Where in College did they teach you this?

Note confiscated pre-field trip after I had talked
about how we might see fried eggs.

We took the third graders to Luray Caverns today.

Now, I have been twice. Once with Ellen as a private citizen. Now, with third graders. One trip was much more intimate and quieter than the other. I am sure you can guess which one. But, darn if it isn't a magnificent expression of the man up above.

Near the end of the cavern a chaperone whispered in my ear, "Did you have to take a class in college that taught you how to deal with kids you don't like? You seem to love them all which can't be true."

I did my awkward grin, laugh that I'm famous for.

After lunch in the 3-digit temps, we loaded the bus to go back over the mountain.

'Over the mountain' are the keywords. I had prepped my kiddos for the 5 million switchbacks that we'd have.

Enjoying the front of the bus adult conversations of flooring in houses, I heard those words "Ms. Richardson, you might want to get back here."

A Smart Cookie asked to take a pic of me
post-field trip.  Check the knees.
I wasn't kidding about the bus floor.
What did the kid notice? The starfish. It's
been there all year. Gotta love it.

I'm a sloth teacher. Rather than springing into action like a cheetah, I prefer the 'I'm-on-my-way-be-calm-and-responsible/deescalate-the-situation-approach' as I maneuver the obstacle course of coolers, bags, untied shoes, and legs of sleeping owners.

First aid bag draped over me, I made it. (Note: first aid bag had already been utilized for pretty decent, as in bled through 2 bandaids, crash with tree root, pass out of medicine, and carrying of Epipen).

I pulled out a Safeway bag and handed it to my puker. She/he made it half in the bag. Yes! Better than nothing I thought.

And, there it was me holding a bag of puke in my Safeway bag while I crawled on the aisle of the school bus wiping up puke.

And, there it was me sitting 3-to-a-seat (I'm 24, aren't I past this?) with kids asleep all over me in a middle of a hot bus going down a mountain with puker basially in my lap while balancing this domino effect on one butt cheek.

And, there I sat. Thankful. And, laughing in my head about which tree branch of my life this was on?

Moral of the Story: No, they didn't cover this in college. But, love gets you through like most things in life.