The World is Right Again

I get such a high from a good class. It seems that everything is right again in the world! This morning I woke up real cranky. The time change really messed me up and I didn't have time to do everything I wanted to do before church. I spent several minuets doing the tornado thing across the house, picking up after Shawn, and that made me irritable towards him.

Then I had to teach Sunday School. On my way out, Shawn told me not to go knocking heads. I joked, "Sometimes I'd like to whap 'em upside the face with my Bible. That's why I got the big one!!" (It's just a joke) I didn't really have time to prepare at all so I figured I'd just do Noah and the Ark since I know it so well. The kids all said I'd already done it.

Hmm. Was this my fourth time teaching already? I already had them drawing their favorite animals and asked them for suggestions about what story to talk about while I thumbed through a small Bible.

Junior mentioned something about The Chronicles of Narnia. Well, we were all drawing our favorite animals so that worked well. All of them had seen the movie except for my nieces (the twins) but they had just started reading the books.

I asked them how the Lion in the story was like Jesus and how the talking animals and the children were like us. I hadn't seen the movie, but I'm half way through my 2 pound book made up of all the Narnia books. I asked them who they thought the Witch was supposed to be and so on.

They boys were beginning to drive me a little nuts so we cleaned up and went outside to play. I figured it might wear them down a little.

It didn't.

At our church we have a small building in the back for all the kids to go to while regular church goes on. It's called Children's Church. Carol does the lesson and gives them a snack. However, I think sometimes, Carol is just too sweet a lady for some of the boys. Or at least, she seems to have a lot more patience with them than me. They don't mind her at all. And there's such a large group of kids for one person. (some kids are like 3 in one) I hadn't really planned on going to Children's Church but it just popped out of my mouth. No one asked me if I'd help, it just came to me.

After today, I think I'll help Carol a little more regularly. She seems like she sure could use it. You know, in the beginning I was a little shy of the kids. It's weird hollering at someone else's kids. I'm getting the hang of it.

Three of the boys refused to join the group at the table so I compromised and sat with them, and to keep them hushed. At one point I stood up and got my keys from pocket and jingled them just as hard and loud as I could. (I have ZERO patience for chattering and playing while Carol is speaking)

That got everyone's attention real quick. Not a sound was made. "You all need to be paying attention to this lady right here (gesturing to Carol) 'cuz she's got some neat stuff to teach you and you need to listen to her!"

Well, at least I learned to get their attention when they're all talking and Carol's trying to give the lesson.

We were learning why it was important to do our best in our work and at school. Carol got me involved and I told them how I remove stains from people's clothes. It's important that I do my best because someone might go to church wearing their best white shirt with a big 'ol mustard stain down the front and then they'd look silly, I explained.

I took note that when I talked loud like that, that the kids all shut up and listened. It was working!

Towards the middle, Phillip and Tristin were being Little Monsters again. I left to "go get" Marie, Tristin's grandmother. They both threw a fit and looked as though they might cry. Marie explained that ever since Tristin moved out of her house, he sort of went wild. The only way to control him is to threaten the belt. She said to send them both to her if they don't behave.

The two aren't so bad apart. But get Phillip and Tristin, then throw Junior into the mix and you've got a pretty wild party going on. I returned and explained to the two that they'd both be going if they didn't mind.

After a few minuets they were right back at it. "That's it! Tristin, Phillip, get you're shoes, we're going!" I barked. They were being too rough, throwing pencils, hollering, hitting... I was done. I told them so too. "No, I'm done. I said you wouldn't go if you behaved and you haven't behaved. You won't listen to me; I'm done!"

Before I knew it, Tristin and Phillip were huddled up separately in the corner under the pew. (there's a single pew along one wall, as well as a long table with chairs all around it)

I got on the floor and talked to both of them, one at time. I explained that I wasn't trying to be mean or be a strict teacher or their mother, or anything like that. I told them that I'd like to be friends. And it goes on from there.

At one point Tristin was sitting Indian Style on the floor and I sat the same way right up next to him. "Don't send me in there!" he cried. I bent low to him saying, "Look, I don't want to get you in trouble, I don't want you to be in trouble. I don't want to be mean!"

"But you are!" he said. He hid his face and started to cry a little. That absolutely broke my heart. I didn't know the Little Monster (my reference in a loving way) was capable of tears! Tears sprung into my eyes and I felt foolish for it. He wouldn't look at me at all. (Shawn says he was playing me, but I beg to differ)

"You and me are exactly alike, you know?" I told him. "Whether you want to believe it or not, we are the same. I know you want a lot of attention, so do I! You've got a lot of energy and you're loud; so am I! But you have to start listening to me a little better. You can't keep disrupting it for everyone. I want us to be friends, I think we have a lot in common. More than you know!"

I felt someone behind me. It was Marie's husband, Jim. He tapped Tristin on the head and said something stern to him, at which point I had to get up and keep 3 year Caleb from sticking his finger in a light socket! I explained how bad it would hurt and asked if he was ever burnt. He said yes, once he burned himself on the stove. I explained that by plugging something in he might hurt and it would be like a burn, only so much worse. He promised to never do it again.

When I went back to Tristin I asked him what he liked to do when he wasn't in school. He said he liked to play video games but it was taken away until he got his grades up. We talked about video games for a long time and he knew I was sincere! I'm a game-geek, what can I say?

When church was over, Carol was passing out Tootsie Pops and I got distracted somehow. Tristin came up to me. He handed me a sucker and said, "Here, I got this for you."

That's enough to make your whole week. This little boy hated me only minuets earlier! I got several drawings posted on the fridge now. That was the first thing I did when I got home. This cute little red-haired girl, Kristina, drew me with blue hair watering some flowers. I asked her if I should dye my hair blue. "Naw," she said.

Carol seemed grateful of my help. Mom popped her head in afterward and Carol said, This little girl of yours is--"
"Exhausted!" I laughed.

Carol's husband, Bob was there when I was explaining how good the kids were for me the first 20 minuets of Sunday School. "And then--" I said.
"The bottom fell out?" Bob offered. Yes, exactly!

You know the old joke about taking a kid's energy and bottling it and selling it? I now know where kids get their energy. The suck it right out of you. That's why all the adult are so tired all the time. The kids are sucking the energy right out of them.

I got a big kick out of Tristin getting me a sucker. On my way out, I shook his hand and thanked him for it. I was also walking out covered in stickers and solid green palms. I'm still not sure how my hands got so green. But I was walking out on Cloud 9.

I told Carol that all these kids are really good; just some of them don't know it yet.

She laughed.