not so very successful VBS

2005-07-20

Vacation bible school was good for both Owen and I. I learned that there was no way I could have gone back to work (it nearly killed me to get someplace by 8:30, nevermind my former office at 7:30!) and Owen loved watching all the kids.

I was paired up with a woman who had worked the nursery before. I hate to admit this, but from her ragged fannypack and taped sunglasses, I suspected there was maybe something different about the woman. Still, she had done this before, so I deferred to her when it came to running the nursery.

We had three �teen helpers� (the youngest of whom was 10). They weren�t terribly helpful. For example, when a two year old started getting anxious about being without her mom, one responded �Are you going to cry because your mommy left you here?�. Uh, not exactly the right thing to say. I tried to lead everyone into distracting the kids (instead of making them more upset). Lady in charge said nothing.

As the week went on, I tried to make small talk with the lady in charge. Turns out she works at an after school program. Hmmm, a two-hour a day job for 9 months out of the year. Yep, my teeny tiny brain was beginning to suspect something. And we weren�t doing a very good job at running the nursery. The �teen helpers� kept taking the kids out of the room, where they�d see their moms and then throw a fit and end up staying with them. So we�d often end up childless by the end of the day.

It wasn�t until after the luncheon on Friday that I really figured out the situation. The program director asked me to give the fanny pack lady a ride home. I said no problem. The director asked the fanny pack lady if she could tell me how to get to her home. A ha. Everything fell into place then. And I�m not quite sure which one of us was slower that week.

I had been so proud of my naturally bossy self for not immediately commandeering the nursery and butting her out of the way. Now I kinda wish I had. Oh well, everyone seemed to have fun and its not like anyone got hurt or anything.

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