Wednesday, January 14, 2009

The Age Guessing Game

Today one of my favorite yearly conversations with my class took place. The age conversation. Tomorrow is Kandice's birthday and she is turning 30. Kandice and I are BFF school teachers....just ask our classes. If I didn't have Kandice I couldn't survive! We combine our classes in the afternoon and teach all 43 kids together and we love it and the kids love it. We have them trained to believe that we are the most fun, nicest, and coolest teachers EVER. Back to the age conversation: Kandice won't be at school tomorrow for her birthday, so we sang to her and celebrated today. After we sang the kids tried to guess her age. They were suprisingly close. A bunch of 20ish, 30ish guesses and only one guess of 56 and one guess of 8. And yes the kid who guessed 8 was being completely serious. After we told them that she was turning 30 we asked them who they thought was older - Mrs. Antonino or me. Without fail, every year, the kids guess that I am older. Their reason? Because I am taller (see above picture - it is hard to tell because of her tall captain hook hat....imagine her without the hat...I've got 4 inches on her at least). Because I am taller, of course I am older. Duh. I always tell them I am 74. Many of them believe me and say things like, "Wow! You are as old as my Grandma!" or "You are older than my mom! She is only 32!" Then I always, without fail, get the comments like I did today. "You can't be 74. You aren't married!" Today cute little A. in Kandice's class and I had this conversation:
A: If you are 74 you must be married.
M: Oh yeah? How come?
A: Becuase you are supposed to get married when you are 19. Or maybe 20.
Interjection from my pologymist child: My mom got married when she was 15!
Me: So A., if I am married, who is my husband?
A: I don't know his name!
Me: Well where he is right now?
A: At work. (looking at me with a DUH face)
Me: Oh right. Good to know he at least has a job.
A: :::nods her head knowingly::::

Then this conversation with cutest kid ever M.
M: You really aren't 74. You can't be. You aren't married.
Me: Why do I have to be married to be 74?
M: Because you are supposed to be married if you are that old.
Me: Oh. Right. So....what happens if I never get married?
M: ::::totally at a loss for words, just stares at me then gives me a cute smile and shrug of the shoulders::::::

I better get married soon or I can't get any older! Just ask my first graders!

Side note on a similar subject. There is a cutey pants girl, Ramzie, that was in my class last year. Her mom teaches at my school and I just love this family. They are crazy fun. Her mom knows all about me and my dating situations past and present. Ramzie has been there for parts of our "Becca's dating life" converstaions. So often when Ramzie is walking into school with her mom early in the morning before any other kids are there, Ramize will see me and ask, "Have you found your true love yet?"

Not yet Ramzie. Someday. Or I'm going to have to be 27 forever.

2 comments:

Jenny Gardner said...

Those costumes rock! Did you make them both? Yet another reason for why you're my hero...and those cakes, wow, time to open that little bakery you mentioned, I call first dibs.

Laurie said...

LOL! I love it when kids have freak-outs about my age/single-ness. It's like it's fine that I'm single if they think I'm younger than their parents ... but as soon as they find out that I'm NOT younger than they're parents, they're almost without fail go all "why aren't you married? when are you getting married? why can't you find a husband" on me. It's pretty fabulous.

On an unrelated note... You have a polygamist kid in your class?! SWEET! ... Is her hair really long, and does she wear dresses all the time? I'm so intrigued.