I spent some time with my mother out at good old East Lawrence today. I got to see several teachers at the middle school and high school. Mother is not just teaching the kids of students anymore, but she has nieces, nephews, cousins, and younger siblings to people I knew in school, and even the grandchild of one of my teachers. I had forgotten just how talkative and fidgety 4th graders are. While they can be so annoying (read no one disciplines several of them at home), they can also be amusing too.

Female Student: Mrs. Mallard?

Mother: Yes?

Female Student: If hermit means to live alone, does that mean that hermit crabs live alone?

Mother: (trying not to laugh) Well, they do live alone in their shell.

As usual, most of them were amazed to see one of her kids show up in class. I suppose with all of us grown up and out of school, they don't see one of us in her room very often anymore. They then started guessing at her age.

Class: Who are you?

Me: Mrs. Mallard's daughter.

Class: (Lots of chatter) You are not! Yes, she is she talks just like her. How old are you?

Me: I'm 23.

Class: How old is your mother?

Me: I'll let you ask her that.

Female Student: She's 33.

Male Student: No, she's 100.

Me: My grandmother isn't even that old.

Male Student: Ok, she's 80

Mother: (walking back in to the room) No, I'm 95. Now get back to work.

Some were amazed that their teacher was almost a hundred. Others a little brighter, decided that she was definately 40 maybe 42. Like I said it was an amusing day.