Valentine's, Inc.

If any of your children have journeyed through elementary school at Austin Elementary, you may have experienced Valentine's, Inc. Mrs. Moser's 2nd grade class does an economics unit that begins by them taking out a loan (I think just from the principal -- I worked at a school where they took out a loan from the bank and had to bring their teddy bears as collateral! YIKES!). The loan is so they can open a business: "Valentine's, Inc."

Starting the first of February the class takes turns before and after school taking orders from children. For $.25 they can purchase a construction-paper, die-cut heart that has Happy Valentine's Day stamped on it with 2 tootsie rolls attached (they used to have dum-dum suckers attached until the state of Texas banned those in school, but deemed tootsie rolls and chocolate health food). On Valentine's Day, Mrs. Moser's precious punkin's make the rounds at school delivering the Valentine wishes.

They use the proceeds from the sales to first of all, of course, pay back the loan, but then they have a class pizza party, buy t-shirts to tie-dye to wear at the end of the year, and donate a few books to the library. It's a pretty big money-maker, as you can tell!

Besides Riley's after-school shifts, I agreed that he and I could take the morning shift at one end of the school. So at about 7:55, he and I set up shop outside of the cafeteria waiting for the "big kids" to leave the cafeteria on the way to class.

It has been a most fascinating study in human nature, as well as male/female relationships. This scenario happened Wednesday morning:

Heart-throb (I was not aware this was his name until later) hands me a dollar. He would like to order one for his mom, grandma, grandpa, and aunt (they can order them for family members -- they are just delivered to the kid and the kid hand delivers it later). I didn't realize until later that Miss Cutie and Friend were lurking far behind heart-throb with many giggles. Heart-throb finishes his order and Miss Cutie and Friend watch him walk away and make sure he is most definitely gone.

Miss Cutie approaches and would like to order one for . . . um, let me think,. . . oh, I guess (very quiet whisper) "Heart-throb" while friend is scoping out the hall behind her making sure Heart-throb is, in fact, really gone. I thought two things at this point: 1)Miss Cutie has very good taste. Not only is Heart-throb a cutie, he's a REAL nice kid. Good for her. 2)Heart-throb has NO clue the giggling and gesture of love being poured out on him.

All of the ordering got done and the giggle-fest meandered on down the hall. In a moment, I look up and here comes Heart-throb! "Oh!" I'm thinking, "he must have remembered he should get one for some sweet little girl, or maybe Friend told him he BETTER get one for Miss Cutie." So, sweet Heart-throb walks up to the desk, smiling a huge smile: "I forgot to get one for my teachers!"

The drama of Valentine's Day is just beginning!

Thursday update: I received 4 more orders for Valentine's to be delivered to Heart-throb. Heart-throb ordered one for his teacher from last year (who Ashley had for math and in my most diplomatic manner I will say she is the least-nice teacher I have ever encountered).