The Day the Tooth Fairy Died

Another warm, beautiful day in southern Wisconsin!  Who knew that I would be here where the temperature is in the mid-70's and back home in Utah they got their first dusting of snow!  Lucky for me I left just before the huge Ash tree in my front yard dropped all of her leaves!   Have fun Brad and Matt!

Today I went to Prairie Lane Elementary School and visited the 1st grade classroom of Sandy Moskopf!  I got to be there for their "stations", which meant that they rotate between four different small groups and work on different things in each group.  Many thanks to my sister's friend Reona who is a retired teacher and took me today and did her own group as well.  I got to read "Mousekin's Golden House" four times!   It's a story about a mouse who finds a discarded jack-o-lantern in the woods after Halloween and turns it into his his winter home.  I apparently did okay since I wasn't asked to leave and there were no temper tantrums when the kids had to come to my station!  And only one kid made a comment about "Isn't it time to change stations yet?"!!!!

There was one rather traumatic experience today though and that I am afraid that perhaps the illusion of the Tooth Fairy was shattered for the kids in the red group!   As 1st graders are prone to do, the story shifted from little Mousekin finding the pumpkin to "Hey, I lost a tooth!", to which I of course asked if the Tooth Fairy came. About this time the little cynic in the group loudly pronounced that "There is no such thing as the Tooth Fairy!  It's your parents!".  Horror struck, I went back to the story but this little guy wouldn't let it go!   After he brought it up again, I pulled him close and whispered in his ear that it's okay to let her believe if she wants to ..... at which point he looked at me and rolled his eyes.   Thank gosh for the little girl who then proudly pronounced that it WAS true because she had put her tooth on her desk one night and when she woke up in the morning, there was glitter on her desk and a note that said "I love you" that was signed by the tooth fairy!!   You go girl!!   We warned the teacher afterwards that it happened but hopefully there won't be too much fallout from it all!   Hate to ruin it for future volunteers who might shatter other childhood illusions!

It reminded me of when my oldest son, Matt, found out "the truth".  I had been out with friends that night and something had come on the television that somehow lead him to ask Brad if there really was a tooth fairy.  Not wanting to lie to his children, he tried to gently break it to him that yes, that was the truth,   At which point Matt's little mind kicked in and within a few minutes he asked Brad about the Easter Bunny, Santa Claus and every other childhood fantasy he could think of.   Party over!   You're all grown up now Matt!   My understanding is that Matt sat in his lap and cried for a half hour!   Sorry I wasn't there to share the burden.

Had lunch from a famous Italian market here in Kenosha - Tenuta's - where we had muffalottas and then came home and helped Wren dismantle an old windbreak at her house that we are rebuilding.   Got to go to a new hardware store we don't have back home called Menard's.  I'm in love with this place - think Home Depot on steroids!   Biggest lumber yard I have ever seen!!!   Then dinner at an Irish Pub and Restaurant down on Lake Michigan.

The plan for tomorrow was for a hike but looks like it's going to be raining and incredibly windy so we will have to come up with a plan B.  Sleeping in for starters!   Yeah!    And I suppose if time allows I can look for more kids to crush their dreams!   Let's see ....... Halloween is coming.......... maybe I can tell them it's been cancelled!

The song of the day today is called "Better People" by India Arie.  It's just a really nice uplifting song about everyone talking to everyone else and how it would make us all better.   Great message!   See you tomorrow!