Tuesday, March 02, 2010

Pass the Candy Canes & Popcorn!

Every so often, when Parley comes home from preschool, he has a big blue bucket with him.  He is always so excited as he walks up the stairs tripping over the thing, but I don't love the bucket.  When Parley brings the bucket home, we are responsible for the snack next time.  On the bucket hangs a tag with snack suggestions that read: cupcakes (messy, but YUM!), crackers, fruit, yogurt, popcorn (fun!), string cheese etc.  Parley always wants to bring fruit snacks, which we have done.  However, fruit snacks come in packs of 10, and there are 12 kids in Parley's class, so they seem a little impractical.  

Parley brought the bucket home the day before the class Valentine's party.  I knew they'd all be getting plenty of treats, so I sent apples and popcorn.  When Parley got home, we ate Valentine treats and talked about his snack.  

M: Did the kids like the popcorn? 

P:We didn't eat popcorn.

M: Wait, what?  Did you eat the apples?

P: Yes, we had apples and crackers.

M: You didn't have popcorn?

P: No, we just had apples and crackers.

But I sent two bags of popcorn, not crackers.  So what happened to that popcorn?  I had this vision of my son's two teachers getting together with friends for a movie party and eating all the popcorn that the kids brought in the big blue bucket.  Pretty soon,  I anticipated, 12 packs of Pepsi would appear on the suggested snack list.  Then chocolate covered pretzels, Hot Tamales and Gummy Grapefruits (these are certainly everyones' favorite treats).  

Today was a blue bucket day again and I didn't have time to head to the store.  I looked through my cupboards and chose two packs of crackers (I learned my lesson last time) and then stumbled on a box of (12!) unopened rainbow candy canes from Christmas.  I bought them for stockings, but was nervous they'd been seen beforehand, so I put them away and I had forgotten about them.  I asked Parley if he'd like to share them with his class.  He was thrilled.  I was off the hook for fruit snacks and I could finally unload the candy canes--win, win! 

When Parley came home he opened his backpack and handed me the box of candy canes.  

P: My teacher said I had to give these back.

M: Wait, what?

(confused)

M: Did you eat them?

P: No.

M: Wait, what did you eat?

P: Crackers and a banana and apple juice.  

I notice that 7 of the 12 candy canes still remained in the box.

I start to feel like Debra on Everybody Loves Raymond when she brings pretzels to her kids' soccer game and they are rejected by the coach because pretzels weren't on the approved snack list.  Candy canes weren't suggested on the preschool snack list, but certainly cupcakes and candy canes fall in the same category!  Like Debra I was ready to storm down there, demanding to know what was wrong with my snacks (you know me, I'm feisty like that!).  Then it dawned on me--could his teacher have split the candy canes in half and given them to the children?  I asked Parley once again at dinner time.  

M:  So Parley, did your teacher break a candy cane piece for you?

P: Yes.  

M:  So you did eat some candy cane.

P:  Yes but I just couldn't have a whole one.

I only wish they would have kept the other six for their movie party.  Candy canes and popcorn go super well together.  

P.S.  I think anyone who is a preschool teacher deserves to steal any and all snacks that kids bring to school.  And I really like Parley's teachers. I'm going to start sending extra popcorn just for them.  And maybe Pepsi.  But probably just popcorn.

15 comments:

clarkjrfamily said...

One time someone brought sausage on a stick for my son's preschool snack. I'm glad they got at least a piece of candy cane!

Megan said...

as a once pregnant kindergarten teacher, I can say that snack time was always the best part of my day. I never would have returned your candy canes. I would have eaten six immediately after school just to calm my nerves.

When you send a blue bucket to my house could you include diet dr. pepper and gummy grapefruits, please?

Kim said...

Sausage on a stick, Clark Family? That's hilarious!

The sausage on a stick reminded me of when I was doing my student teaching in college, I had a 1st grade class. This was inner city Toledo and the neighborhood was rough (and that is being kind!). We had armed security guards and all. We were having a class Valentine's party and these were a few on the list of "treats" we received: cocktail wieners (with a jar of Sweet Baby Ray's BBQ sauce for dipping!) in a jar, grits, Slim Jim's, jerky from random road kill, fried chicken and coleslaw. The kids never complained, and they all cleared their plates. NO candy or sweets were served, except my homemade chocolate chip cookies. Some of the parents even came for the good eats! I will never forget that school or day!!! Back in my day, I was thrilled with a few pixie sticks, fun dip or heart shaped suckers!

Tamsin said...

OK lady: where are you finding your gummy grapefruits? We have needs.

Lindsey said...

OK, Jayne, yet another reason why YOU are such a good person to give the teacher the benefit of the doubt, and thusly want to bring treats esp. for the teachers. I would be so bugged. I wouldn't say anything but I would be bugged. I have to bring treats to Deacon's basketball games but the mom's here are so competitive about who can bring the "healthiest" snack. Last week someone brought kiddie Clif Bars and the kids hated them.

I saw Gummy Grapefruits at a cute candy store at the mall the other day and wanted to snag you up an lb. That's the only place I've seen them!

ali said...

jayne...didn't you ever sneak snacks from your students? I know this routine well.

allison nadauld said...

We use the bucket in nursery. I steal snacks all the time, especially on fast Sunday...what? I'm nursing! Cute story. Send the rest of the candy canes next time the bucket comes your way.

bethanne said...

Jayne, you are so funny. Every once in a while we will bring chocolate milk for our drink with our snack (after all, chocolate milk is the preferred form of milk at our house.) I am telling you, I really can't see Seth's teachers reacting much differently about chocolate milk as they would if I showed up with a few wine coolers for the kids. So what with that reaction we are sure to send cholcolate milk much more often.

Cole said...

What a funny, cute post about something I never would have thought about! I don't have kids and I'm, too old to remember snacks to schools or sports...but I am positive this happens a lot! Yea to you for sending extra snacks ;)

Jen said...

I can see that this weighed heavily on your mind- so I am glad you got to the bottom of it! Don't you love how kids can give you little reports?

jayne wells said...

@Beth, such an awesome comment. Chocolate milk is the only form of milk my kids will drink.
@Suz--sausage on a stick is so funny!
@Megan, Ali and Allison-like I said, teachers deserve to steal snacks--and yes, I loved class parties and birthdays.
@Kim--did you teach? Funniest snacks ever.
@Tasmin--gummy grapefruits--I get mine at Maceys!
@Linds--stick to unhealthy snacks--kids only live once! Cliff bars? Bleh!
@Cole--thanks for the comment--glad you're here!
@Jen--I get reports all the time!

Shana said...

The other side to this story is the fact that he said they did not eat candy canes but really they did eat them, just in halves. I'm telling you, this is a conversation I could have had with Mitchell. Paige, no. But Mitchell, for sure. It happens all the time. Something like, "Mom, James said Derron Williams got 33 points." And I say, "Who?" meaning who got 33 points, and he says, "James" meaning who said it. I am not exaggerating. It happens all the time. It sounds like you are headed for some of these conversations with Parley.

Kim said...

Jayne, yes, I have my degree in Special Education. Needless to say, I work with "special" people everyday! I just don't teach them. wink wink!

Anonymous said...

As a teacher I am willing to bet that they had an open box of crackers to use up and decided to save the popcorn for another day since it keeps well. You have to have those extra snacks on hand for when one of the kids forgets to bring the blue bucket.

Teachinfourth said...

I'm a teacher, too. The teachers totally had popcorn in the faculty room as they all shared war stories of the day…

Parley was the war-hero of snackdom I'd wager.