Field Trip Day

Yesterday, I went on a field trip with Jack's kindergarten class. This was the first field trip and quite possibly the first time many of these 5-year-olds had ridden a bus. For all they cared, the bus could have circled the school 5 times and they'd have been just as happy. After playing High Five Up High about 72 times and tying about 18 shoes, the bus finally arrived at the Ijams Nature Center. The group of about 50 kindergartners split up into about 6 groups of 8 or so and headed out for hiking. The little ones in my group were in utter amazement of the beauty of nature on this little 0.8 mile hike. Every leaf bigger than the size of their hand was the "coolest thing they'd ever seen. EVER." Every plant smelled like a tomato. Every spider was a tarantella or a granddaddy long legs. I even heard some really "expressive" words from a particular 5-year-old like (and pardon my language), "Holy Crap! Did you see that Mrs. Angie?" Trying not to show the smirk on my face or the utter shock that a little person said this, I gently told him that instead of saying such phrases, why don't you say, "Look at that!" He looked at me and said, "It just don't mean the same thing."