But I Smile Anyway…

The other weekend, I had a crazy schedule on the Saturday, with parties here and there for the kids, and I knew it was gonna be a busy one. One of the parties was for my Lil Man’s friend, and it was at a venue in town, so I figured that I could drop him, and have a couple of hours me time, before I needed to pick him up, after all there is always something I could be doing!

Well, we got there, and there was hardly anyone there, birthday boy neither.  But the dad was there, and he was very polite, offering drinks and snacks while we waited.  over the course of 20 minutes the hall filled with nigh on 40 10 year olds, but there were a surprising number of little people there too… little people from my old class… then it dawned on me that the birthday boy had a sister in my old class, and it had also been her birthday too, so this was a joint party.

So that was 40 odd 10 year olds and around 20 4-5 year olds too, along with some added siblings, and mums who weren’t about to leave their child.  And still no star guests!  I have to say I was mobbed by little people, my thigh firmly hugged by my old class, and even my ‘boyfriend’ was there!

As time passed, the birthday peeps finally arrived, making quite an entrance, but not before the boy’s dad had asked me, in teacher capacity, to help him control the kids… they were running riot around the place! Now, I was off duty, but really? Can a teacher every be off duty?  We see our kids around town, in the shops, at the park, everywhere, all the time, and I for one, here “Mrs Bhathal!” all the time! So I helped him round them up, and thought once the main guests arrive, I could slip off…

Not that easy.

4-5 year olds have good grip.

I ended up in a ring with them playing Pass the Parcel, and then finally I was given a chance to slip out.

It felt lovely, though.  All these little munchkins telling me they missed me, and I genuinely miss them too! They wave at me and call my name, whenever they see me at school but I can’t get in their classroom, to spend quality time with them, any more, which is so sad.  I have another bunch of kiddies to look after now… but as I have only been with them for 7 weeks, the same bonding hasn’t really happened there yet… Though I do love them too, with their little quirks!

Anyway, I did my dash around town, I only had time for a dash as I’d been kept at the party a tad longer than I had expected, then came back to sweep up my child and get him home for a barbeque that my Hubby Dearest was organising.

Yet again I got kinda mobbed, but it wasn’t just the kids, I had parents telling me how much my not being in their child’s class had affected their child… I felt so sad.. I had made these little bundles cry! But on the flip side, I had affected them in such a way, that they had enjoyed being with me in class, and they were happy.  Hearing the parents tell me their kids ‘loved’ me, oh what an ego boost!

But truly, I felt humbled, so humbled.  A Teacher has a really hard job, but to know you have affected even one child’s life, positively, is a blessing, and to hear that so many felt that way, I felt richer than the wealthiest person on earth!!