Teacher Perks

Yesterday I saw this great movie: Spongebob and Patrick were being chased by a vampire, and the vampire kept pushing Patrick down. Spongebob didn't like seeing his friend abused in such a manner, and so he got mad. While we watched the movie, we helped ourselves to buckets of popcorn, piles of pepperoni pizza and tray after tray of chicken wings. We washed it all down with all the Kool-Aid we could handle. It was an awesome time. It was how I spent my lunch recess.
If this all sounds a little hard to believe, no matter, since it was all make-believe. It was primarily the imagination of one first grade girl who had tired of chasing and being chased by boys around the play structure. It was, to be fair, a continuation of a game that had been started a few days before by a first grade boy who wanted us all to get into his bus so that we could drive to the movie theater. The concession stand and the movie's plot were fabricated primarily by this one little girl who needed some better way to spend the time after she ate her lunch and before she had to return to class.
She didn't need any props. She just grabbed my hand and insisted that I sit with her and stare off into the middle distance at the "screen." When she got hungry, she hopped up and went around behind the other kids who were climbing, jumping, screaming and hollering. She came back with a little Kindergarten friend who helped her carry all the food. Other kids began to take notice of our little pantomime feast, and some of them pulled up a seat while others squinted off across the yard while the snacks were passed out. We all insisted on using our best manners, and even though the food was invisible, it was quite delicious.
I was sad when this reverie was broken by the occasional crisis on the playground. I excused myself and went off to deal with the reality that is lunchtime yard duty. When I came back, three girls were happy to fill me in on all that I had missed, including the second helping of pizza and wings. I don't know what is in store for Monday, but I think I had better bring my imagination and my appetite.