Coach 'Em Up!

First of all, Rudy got to sit in on Morning Meeting at Marley's preschool today. She sat in the circle beside her big sister, checking out all the big kids and helping to pass around the Boston Marathon medal that one of Bean's teachers was sharing with the class. It was ridiculous and adorable. Then she got up, smiled big at everyone, pulled up her shirt and stuck it in her mouth while waddling around. Hilarity ensued. Marley was beside herself. And then when Rudy's shirt slipped out from between her teeth, she looked around at her audience, and knowing a good bit when she had one going, stuck the shirt back in her mouth for round two. She looked so pleased with herself. Todd filmed it, and I was thinking, "Great. Rudy's that kid."

My entire family was at preschool today because I was there to talk to the class about being a field hockey and lacrosse coach, as part of the Community Helpers unit. I wore my Hawk gear, made sure to have my whistle around my neck, and had a bag full of adult- and kid-sized field hockey and lacrosse sticks to pass around. I figured the more stuff I had, the better, so I also brought my clipboard, balls, safety goggles, shin guards, and a mouth guard for the class to check out. They were entertained, I think. But my BIG move to impress a room of four-year-olds was the swag I had thought to hand out: for each kid, a giant red foam finger with "GO HAWKS!" stamped on the palm. I got them from the high school's school store this morning, but when I involved an unnecessary team of people to purchase something from there yesterday with no success, Todd sort of mocked me for trying too hard. He met me on my way to the store this morning with a triumphant look and a fistful of red pencils. He actually proclaimed, "Pencils!" And I was all, "Oh, no, Todd. I'm not giving these kids pencils." Two of my former colleagues peered down at us from a second floor landing and admonished Todd alongside me. "You really can't do much at a sporting event with a pencil!" one declared.

At the end of my little pass-around-the-sticks-show, I handed out the fingers and fifteen preschoolers waved them around in a circle. And then we counted to three and yelled, "Go Hawks!" This is the kind of thing that makes a townie's steadfast little heart swell.