Football Star Quarterback - Miss Lori

Once again, it was one of those days where I was so ‘in the moment,’ that I had forgotten to press the on switch  to the coffee maker. My saying, kids are my coffee, was a blaring understatement today. However; nearing the end of the day I sure needed a cup of coffee. I was totally wiped out, partly due to the rambunctious nature of the kids doped up on valentine cupcakes, hot heart candies, marshmallow hearts and every other candy ever invented shaped like a heart, but also in part because it was our Valentine’s Day party and party days are always more wild and fun, requiring more energy from me than usual. Yet, I somehow oddly enough, manage to complete the regular lessons in addition to having party games, movement activities and contests, thereby creating a whole lot of intensity, busyness and fast moving little bodies flying around the room. Not sure why I do this, probably the perfectionist in me, but it might also be some deranged masochistic part of my psyche that I am in total denial about.

The day was exhausting yet at the same time rewarding. No child got slapped or scratched by another today and no child had a full blown tantrum. I feel like a football quarterback athlete who just won the Super Bowl. I seriously was on top of my game. At least I felt I was, since I was able to consistently monitor all the children to prevent anyone from having a catastrophic emotional breakdown or worse a flailing screaming tantrum. My eyes were always on the action, no matter who I was talking to or what child I was helping. My eyes darted about, my feet were firmly planted, my hands on my waist as I stood in a constant ready-to-act  any minute stance.

The biggest success was my ability to prevent the little destroyer, who is always, let’s say into everything, in getting away with his master plan to destroy me. Not today buddy - not on my watch. 

When I was talking to a parent and helping a child put their valentine’s into the correct boxes, the little destroyer saw I was momentarily unavailable and distracted,  just the motivation he needed to make his move, and he stood on the chairs, at which time I saw him out of the corner of my eye, took two giant steps, leaped over a chair, stretched over another chair and caught him in my arms. Literally within seconds I had him on the ground like a formal touchdown. 

I wanted to scream a cheer and in my head I did; “My back hurts, my skirts too tight… my wrists shake from left to right…uh huh, I got him!!! Gooooo Team!”  

There’s more, I also caught him minutes before he could reach for my business phone and stopped him from dialing, with a rapid three – step - twirl and slide, I was able to land the phone on the receiver before he could even consider dialing some distant town far away in Ireland somewhere.  

I am also very proud to say I was able to stop him mid groove, from attempting to steal a handful of other children’s valentine candies, by facing him, sitting in a chair that he was about to move out of his way, in order to sneak his stash to his own personal valentine box. Oh, was I ever onto him. This was a very strategic interception that blocked him instantly, stopping him in his tracks. His adorable shocked "Oh no, I am caught," face was priceless. I walked him around the table while he hesitantly yet carefully put back every stolen chocolate, sweetheart candy and heart lollipop that he so deviously stole. 

I feel I was a good defensive player today and I feel empowered that I was able to block the little kleptomaniac’s plan before it escalated into a full fledged chocolate war between the kids. Surprisingly every child actually ended up with the correct box and correct valentine cards and candy that were given to them. Now that’s a preschool party success story.  

Hooray!