Do You Believe???

You would not believe the things I overhear at my job. Don't get me wrong, it is actually fun eavesdropping on children's conversations. But sometimes I just want to sink into the ground. OR fall to my knees imploring, "why me dear Lord, why me?" And I mean that honestly. I'm not kidding around. I think that the big fella should let this cup pass from me sometimes. So here's a fun one from the other day. I'm supervising 300 or so kids in the lunchroom. They have to stand in the lunch line and I have to make sure they don't kill one another in the process. Mostly, they do pretty well. But the other day I see two frantically waving first graders and I know they want to tattle on one another. But duty calls and I head over. Here's the story...

1st grader 1: Mrs. J., do you beweive in Santa Cwaws? 'Cause Jose says he doesn't exist.

Me: (in my head) oh heavens, they sure don't train a person for this.

Me: (what I actually said) Well, Jose and Israel, it is kind of a personal thing. Each person has to make up their own mind about things like that. I think that if you believe in Santa, he exists and if you don't then maybe he doesn't. Does that seem fair?

1st grader 1&2: Yeah.

I walk away feeling like I've dodged a bullet. You see the 2nd first grader is religiously prohibited from believing in Santa. And his mom works with me in the lunchroom, so I have to be careful.

Things go on as normal for about 5 minutes. The usual pushing and shoving and tattling. And then, I spot the same two kids frantically waving - again. With an inward groan (and really with all the noise, I could groan as loud as I want and no one could hear me - the roof could pop off with the energy of those 300 kids waiting for their lunch, truly it could). So, with my inward groan I head back over. Wondering if I've somehow stepped on someone's toes or belief system, or if the two of them finally decided to settle their argument with a good old fashioned fistfight. And here's where it got interesting...

1st grader 1: "Mrs. J., the thing is - my dad ackshoooally saw Santa's reindeer. Reeewy twoooly, he did. In the sky and everyfing."

1st grader 2: (hands on his hips, shaking his head, in the driest tone possible) ..."mechanical"

I almost fell over. It was so funny.