Special Time with Miss Texas

You can read it in advice columns.  It can be told to you by friends and teachers.  But actually doing it reinforces the truth of the matter: kids like having your undivided attention.  The secret that's often unrevealed is this: grown-ups like having kids' undivided attention, too.

It had been a long day, an exhausting week, an emotionally tumultuous time for me, for my friends, for the world.  The President spoke to the country, responsible gun legislation was on everyone's mind, my opinion was sought.  Elizibeth turned 15 and went to her first formal.  Parental insensitivity had been discussed and dismissed in draining, heart-wrenching, nearly-teary conversations.  Good deeds had been done, blog posts missed and posted late, sensations returned with little explosions of pain announcing their arrival, weeds sprayed, classes attended, and there I was, Friday afternoon, in the Schozz, on the carpool line, thirty minutes early. Some things never change.

Miss Texas and I were going to follow her agenda for the whole afternoon, starting with my being the first car on line to pick her up after school, Christina-Taylor's school, the one with the playground we created clearly visible from the parking lot. I spent some time missing my little friend before Miss Texas bounced into the back seat, shaking me from my reverie, startling me just as my kids did decades ago.  Some things never change.

Miss Texas was wearing her "Lawyer Shoes."

They can't be worn at school; no one could run in those little heels.

They are perfect for Special Time afternoons, though.

They make a wonderful sound on the tin floor and the wooden planking.

 She signed us in, just as CTG signed us in that sunny Saturday morning in 2011.

I do seem to spend a lot of time with little girls, don't I?

I think that's why I smile so much.

 Our GRIN aprons kept our clothes clean.

My ties barely made a bow in the back.

Miss Texas had to pull hers around to the front to keep it together.

I love first graders who can tie a bow.

The paint sat on the mantle behind our table.

 Those dollops on the pallette (two new words for Miss Texas)

 would be used to put three coats on the beads.

Establishing a strong connection between the pointed stick and the hole in the bead

 took no small amount of concentration.

 Then, we began to paint.

There was a large group of 20 and 30 year olds sharing our space.

 While we were using fat brushes and blowing to speed up the between-coats-waiting-period,

they were painting silly faces 

(photo by Miss Texas)

 and creating multi-colored masterpieces. 

Ours may not have been as amusing, but they put smiles on our faces nonetheless.

 We cleaned up our own mess,

though this picture is staged.

Miss Texas is a quick and competent cleaner-upper-girl.

She was done before I could gather my camera and my purse and meet her at the sink.

 Then, it was time for snack.

We hadn't stopped on our way downtown.

We were anxious to get going, and it was a long drive.

But tiny tummies need nourishment, so off to Eegee's we went.

While the ham sandwich was tasty,

it was the ranch fries that made us smile.

What are YOU doing this afternoon?

Can you include a little one in the activity?

I promise you smiles and laughter and love.

Lots and lots of love.