appreciation is good

I had a day off work today. I got today off because I'm working Saturday morning at the mall for Story Time. It's lots of fun. We have a wonderful storyteller, Marya Gadison, and community readers and a book draw. Mostly preschool kids and their parents come. My job is to set up, welcome people, answer questions, solve problems, make sure things run smoothly, say thank you and pack things away. Most of the time that is my job, facilitate the party.

So I spent my day off work helping with something that is peculiarly like my job. I helped with the staff appreciation lunch at the secondary school. It was organized by some of the parents from the PAC (Parent Advisory Council). I just showed up to help. I think we served lunch to about 80 people - teachers, secretaries, janitors and the ladies who run the cafeteria. The school is so full that there's no common lunch break. So some of the teachers were in class for the whole 3 1/2 hours we were set up and serving. The PAC ladies had organized so these teachers had lunches delivered to their classrooms by student volunteers. I think that was very sweet. A lot of the teachers were at Awards Night Thursday, so they were back on Friday after a long haul the day before. They all seemed very pleased to be treated to a nice sit-down hot lunch. There were tablecloths, flowers and candles, so the staff room looked very beautiful. The Vice Principal said that most of the time the teachers eat in their classrooms or on the run while they are photocopying or trying to meet students or other teachers between classes. Some of the teachers asked if we would serve lunch every Friday. I wish we could!

So anyway, I took off for half an hour between lunch rushes to get my eyebrows hedge-trimmed and on the way, our son's resource teacher phones me on my cell to touch base about his course selection and schedule for grade 10 and also to say that she wants to kick his butt a bit next fall and get him to put more thought and effort into his writing, and would that be okay with us - do we think he can handle it because she does. She is phenomenal. She spends an hour and a quarter every day with our boy and about 15 other students, who all take different classes. She has helped him with his math, studying for tests, taking tests, writing essays and preparing an oral presentation. Her energy, dedication and love for our kid are remarkable. So anyway, I tell her I think that's a great idea, but I have to go because it's time for my appointment at the aesthetician and she starts laughing and says, "Well, the aesthetician!" Like it's some lah-di-da thing. Then she says, "I would like to get a pedicure one day." So now I know what to get her for a thank you gift. Along with my usual thank you card I'll give her a certificate for a pedicure at the aesthetician - LAH-DI-DAH to you too! Ms Morgan we love you, we do!

Question: who knew that triple scoops of serendipity were available on a regular basis?

mompoet - holding a waffle cone