Dad On Duty #35 – Asleep at the Wheel

After school today, the Primary Daughter and the Emergency Spare Backup Daughter were playing with a bunch of other kids on the big playground. I was waiting for them in the car.

I fell asleep.

Not just “napping”. I mean open mouth, snoring, drooling.

Couple of the other Moms said “we almost took a pic and posted it for you on FB as ‘Dad on Duty ?#?X?; This is What Happens When You Spend All Day Friday at McCoy’ “.

They really shoulda. Would have been awesome. And true.

(Shhhh…this next part is top secret. Don’t tell anyone. It’s just between us)
On Friday mornings, I dress up as the school mascot. I wear a full suit, and Tori and I greet kids and run around the school. It’s pretty exhausting; I have a whole new level of respect for mascots now. It’s really, physically, hard. So by 3:30, after that and walking the entire school as a guard about 15 times, I’m whooped. So, if I sit still at 3:45, there is a high likelihood I’ll fall asleep.

Back to the after school events: Fortunately, despite my laser-like focus, the Daughters didn’t die or disappear. Although apparently at one point, the ESBD said “hey, maybe we should wake your dad up?” To which the PD replied “nah, this way we get more time here”. (Yep, that’s about right).

Everyday in this job is profound. Even when something big doesn’t happen. When I sit here, like this now, and reflect on the day….I see so many little great things.

Kindergarten and Special Ed did a field trip today. We had to load them up on busses, with lunches, and ship them off. This is one of the times that the FT staff and I have very different views of a situation; they do this 5 days per week, I do it 1. To me, this was a high-risk event equivalent to invading Normandy; I was pretty worked up about getting everyone on the correct bus, and that no one escaped. To them, it was pretty routine. Moms were mixed in, and some kids were hanging onto Mom. What if we miss a kid? What if we miss a lunch? The special ed kids might get hurt loading. I was like a long tail cat in a room full of rockers.

Of course, it went fine. And my paranoia was absurd. But I personally watched every darn kid, and lunch, get on the busses. And I was waiting for them when they returned and counted every kid back in. Ridiculous really. But for some reason critical to me. I need therapy.

I had a lot of what I think of as little huggy moments today. Randomly, while standing guard in the hall, a kid walks up and shows me the new library book he just got and we talk about it. Another kid (and I quote, really) walks up and says “I just got these shoes. I really like them. The bottoms are pink!” Well now, that’s something to be enthused about. Absolutely. “They are pretty awesome!” is my response, and I really mean it.

Two dozen times or more, a kid walking by me would step out of line to hug me. Some are friends of Tori’s, or the kids of our neighborhood friends. But most were neither. The best hugs were the ones I didn’t even see coming; I’m watching hallway traffic thataway pretty intently and get “hit” by a hug from behind.

They’re that comfortable, and that trusting.

And I am thankful for that trust and comfort, beyond words. Thank you Lord for the privilege of spending time with these wonderful people. It is a gift from You, I recognize that. Please give me the skills and strength to be of benefit and keep that trust, always. Amen.