Kids + Art = The Makings of an Fabulous Day

So I worked for the Park District yesterday. Which means I was workin' with kids, doin' art. I really like working there. Especially after I haven't been there for a while. The kids are just hilarious, and say the funniest things, and that they don't bat an eye at the crazy things I say and are willing to go along with me as I tell them the most hair-brained things I can pull out of my head. Most of the kids in the class yesterday I just met. There were only a couple that I knew from previous classes. But by the end of the day I got three hugs, from three separate kids that I did not know. It made me feel pretty good. At one point, this girl just came up beside me and put her hand in mine and walked with me from the sink back to the class area. She didn't say anything, she didn't ask me anything...she just held my hand and walked with me. So cute.
I love that kids will tell you the most random shit in the world just because they can and just because you'll listen. I think it's so funny. It's especially great, when you get a number of them telling you random things at once. Like, for example...yesterday...
I was telling some crazy story about how I was raised by penguins. The kids are all laughing and they're start raising their hands to ask me all sorts of penguin questions. Like...
RITA: If you lived in Antarctica how did you get HERE?
and
MEGAN: What did you EAT?
and
ANNIE: Weren't you COLD in Antarctica?
and
MEL: I think you were raised by LIONS!!!
...But after a while, they started to raise their hands just to tell me whatever was on their minds. Like...I'd get a question about being a penguin and then...
JOE: You know what? I went to Minnesota last weekend!
and...
ANNA: I'm going to dogsit for my neighbor!!
and...
MEL: Lions!!!!

So this girl (the one who held my hand) came up to me at one point and said this:
MEGAN: (showing me her necklace) Look! I have a necklace. Do you like it?
ME: Wow. That is so pretty.
MEGAN: I made it.
ME: Did you really?
MEGAN: Uh-Huh.
ME: That is so cool. I don't know how to make cool necklaces like that.
MEGAN: Well, actually it's a choker.
ME: Well, it's very nice.
MEGAN: It's pink.
ME: I see. And I like that it's sparkle-y. I like the sparkles a lot.
MEGAN: Me too. The sparkles are my favorite part.
(She's starting to go back to her seat to do the next project)
MEGAN: I'm going to make one of these (holds out her necklace...uh...I mean...choker) for you!
ME: For me?
MEGAN: Uh-Huh.
ME: Nobody's ever made me anything like that before.
MEGAN: Well I'm going to make on for you.

So also throughout the course of the class, Mel kept looking at me and saying things I couldn't completely understand save for the word, "Lions!!!" So I just made "lion" faces at him and roared. He seemed to find it amusing, but maybe he was just making fun of in his head. Also, we made gingerbread men and he named his, "Pizza." How fabulous is that? Other fabulous names for painted gingerbread men included, "Scinchy" "Gingy Head" "Gingy Eyeball" "Boo-Bah" and "Sean"

This girl Rita, drew a picture of me. I should see if I can scan it and put it up here because the likeness is truly incredible. It was within the first ten minutes of class too, I don't think I'd even spoken to her yet and she just walked up to me, handed me this picture and said, "Here. I drew this picture of you." Let me tell you, it is a truly flattering piece of artwork.


Oh! So I found this today. Finally! It's so great to know that I am not alone...
I Am Afraid Of Automatic Toilets And I Am Not Alone


QUOTES OF THE DAY
(Overheard on a campus tour passing through the building I was in)
TOUR GUIDE: This is our center for the fine and performing arts and blah blah blah. (And, yes...She really said "and blah blah blah.")


AMY: You know what I realized the other day?
DAVID: What?
AMY: In less than two months, I'm going to be 22. Isn't that crazy?
DAVID: You're getting old. 22...that's half of 44.