Grateful Friday

This week I have had before and after school traffic duty.  If you drive by the school, I'm the one out front with a stop sign and gloves + mittens.  Turns out doubling up is the secret to success.  My fingers aren't freezing.  

I love greeting the students--especially when I know their names.  I tell them good morning and I hope they have a good day and I am almost always rewarded with a big smile, which makes me happy.

There's a crosswalk right out front and that is my spot.  When kids need to cross, they tell me and I step out into the oncoming traffic with my sign and a deep hope that the people will stop and then the kids cross.  A lot of the kids tell me thank you.

Yesterday a woman was on her phone and she stopped her vehicle right in the crosswalk, waiting to pick up her charges.  I motioned for her to pull forward, you know, out of the crosswalk, and she started yelling and gesturing wildly and I couldn't hear a word she was staying and also, I'm around children all day.  A shrieking woman with oversized sunglasses doesn't really scare me. 

Move along lady.

The other day, a big diesel truck was idling at the curb, right beyond me and I was breathing in the fumes. Riley, the custodian came by and said, "I love that smell!  Cold diesel."

I said something about not really loving it.

He said, "It reminds me of camping."

I said, "Well, I don't like camping, so maybe that's why."

Then one of the administrators, Julie, came up. She said something about the fumes.

Riley repeated what he'd told me.

Julie repeated she didn't like camping.

Riley said, "That is what SHE just said."

Julie and I looked at each other in solidarity.  She said, "I love the great indoors."

I said, "Yeah, I'm indoorsy."

Riley shook his head in disbelief and walked away.  It happens quite often actually. He is the go to for some of the tough behavior kiddos.  He plays rock paper scissors with them, or sits with them at lunch, or lets them "help" him.  He's a good guy, but he works in a school full of women who were all cut out with the same cookie cutter.  He often walks away from us, shaking his head in disbelief.

Here's what I'm grateful for today:

• Adam's home from Phoenix
• The people I work with
• Gloves + mittens at the same time
• Today's the last day of before and after school traffic duty (at least for 6 weeks--maybe it will be warmer then?*)

*it won't be warmer then