Thursdays Just Became My New Favorite Day

Okay...not really. Saturdays are still my all time favorite day of the week, but Thursdays are certainly moving up in the ranks.

Normally, I wake up dreading work on Thursdays. See, Thursday is my duty day at school. Duty day includes lunch duty (where I walk around the cafeteria for 35 minutes catering to a bunch of mannerless munchkins...and by catering I mean they can't get up so I have to get things for them...things like napkins, silverware, and ketchup...always the ketchup) and pick up duty (where I take 50 odd kids down the hallway to the foyer to wait in the pick up line...where I try to keep them quiet until their name is called to leave).

I hate lunch duty. In my offense, everyone hates lunch duty. And I wasn't all that fond of pick up duty, but in the last two weeks...well pick up duty has taken on a whole new twist.

I get neck rubs!

Last week, I looked over at first grade and noticed that teacher was getting a neck rub and I smiled at her. One of my little darlings (or masseuse in training as I call them!)asked if she could rub my neck. I said sure and thus it began...the long line of kiddos that wanted to rub my neck. So, I started giving them numbers. She's first and then you and you can be after her...you get the point. The first few were okay but the last was...well, an experience.

He came up to me and put his hands around my neck. Think strangle hold! Then he squeezed. I'm sure my eyes bugged out because I had to literally remove his hands and tell him not to do that. Some of the girls laughed and he dutifully put his hands on my shoulders. Then the grunting started. The touch was light, but you'd think he was trying to move a 100 pound boulder or something as much grunting as he was doing. He kept telling me that he might have to stop because his fingers might hurt. I told him that he didn't have to do it and he could sit down if he wanted. Grunt...groan....nope, Ms. Stewart I want grunt to....

I finally couldn't take any more and put the little doll out of his misery. The first grade teacher (who had him in class last year) just laughed and said she had endured that "rub" a time or two.

Well, today was again duty day. And again, more neck rubs. Some of these kids have talent! I still hate lunch duty, but these weekly neck rubs are quickly becoming the highlight of my day!

There just might be hope for Thursdays after all.