If you look back a few years among all the blogs I’ve posted, I’m sure you’ll find several about my Wednesday night classes back in New Hampshire. Those kids and teaching are two things I have missed the most about New Hampshire. So, I’ve been delighted to have Wednesday nights and kids back in my life. It’s a nice oasis for the middle of my weeks.
I have four kids in this class, all about 8 or 9 years old and in the 4th grade (although the class is technically for 3rd to 5th graders). Two boys and two girls. Makes life simple. Except when the girls decide to do what you expect the boys to do. Namely, bringing a lizard to class.
In Texas, there are all kinds of little gecko/salamander things that get into buildings, I guess to try to sell you insurance. On Wednesday, Ashley brought one into class wrapped in a tissue. (Which might not be too surprising for those of you who live in New Hampshire and know another Ashley I have very fond memories of…)
“Show the boys, Ashley,” Kate ordered. “Guess what she’s got?”
“What?” Frankie asked.
“A lizard!” Kate announced.
“Cool,” Matt said.
And, of course, they looked; but I got the sneaky suspicion Frankie and Matt were a bit envious that Ashley had a lizard and they didn’t. Anyhow, once she put him in a safe place so he couldn’t escape his tissue prison, I didn’t hear another thing about him until we had finished the lesson and they were completing their craft project. Then, with a sudden stab of conscious, Ashley decided she should probably let him go and asked to go the restroom. Of course, Kate asked to join her. I said Ashley could go, but after the minutes ticked by I left Frankie and Matt eating their snack and took Kate to see what was going on in the lady’s restroom.
Ashley had the lizard on the changing table. Not sure what she was doing, but she said she wanted to let it go. “Okay,” I said. “I’ll take the lizard outside. You go back to class.”
“Okay,” Ashley said happily and skipped back to class with Kate calling after her that she’d be right there. I took up the lizard and marched it through the fellowship hall to the nearest outside door.
“Um, Melissa…” Pete, one of our deacons, was in the hall with Jeremy as they prepared to do recreation for the evening. “Is something wrong? Do you need anything?”
“No,” I replied as I opened the side door and let the lizard out on the pavement. “Just setting a lizard free.”
Not sure what they thought of that, but I guess it’s all in a day’s work…
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