Just M.E.: August 2011

Tuesday, August 2, 2011

Annnd another installment of "Kids Say the Darndest Things"

It's my last week of work at the Boys&Girls Club. It is super sad this summer because I won't be returning next summer to be with my kids again. Kind of weird because I have been at the club every summer since it opened in Kuna :(

Anywhoo..the kids have been hilarious and also quite sentimental lately, so I thought I'd share some things that make me chuckle.

One of my favorite boys looks like Harry Potter. He is going into 2nd grade and is an only child. So one day I was talking about my sisters and my brother and this boys says, "I really want a brother".

I say, "well, you can have mine...I don't need him".

Boy responds, "Really? Okay. Is he nice?".

"Yeah. He's really nice. He's just a regular teenage boy. Kinda weird."

"Okay. I'll have him."

"K. I'll bring him to the club in a box for you. He's all yours."

So most kids would probably forget about this conversation, or realize that people don't REALLY give brothers away in a box. BUT not this kid. Every day he comes to me and says, "Maren, you SAID you'd bring me your brother. I really want a brother." Ohhh man. He is the cutest and I just don't know how to break it to him that I'm not going to box my brother Reed up and send him away. So I am still currently dealing with this issue and I have yet to tell this boy that he is out of luck on the whole brother thing. Soooo cute.

This one involves the same boy. Please keep in mind during this story that his father is a police officer.

I told some of the kids that I wanted to pack them up and take them home and to school with me because I will just miss them too much. They all laugh and one of the older ones says that I can't kidnap children. I told them that I wouldn't ACTUALLY kidnap them because I don't want the police to track me down. They all laugh again. Sooo...we're assuming they all know this is a joke, right?!

Well as I'm leaving work last night this same boy stops me in the hall and says, "I'm coming home with you. You said you wanted to take us home!"

"Well...I can't really kidnap children."

"Can I have a hall-pass? Let me just call my dad."

"Ohhh....ummm...you don't need to ask your dad. I can't take you with me."

"But I really want to come to your house with you. I'll give you my phone number and you can just talk to my dad."

Yeah...I guess this boy just doesn't know when I'm joking. I am realllllly hoping he doesn't go home and tell his police officer dad that I want to kidnap him and I'm planning on taking him to my house. I promise I'm not a creep. But I guess we could kill two birds with one stone and I could bring him home and then let him take my brother with him when he leaves. Hm.

One of my 3rd graders last summer legitimately thought he could beat me in a race. He talked and talked about it and I would just laugh...until he started trash talking and telling me I would lose because I was a girl and I was old and yada yada yada. Sooo I decide to race him. He was fast...but he was a 3rd grader. Of course I'm going to beat him. So I did.

So the other day we're sitting outside reminiscing about that funny time and one of the boys that wasn't there for the event says, "Well, I bet IIIII could beat you." The boy that I beat looks at this kid, puts his hands up, looks almost panicked, and says "YOU REALLY DON'T WANT TO DO THAT!" haha. I wish I could show you through blog how this kid said it. It was as if he never wanted anyone to have to race me again. So...I didn't race this new challenger because he quickly backed off. I chuckled all afternoon.

Finally, I will share just a couple sentimental moments. Sharing them all would make me sad and take up too much blog. But this kid was my 3rd grader last summer (and one of my favorites). Today he came up to me and put his arm around me to walk down the hall. He looked up at me and said, "Maren. I want school to start. But I wish we could make this week never end because I don't want to say goodbye to you. I would rather never go to school if I could see you everyday." Awww. Melt. My. Heart why dontcha?

This kid hasn't been to the club a whole lot this summer, but was in my age group last summer. He was talking about how he was going to come back to the club full-time next summer and one of my kids said, "Maren's not coming back next summer"...the kid responded, "then I'm not either. Wouldn't even be worth it."

Gosh. If only people in real life loved me that much!

So Long Sweet Summer

So today I spent my hour long break from work doing school stuff. Yeah, school doesn't start for 3 weeks, but there is plenty to be done. As I went through emails and started getting a few things done, I realized there is a lot I should have already done and there is plenty more to be done in the next couple weeks. Ugh. Law school fail. I answered some emails, deleted emails that I missed deadlines for (oops), took a gander at my book list, re-read instructions for law review, researched topics for law review, stressed over my fall schedule, emailed academic advisers about my fall schedule, looked over my fall schedule, worried, and made NO final decisions. Productive? A bit. Satisfying and relieving? Not at all.

The past year has gone by so fast. Last year at this time I was getting ready to start my law school journey. I had no idea what I was in for. I was scared, but excited. Nervous, but ready. (to read what I felt the week before school started, click HERE...I laugh at that post now because those things became so routine to me and it really wasn't all that bad). As frightened as I was, I surprised myself with how well I adjusted and how well I did in school. I was really happy with my entire year and I accomplished things that I never imagined I would. I even LIKED school here and there (crazy, I know). It's hard work, but it was somewhat rewarding.

I'm not scared this time around. However, I am still a tad stressed about starting school again. This fall is going to be hard work. Probably the hardest semester yet. I wish I felt ready to conquer the challenge, but I find myself feeling nervous and inadequate once again. I know once I get back into the swing of things I'll feel better and it will just feel like regular old school again...but until then, I might freak out a bit. I was telling an old teammate about how I felt and she said, "but isn't that what you're good at?...freaking out?!". And I guess she's right. I put a lot of pressure on myself and freak/stress out a lot...but I do it because it motivates me I guess. I like pressure. Sooo as nervous as I am, I'm glad I have a challenge ahead. (Stay tuned).

Looking back on the past year, it is a blur. It really did fly by faster than any year of my life up to this point. It's one of those years that you look back on and wonder if it even happened. My fear is that my 2L and 3L years will go just as fast. I am going to be spit into the real working world too soon. I sure hope I like my job too...because starting a career at 26...that's a longggg life of the same old same old. Let's just hope time slows down and allows for me to grow up a little bit. I wonder when I'm supposed to FEEL older and grown-up? I'm still waiting. Maybe at 25. I'll let you know. For now, I'm going to try my best to enjoy the last little bit of summer without stressing out. K...ready...GO!