Chaotic Closet

I’ve been asked to help out at school.   It was just a query at first, wondering if I’d be available at the end of the school year to assist in the reorganization of the toddler classrooms shared closet.    The end of year was when they thought they’d have to do it because they needed to purchase bins, file folders and other containers and they wouldn’t know how much was available until they found out how many gift cards they might receive over the course of the year.

Typically, children in the classroom present the class with a “class gift” at their birthday celebration.   The children enjoy giving something to their teachers for the class.   Since we’ve moved into our newly built school there have been a lot of needs to finish outfitting the classrooms.   An empty, large closet wasn’t the most conducive to organizing and storing material representing an entire year of toddler education.

I wasn’t able to wait.   I messaged Kica and asked if I could come in and look at the situation.   It was (as my son told me), “a nightmare”.   I would agree heartily.   I thought I could help and I thought I could do so without that much cost.   I didn’t ask permission, I just said I was coming in and I’d lock myself in the closet while class took place.

The teachers laughed at me when they saw me arrive with a few bins I had to test sizes.    I ended up leaving the closet open and talking to all the inquisitive toddlers who were interested in what I was doing.

That was yesterday.   Today I made big progress.  Teachers were coming in and out of the area I was working in throughout the morning and afternoon.   Every time, they’d look in and tell me how happy they were and how they couldn’t believe how much room there was just from the work I’d done so far.  

Tomorrow I’m hoping to get things more in order so I can start to figure out where best to put things.  I’ve got to tell you—I’m so happy sitting in that closet, organizing materials and putting things in order.  I’m looking forward to tomorrow.

The Big Boy Update:  I heard my son say, “that’s the smallest person I’ve seen in my life.”   I looked over to see him watching a mother holding and rocking a newborn on her chest.  I told him he used to be that small.   I’m not sure he believed me.

The Tiny Girl Chronicles:  While I was organizing the closet today when one of my daughter’s teacher’s came into the room.   She’s been one of the teachers in the main school day or after school period with my daughter for the entire time she’s been at the school.   She said my daughter had just said, “Miss Pearl, you’re everything to me.”