Lunch at CBI

The Chatham Bars Inn, one of Cape Cod's most prestigious resorts, welcomed the elementary school to lunch today. Not just any lunch, but a Thanksgiving feast!! They have been doing this for so many years (seriously, it's been more than 10), but I do not know how or when it started exactly. All I know is that my girls loved CBI day,  EXCEPT that they did not have ketchup on the tables. Anyhoo, the kids get all dressed up and it's a big (read BIG deal). So big of a deal, that the teachers make sure everyone feels special and if a parent doesn't have the means of dressing their child up, the teachers have spare "fancy" clothes for all the kids.

K, B and their cousins one Thanksgiving CBI day.

I love this picture so much, it is hanging in my house.

Today was a bright and shiny day. Many parents were there to greet the kids as they got off the buses and to take pictures. The parents are allowed into the main dining room only until the kids get served. I could have sold my roll to any kid at the table for $20. A lot of the kids don't like it when their turkey touches their mashed potatoes and their green beans. They were fascinated by the "balls" of butter and the fancy (linen) napkins.

Toward the end of their meal, as in after everyone eats their ice-cream with rainbow sprinkles, they sing a few Thanksgiving songs to the staff. Adorable.

Hopefully, some day the kids will realize how lucky they are and that is not the norm at most elementary schools.

Thanks CBI!!

Cheers!

The one thing about working in an elementary school is that I am reminded of when my girls were little. I picture them sitting at lunch laughing with their friends, going across the monkey bars, answering questions in meeting, and so much more.

I also get to go to music class. Never one of my favorites growing up, and now, not either. I was schooled in how to sing the lullaby "Hush Little Baby" last week, though. I guess the version I sang to the girls wasn't quite "right".

My version:

Hush little baby, don't say a word,
Mama's going to buy you a mockingbird.

If that mockingbird don't sing, 
Mama's going to buy you a diamond ring.

If that diamond ring don't shine,
Mama's going to drink a glass of wine. 

Maybe I should have paid more attention in music class.

Cheers.

What I Learned (Week 4)

The end of September already! This means we have gone through one calendar month and about 10 soccer games already!

This week, it's not so much about what I learned, but what I realized.

I wish I could have been in the classroom when K and B were in Kindergarten. As I go through the day and watch the current Kindergartners answer questions, giggle with friends, solve problems, dance to the (damn) color song and make decisions (good and bad), it makes me wonder how K and B represented themselves back then.

So, I dug up some pictures of them.

This is K on her first day of K. (She brought a butterfly to school).

This is during the year with her favorite friend, Lamby.

This is B on her first day of K.

And B posing after a gymnastics recital.

The one thing that I did do with both of them (for as long as they let me) was send them notes in their lunch. I started this in Pre-school and continued probably through 2nd grade. Now I have many books of all the notes I sent in because they brought the notes home. It was never my intention that they would bring the notes home, but they did, thankfully.

Now, I love going around the cafeteria to see which of the students have notes and need them read to them. Maybe their moms are saving them, too because Kindergarten to Middle/High School goes by way to fast!