If a Picture is Worth a Thousand Words Then I'm Taking Several Hundred to Work Tomorrow

I know that it has been while since I have posted a blog. 
I can tell because the words waiting to be written tumble around in my head like clothes in the dryer.  I am just too tired to think let alone form coherent thoughts.  The first month of Kindergarten is always excruciating.

Seriously. Ask any teacher of little ones.

The first week it is all I can do to drag myself to the car and get home before I dissolve into a puddle of sore feet, a sore throat and sore ears.  My feet are sore because it has been six to eight weeks since I have spent the majority of eight hours standing and walking around on a concrete floor.  That doesn't even include the pounding my feet take when chasing a crying five year old who has decided that Mom didn't kiss him enough times.

The second week my patience wears thin as I explain for the umpteenth time that urinals are only used while standing and should never be sat upon. 

Or touched. 

Sometime this week I realized that I must repeat EVERYTHING I say a minimum of five times.  It's not always a case of a child that just doesn't listen.  Kindergartners are generally eager to please and EXCITED BEYOND ALL CONTROL just to be at school.  Usually each comment must be repeated so many times simply because school language is so different from everyday language. 

What follows is a typical one sided conversation as I tried to get one small body sitting appropriately on our group time carpet.

"Sweetie, sit on your bottom. No that's sitting on your feet.  Sit on your bottom.  Your bottom.  Ummm, sit on your behind.  No, sit down.  On the floor.  No! Don't move off the rug, just sit!  Down.  Umm okay, honey, just, ummm, just sit on your butt.  Alright everybody that's no reason to laugh so loudly. You've heard people say butt before!  Okay!  Good job!  Now scoot up a little. No not that way!  Scoot forward.  That's backwards.  Scoot towards me.  No that's sideways.  Scoot towards the front of your body. No! Don't bend!  SCOOT. STRAIGHT. AHEAD.  Oh, Sweetie, I'm not mad at you I just thought maybe you couldn't hear me so I had to use my loud voice. Here, I'll just move you. This is called scooting forward....."

Running a close second to the number of words I have to say each day are the number of words THEY say.

I'm not even kidding.

Five year olds have a lot to say and it is all VERY  important to them and it must be said immediately.

Out loud.

At several thousand decibels.

Now halfway into our third week, I am no longer taking Advil as soon as I get home and I've been able to stay awake until at least 10:30 each night. However, I am still having to say waaaay too many words. 

My co-worker says we should be paid by the word. 
If words were worth a penny, I'd be a billionaire by now.

Even so, this is the best job ever. The people I hang out with all day sometimes have to take a picture of me with Mom's cell phone at dismissal time just in case they miss me at night.

You should all be so lucky!

Just sayin...............