't there, but would you like to make the snowglobe we're making this afternoon?

Also, do you remember being a child and remember the excitement of the holidaze and waiting for school to get out? The final week contained nothing much in the way of academic stuff, everyone was beside themselves with being excited about the upcoming holiday and the fact that there was going to be NO SCHOOL during the next couple weeks.

Things like walking instead of running in the hallways, being respectful to your friends by not doing things like taking their toys out of their hands or telling them they 'smell poopy', putting away toys when you're done with them... well, forget it.

So of course I can't beat it... may as well join 'em.

So Friday afternoon will be a showing of the original Grinch, popcorn to go with the movie, games, prizes, the limbo, music (karaoke!!) and other things designed to allow them to move, have fun, make noise and relax a bit.

I'll get out the ping pong, the pool table, the foosball table.. we'll play BINGO and just... hang out. I won't be expecting them to do things they're not capable of doing... things like sitting quietly for any period of time.

All the projects will be going home with them.
I'll have to put away my entire program so the floors can be done during the break, so I'll be choosy about what I bring out.

In addition, I will have to take a ton of things with me to the break time program at my old school. It's going to be, well, crazy.

But my reward will be that I don't have to get up at 5 until January 5th.
I'll take it.