Five on Friday: I Love My Day Job

When Daddy-O first suggested I try to find (paying) work once the kids were all in full-day school . . . it wasn't that I didn't agree with him, I just couldn't imagine finding work that would be flexible enough to accommodate an extremely busy, used-to-staying-at-home Mother of five.

Not only did I find such a flexible position ("Hey, I'm bringing my not really sick youngest kid with me today," "Hey I'm bringing my three youngest and also a neighbor today but I'm only staying for about an hour") at a local historical site but I also love my work. Some days I'm making candles with 2nd graders, some days I'm scheming up marketing angles or poring though historic photographs, other times I'm helping to plan super-fun events. I have nice coworkers and a rotating staff of characters on the scene (volunteers, visitors, Trustees, friends, etc.)

This time of year is usually the most fun, because the school tours are in full swing and kids always offer up the best commentary.

 1. 2nd grader: "You're getting a lot of grey hair." 

    Me: "Huh. Why do you think that is?"

    Him: "Well, you're getting older I guess."

2. Me, in the one-room schoolhouse portion of the tour: "Does anyone know what this is called?"

     Entire class, in unison: "CONE OF SHAME!!"

3. In the log cabin portion of the tour, I ask the kids what they think people in the 1700s might have used to dye their clothes with. Every single group, regardless of grade, makes the same exact two erroneous guesses. When I asked my husband to guess what they were, he got them immediately. I'm not sure what this says about him. What do you think they might be? Answer at the bottom.

4. Fifth grade boy: "Wow, this place really smells like the 1800s!" (I thanked him for noticing our dedication to authenticity.)

5.  Not only are the human kids cute, there are a lot of baby animals around in the spring, too! Like goslings and gigantic snapping turtles! (My picture of the turtles came out terrible, you're just going to have to take my word on that one.)

* Blood and mud/dirt. Did you guess correctly?