Bring Your Child to Work Day

People in the office brought in their kids--there were three under 6 and one teenager. There was coloring books, dot to dots and a treasure hunt. Everybody found all the treaure items stashed all around the office. The kids had a great time.

I had planned to read "Rikki Tikki Tavi", by Rudyard Kipling, but it was 36 pages, so I decided it might take too long and not hold their interest for very long. I offered "The Green Gorilla", but no one seemed intrigued with it...I didn't get out that it was a story that I'd written myself...but that was when the kids were really excited to go outside--even if the wind was blowing at 35 mph and cold.

Naturally, we weren't outside all that long. But you know kids--they have no nerve endings. The ones that ran around and around and around---circles around me, stayed warm, but it wasn't long before everyone headed for the door. Now there's only a half hour left to the day, and people are all starting to wind down, I think. Whew! It was quite a day.

I thought up the treasure hunt, and I walked around to everyone's offices and took pictures of everybody's stuff. Then I made them smaller. Then I emailed them to my office email. Then I made the treasure maps. Then I printed the treasure hunt papers, and passed them to the kids, so that they could run around and look for the treasures.

I think it was the most fun thing they did the whole day!

I did tell the story of the Green Gorilla--although I cleaned it up a little, and one of my listeners laughed at the end, but I had them both on the edge of their seats. Both asked for the real story of Rikki Tikki, but because it was so long, I gave them the shortened version. "Head above the hood," says Rikki, and that he was a mongoose that killed snakes. Most I left to the imagination. It was a very short story, being more like a book report, than a real story, and I told them to have their mom and dad to get the book and read it to them. It's a good story. I remember my dad reading it to me, and reading it myself when I got older, and now it's on my Nook.

Now, about the Ipad. Yes, I ordered it. No, I don't have it yet. And in a little bit, I'll be going to JoAnn's to teach the potholder. I'm not sure if the student will show, but if not, I'll just head on home. It won't be too bad, I don't think. I have lots of projects to work on in the car, plus a book to read. So I'm all set there.

I think I was a good mother. I had lots of ideas, and I was lots of fun. I had difficulties along the way, of course, and I tried hard not to let failures get me down. If only I'd met my current husband sooner, but of course, he was married with his own family back then, and not ready to meet me. I tell good stories, though. Really good stories. If you don't believe me, search my blog for "gorilla" and read it. I think you'll like it.