State of Destitution

I regularly volunteer at my children's school once a week. I look forward to this time as I am able to speak to the teachers on a regular basis. I enjoy getting to know them and learn how they are teaching my children so that I can reinforce what they are learning in the classrooms and apply the teachers preferences in their home instruction.This year both of my kids have phenomenal teachers. I have been much impressed at their level of commitment and enthusiasm to teaching and becoming more acquainted with each of my kiddoes.

The other day as I walked to Darby's class I bumped into, Mrs. So and So, Austin's teacher. She was happy to see me and commented specifically that day she didn't require any additional help in class but inquired whether or not Austin could purchase a pencil box. Curious, I inquired more, "Well," she said grinning from ear toear, "Austin told me yesterday that he wasn't allowed to ask to buy anything for the next few months because your family was saving to go on a trip." She continued her account of the conversation. "I said that perhaps, Austin, your mom could go to the 99 cent store and purchase one for very little money. In fact, Austin you could probably find that change in the couch cushions." Completely amused by the story, in truth, at this point I'm almost ready to fall to the ground in hysterical laughter.

I replied "...of course we can, in fact, I believe he already has one in his desk drawer at home. I'll just have him bring that tomorrow." But upon hearing her version of his version of events I needed to divulge the actual story. I began, "a few days ago I was tired of his constant begging and nagging to buy games for the Nintendo, Computer and things of this nature.
So I explained to Austin that in order for us all to travel to Hawaii this Christmas time we might need to save more money and to please not ask for those types of items again. I have no problem at all purchasing the various items that are required for school, so I will be happy to send him tomorrow with pencil box in tow." We exchanged a few more words about being so destitute that I couldn't afford a silly little pencil box and Austin's exaggerated attempt at following my request to not ask for me to buy ANYTHING.

I attended Darby's class inwardly laughing the rest of the day being reminded at every pencil or pen I saw of our state of destitution in not being able to afford the box to keep the implements in.

Early the next morning I reminded him to pick out his pencil box from the drawer of his desk and take it to school. As he got in the car on the way home, I inquired whether he remembered to remove said pencil box from his backpack and deposit it into his school desk. Smirking, he then reached for his backpack and pulled out an enormous black box with chrome lock and opened it for me to see, "I grabbed the wrong box," he said showing me the Cd's enclosed within. How he could confuse the two is beyond me...the pencil box is one third the size of the monstrous CD case their only similarity being color and design. So the following morning Austin indeed found the correct box and traveled to school ready to organize his chaos.


I can understand why his mind might be focused on vacation!