I have a secret...

I love working in elementary schools.


I spent last Friday bowling and making craft projects with the first graders at the school where I was subbing. I had a fabulous week, but helping the kiddos make coffee filter butterflies and craft bugs out of egg shell cartons and pipe cleaners was the highlight of my week. Such creative little minds. The teacher and I made butterflies, too. I brought mine home and we hung it on the refrigerator. I can't wait until our refrigerator is plastered with our own kids' art. Joy!

There's a certain innocence about first graders that I just love. My main charge and I used the word "secret" as a reminder to him to stay focused on one of his personal objectives (I won't go into any details). We always whispered it, but apparently we weren't quiet enough. On Wednesday, a different student approached me and told me that she had a secret she wanted to share. She must have overheard us whispering our code word and decided I needed to know her secret.

It turns out she's a real princess. Only her parents and I know.

I was obviously very surprised at her confession and totally thrilled and honored to be in the presence of royalty. I vowed never to divulge her secret to her classmates. For the rest of the week she would randomly approach me and whisper "secret."

On Friday afternoon, a little boy in the class decided that he needed to share a secret with me, too. Again, I had to vow not to share his secret with anyone in the class.

He informed me that his dad is the Vice President. Of the United States.

I asked him what it was like to be Joe Biden's son and he looked at me like I was crazy. When I told him that the VP's name is Joe Biden, he said "Oops. I meant he's the vice president of something else that's really big." He then lowered his head and whispered a reminder to me that this was our secret.

First graders. I love them and their creative little minds.