I worked all day today at Sequoyah Hills Presbyterian Church. It's a beautiful, sprawling campus and school and, because of the pretty weather, the daycare kids spent most of the day outside on the playground... the playground right where I was working.
I have never laughed as much as I did today. There were probably around sixty kids from 3 to 5 years old playing out there today. Of course, they're caged in like sheep (actually S.H.E.E.P. which is the name of their program and, no, I never asked what it stands for).
So I'm standing outside the fence, actually leaning on it, while my partner is aloft working. I look down to see about ten of the little loves glaring up at me, smiling and waving. I kneel down and say "Hi!" and one of the soccer-mom leader ladies tells me to just let her know if they are disturbing me and she'll corral them (I think she was checking me out in a "Desperate Housewives" sort of way. If you know me, you know that's a hilarious joke). The conversation then got interesting, and hard to interpret.
Soccer-mom leader lady - "My little friend, Bo, here wants to know what you call that truck."
Me - "We call it a bucket truck."
S-m.l.l. - "He thought it was a boom truck."
Me - "Well, some people do call it that."
S-m.l.l. - "See there, Bo? We were both right."
Bo - "Hi."
Me - "Hi, Bo. I'm Chuck, but you don't have to try to say that." (Not good for 4 year olds to attempt)
Bo - "Okay, Thuck." (Whew!)
Me - "You want to help me work today? It'll be fun."
Bo - "You mean work like picking up my toys? Nah, I'll just play."
Me - (laughing hysterically) "Well, okay. Do you like school? Do you learn a lot?"
Bo - "Yeah. What's that thing?"
Me - "It's called a chain-hoist. We use it to tension things, I mean, make things real tight."
Bo - "How old are you?" (little brat) (S-m.l.l. roars with laughter)
Me - "A lot older than you, buddy. Do you learn alot about Jesus in school?"
Bo - "Yeah. I wanna be that."
Me - "Jesus? Or a chain-hoist?"
Bo - (condescendingly) "No! When I grow up I wanna be that. What you are."
After thirty-seven long years, I have finally attained Hero status to someone. It's touching, really.
Me - "Well that means you'll have to work."
Bo - "Never mind." (and walks away)
"Hey, mister!"
Me - "Hi there."
"I'm Emma. Want to play with my doll?"
Me - "Thanks, Emma, but I better not. I might get her dirty. Are you having fun today?"
Emma - "Can I have a dollar?"
You've just read the first ten minutes of a day that went on for about five hours. There is no possible way to frown after a day like that.
And I get to go back tomorrow. Jelliss?
It's Friday, y'all!!!
