I wanted to share a few stories from my week in Arizona with Jen and her family. First, I can't express enough how great it was to spend some quality time with Jen for literally the first time since high school. We see each other a couple times per year at most if we are lucky enough to be in Ohio visiting family at the same time. However, during those few hours we spend trying to catch up sharing stories of recent tales & plans for the future or laughing over old memories I always say good-bye with so much left unsaid. So, to be able to share a week with Jen and her family was greatly appreciated and rare.
One afternoon I had the opportunity to go back to 3rd grade and sit in on Jen's 3rd grade classroom. Although Jen (Mrs. Morgan) had told her class how we knew each other we still got the, "Are you sisters?" comment that we've received periodically since we were in grade school together. It was crazy to sit and observe these young children holding back the excitement that builds as summer vacation approaches and try to remember what Jen and I were like as 3rd graders, as we were in the same 3rd grade class back in Brimfield, OH. I wish I would have counted how many times I heard Mrs. Morgan say, "Now boys & girls...", "Boy and girls lets think about what kind of choices we're making." "Boys & girls please put away your personal choices and get out..." Why is it never "Girls & boys??" haha
The Mrs. Morgan role and mother role is surely hard for Jen to turn off. I didn't point this out to her until my last evening there, but every time during the week that I would just mention, "I'm going to stop in the restroom." or "I'm going to go outside and walk while I make a phone call." Jen would always reply, "That's fine." At the beginning of the week I didn't quite understand where the response was stemming from. However, my first hour of 3rd grade quickly revealed my answer. Anytime one of her students asked permission to do something Mrs. Morgan often replies, "That's fine." Obviously, if it's fine. Except there was one boy who approached Jen just after lunch and recess who asked to go to the bathroom with which his reply was something along the lines of, "You had your whole lunch and recess time to make personal choices and use the restroom. Please wait until 1:00 and then you can go." Wow. I forgot what it was like to ask permission to perform the most everyday and necessary tasks of life.
I don't intend to make Jen out to be some sort of strict teacher, as she surely is not. In fact, it is quite apparent just how fond her students and classroom moms are of her. I was there during teacher appreciation week and Jen brought home a new gift every night! Including a gift from each student on the last day each with a clever little note attached. For example, the box of tea bags which Jen sent home with me had a tag attached that said, "Thanks for being such a great TEAcher!" Clever little 3rd graders.
So, the last night there as we all shared some delicious Coldstone ice cream (Seneca Falls isn't blessed with such divine ice cream establishments) and I mentioned I was going inside to use the restroom Jen gave me the, "That's fine" response. So, I had to confront her with the fact that she had been saying that to me all week. We laughed about it and I also told her, "I keep wondering if you're going to refuse my request or tell me to wait until a certain time."
That same night at Coldstone: Evidently the last time the Morgan family was there for ice cream was for a special birthday celebration of the company during which everyone's ice cream came with a birthday candle. Well, Andrew didn't forget and requested a candle. While his parents tried to explain why his didn't come with a candle this time, the workers must have overheard as Andrew ended up with a candle in his ice cream. (Obviously they don't have children of their own.) Kyle and I are mid conversation after our ice cream was long gone and Andrew was still working on finishing his while Jen changed Emily's rather smelly diaper. Kyle made a comment to Andrew not to lick the candle too much and our conversation continued. The next thing I know Andrew is leaning over me and spitting something solid into my empty ice cream dish. It was a piece of candle. I was caught off guard and Kyle remarks, "Andrew, I told you not to eat the candle." It wasn't a big deal. Kyle and I kind of laughed a little over it as Andrew continued to spit out candle residue. A few moments later Andrew remarks, "Daddy, I don't want to die." Me, not having much motherly instinct, failed to initially connect why he had a sudden concern of death. Yet, Kyle quickly assured Andrew as Andrew ran over to his side biting his bottom lip that eating the wax would not hurt him and that he would have to eat a very large amount of candle wax to cause harm. About this time Jen and Emily came back to the table and Kyle explained to Jen what happened. Meanwhile Andrew continued to stand there with the most concerned look I've ever seen from a 3 year old, and then he states, "I don't want to go down there" as he points to the ground. All the adults exchange looks not really knowing what to say. Needless to say it was an eye-opening evening into the world of a 3 year olds understanding of death. Thankfully, candle wax from Coldstone wasn't detrimental to Andew's world.
Attached are photos from the evening that which I stole from Jen's blogpage.
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