Lunch Lady

McKay has this little soft spot in my heart, as all my children do... And, like any other mother would, I did something this year that I didn't want to just for him. Actually, it all started years ago. Here is the story:
McKay is a home body. He has always enjoyed playing with his friends at home but rarely does he go to their house. When it was time to go to school we tried like crazy to convince him that it was cool! We took him to Mrs Billings pre-school; the funnest preschool EVER! and he still wasn't excited about school. When kindergarten started he was less enthused. Finally in second grade McKay got Mother goose for a teacher. Bless her! That woman is going to Heaven! School that year was beautiful and I was certain that we were over the hardship of public school. The following year was AWFUL! Mother Goose was gone (she stayed teaching 2nd grade even though we offered to pay her an additional salary to move through 12th grade with McKay) and McKay had a male teacher. Mr. Moore. Now I have to tell you, I thought Mr. Moore was one of the best teachers in all of public school! But he was a definite far cry from mother goose... he didn't hug. he didn't shyly giggle when the kids were being naughty, and he didn't talk to Mckay like he was a tulip. His was an institute of learning and he expected everyone to "just do what they were told" and when they didn't he wasn't messing around. He never got mad, but he followed through on consequence every. single. time! Mckay hated school. In spite of me going to the class room and grading every paper ever done that year, McKay still hated school. And so I put together all my brain power and came up with an idea to apply to be a playground aid at school. Why not? If McKay had to go to school then perhaps he would like it more if his mother went with him! YIKES! And just to keep the making fun down, I shall have a job there! The kids never wonder about that!!! Problem: no playground aid jobs open at his school... which meant to me that other kids also hate school and their mums got a job to help them out! Well we made it through 3rd grade. And we LOVED that summer! But is sure went by quickly. 4th grade arrived as did another amazing teacher but all the kids who were friends in 3rd grade were in another class... and Ms. Sims didn't need help grading papers. It was going to be a terrible horrible no good very bad year! I could tell. Making all new friends? WOW! I could go sit in the class and observe but how weird is that everyday? And who has time for that? And would that really help? And so it was that we just accepted a year of wo is me from McKay... LOTS of prayers and trying to invite kids over was a treat. Then came the year of a life time (I will write about later... I promise) and one day, in the midst of serious trial at the Mecham home, the lunch lady called to offer me a job. She found my resume from last year and thought she would have me go apply at the district offices. And so I did. And that day I got the job and I started the next. Lunch lady is a far cry from playground aid. And just in case you don't love your neighborhood lunch lady, you need to. In fact, there should be lunch lady appreciation week! Those ladies are working their buns off! (no pun intended.)
Day 1 as a lunch lady: I had to change my clothes because I had on earrings, a blouse and ballet shoes. Better apparel choice would have been scrubs and a pony tail. Best choice was t-shirt and jeans, tennis shoes or orthopedics and NO JEWELRY! hair in pony tail or pinned back somehow. BOY HOWDY! Day 2- 5: I did everything... EVERYTHING... wrong! And on day 5 I came home with tears in my eyes telling Nate "I hate school!" I hate it and we should home school McKay. The fact is, I had decided to quit on Monday. And then Ms. Sims called and said, "You fixed the problem! McKay is a whole new kid since you started working this week. He raises his hand! He is playing with all the kids on the playground. He is HAPPY all the time! I think you solved the problem!" I was stunned! STUNNED!!! He saw me for less then 10 seconds while he zipped through the line deciding if he would have a corn dog or meatloaf... How did that change everything? And from that phone call I realized... I had to stay as a lunch lady. I had to! It had changed the whole game for McKay. But I hated it! Then I gave myself the little pep talk that I gave mcKay every other day before I was a lunch lady... the one about attitude and optimism. And then I put on my tennis shoes and t-shirt, pulled my hair into a pony tail and found a smile and went to work. What a year!

10 things I learned from being a lunch lady:

10: I was cut out to be a mom. I don't like to work under somebody Else's jurisdiction.
9: people don't think lunch ladies are smart.
8: the local lunch lady does NOT NOT NOT get paid for the work she does... She works like a slave and gets paid next to nothin'. Don't work for the money there... if you need money get a different job.
7: I live in a bubble. I like my bubble.
6: the school that the kids go to is an amazing institution and I am now a major lover of Franklin schools. WOW! The children are well behaved and the teachers are incredible. I wish each parent would go and observe just to see what it is really about.
5: Religion is an interesting topic. I worked with 5 of the most wonderful lunch ladies ever! 1 Catholic, 1 Lutheran, 1 J.W., 1 Latter Day Saint. Religion was my favorite topic to bring up! :)
4: Ketchup and Ranch dressing really make me want to gag.
3: School Children are vulnerable. I am soooo glad I am done with that!
2: You can easily pick out children who's parents are involved in their life by their appearance, actions, and confidence... GET INVOLVED IN YOUR KIDS!!!
1: The number one thing I learned as a lunch lady is that I would literally do ANYTHING... i mean ANYTHING... to get my little people through life. Your reason "why" in life, should make you try (or cry)... and my reason why I went to work as a lunch lady made me do both.

I have never... NOT EVER... looked forward to summer break so much!