I'm Usually the Caboose

We were back on the road that morning to complete Week 6 of 4th grade. Puck was busy filling me in on everything “school”, as usual.

“I don’t have any tasks this week in class. I’m resting.”

“Oh, yeah? What’s your job next week?”

“Line leader.”

“That sounds like your kind of job.”

Puck sighed. “Actually, I’m usually the caboose. … I’m a caboose kind of guy.”

Come early afternoon, it was the same old song for Yali. Every day this week, it gets close to eleven o’clock and he bellows in a screechy voice to me:

“HOT DOG-A! MONSTERS!”

This translates to a lunch request, and film of choice – “Monsters, Inc.” The kid knows what he likes.

When Gloria walked into the room, she laughed a little. “Don’t you want to watch the history of the church instead?”

Post-carpool, I was keeping an eye on six kids in Hans’ classroom. More or less. Sometimes I’m not really sure which kids I’m responsible for supervising.

When Hans returned, he looked around suspiciously at the group and grinned, “You all are too quiet. What did you break?”

Nothing yet. The key word being “yet”.

As Hans asked each of the kids about their school day, the subject of “girl drama” emerged on the scene.

Big J scoffed to himself. “Girl drama! Ha! Back in 2nd grade I always solved all the girl problems!”

Rose bought tickets to the Symphony for Oxbear and me that evening. One of my favorite pieces – “Fantasia on a Theme by Thomas Tallis” – was on the menu. And we were running late. Oxbear booked it all the way downtown. We walked through the doors at 8:01, were escorted to our seats up front, and the program started. By the skin of our teeth.

Countdown till moving: 8 days.