I have the honor of being the Activity Days leader for the 10 year old girls in our congregation. This means that twice a month, I invite six 10 year olds into my house for some sort of spiritual guidance, and an activity.
This week, the activity started out OK. We watched a church produced movie, and then I had the girls sit for 10 minutes and write what they thought or felt about the movie in an “Activity Day” journal that I gave them for Christmas.
Now let me explain, I’m super good with 3 year olds, I am even pretty decent with 6 year olds because that is as far as my child development experience takes me with nieces and nephews. Any older, and I am totally awkward and out of my league. I don’t really know what 10 year olds can handle and what they can’t. Journal writing is one of them… one of the things they can’t handle, not with a pan of rice crispy treats coursing through their veins.
By the time we were sitting around the kitchen table to assemble folders, the conversation had left off with anything holy, and we were now commanded to go around the table and “admit” who we liked. I had express instructions that I could not name my husband.
One little girl, K, had been insisting repeatedly that her last name would someday be “Potter”, no wait, make that “Radcliffe.” She practiced it on her paper a few times.
The declarations of love grew more and more impassioned until all were talking at once and pandemonium ensued. Little K raised her arms calling for attention shouting, “Wait! Stop! I have something to say! Stop!” Immediately, 5 girls stopped shouting and looked at her silently, expectantly…
Shocked that everyone actually listened to her, she blushed deeply, looked down and said in a demure voice, “I love Harry Potter… OK NOW IT”S YOUR TURN!!!”
I named Legolas, the elf, and admitted that I had a framed poster of him upstairs (compliments of my husband – Christmas 2003).
After I was sure they would not be able to recall ONE churchy thing we had discussed earlier, I suggested we all get our coats and I would drive them home.
We have just installed a new “dog proof” gate leading into our kitchen so that the dogs will be prevented from eating any more loaves of bread or batches of cookies. It is a “fancy” gate with a foot latch. The finale of the night consisted of the girls lining up so that each one could depress the pedal, walk through the gate, and close it behind her so the next girl could go through and push the pedal herself. Simple pleasures my friends…
9 comments:
Well, good heavens and bless your soul! And I thought my 12-year-old class was insane. I'm sure you're gleaning some very important life lessons from this experience. (I really hate the word "glean". It reminds me of a certain art ed know-it-all professor at BYU with long fingernails. She liked to use that word a lot. "Savvy" was her other favorite word.)
"Carrie On! Carrie On! Carrie Oooon!"
You ARE a good, good person.
I was once the Den Leader for the boys in this age group. When I started, the Den Leader who had gone before me wisely warned, "Don't let them come to your house. They came to my house and stabbed my couch cushion with a pair of scissors." Maybe Cameron could use some Den Leader time.
I have had this exact experience. I, too, was the Activity Day lady for the ten year olds. I, too, had no idea what ten year olds can handle, and I, too, had a girl confess to loving Harry Potter. The only thing I didn't get to do was have a fancy gate with a pedal--which is the best thing to have in this story.
I love that they instructed you to NOT name your husband. That kills me.
You are gold, CA...pure gold.
Or do you prefer platinum? Either way, you're just PRECIOUS! ;)
You might have curried their favor much quicker if you had claimed an unrequited love for one of thoes dreamy NKOTB songsters. Oh wait, these girls are only ten. Maybe you should have just paid it forward with the Harry Potter crushes and said you had a thing for Ron. You know, like the girl who claimed she liked Ringo more than John or Paul.
Dirty Bill
You like three year olds ey'? Well I just read Carly's post and it looks like her Sun Beams teacher and you could do a little switch-a-roo...
But that wouldn't really be fair to you 10 year olds, now would it?
I HAVE done the sunbeam thing...for two and a half years! I even had Kacy & Christian's first born in my class. He's secretly still one of our faves...
You are hysterical. I'm sitting down here at midnight crying myself silly over your blogs.
After 4 years teaching 10 year olds, it boils down to this:
Lip gloss, sleep overs, boys, hanging out at the mall, and awkward hair.
Post a Comment