Undercover Adult

One of the advantages I have at my job is that I look super young. Small stature, adult acne, sloppy fashion choices, and round cheeks always throw people off. Most of my kids assume I'm just a high school kid, about 16 or 17, and they're always surprised when I mention my husband or when I clarify that I already graduated from college.

Last week I spent a lot of time with a lot of pre-teens. And let me tell you, these kids can talk each others' ears off. But when it comes to adults they are so closed off. They do not want their parents to know who they have a crush on. They do not want their teachers to know that they secretly watched a PG-13 movie. They do not want adults to know that they stole an extra bag of chips or they secretly brought a bottle of gatorade on the rental bus.

But kids sometimes forget that I'm not a kid. I play their dumb "down by the banks" time wasting games, and I listen to their long stories about how one time they saw their friend do something. I ask them about their pets and their siblings and their birthday and their favorite jello flavor and what they wish their middle name was. And suddenly in their eyes I'm totally a kid. And they'll tell me opinions and stories and secrets and eventually my ears fall off. But in the meantime I get a lot of laughs and smiles.

Some awesome quotes from this week:

"I don't like TV shows with killing. Or maybe I do, I'm just not allowed to try it out yet."

"Would you like pepperoni or cheese pizza?" "Do you have mushroom, peppers, olives, and sausage?"

"You never call on my for my answer!" "Okay go ahead." "I forgot."

"I'm sorry this story I'm telling you is taking so long."

"I was born from a panda."

"Thomas lost his little sister so I left him alone to find her."

"Can I have a fourth hot dog?" "You were allowed two." "Can I have my second second second hot dog?"