Market Day

Yet another day spent helping out at The Kid's school. Today was Market Day, the culmination of the state-mandated lessons on economics. The first graders learned the difference between goods and services, worker and consumer, supply and demand. He had homework with specific examples – his dad definitely provides a service with his teaching, and he decided that I, as a writer, provide both goods and service.

Today the kids got to sell the goods they created in class to other first graders and buy goods from the other classes. They shopped in shifts and everyone took a turn being the workers, actually collecting the money and selling the goods (wooden stick picture frames). Each student was given $20 in play money to spend. They had to make their own spending choices and there was much frustration when they ran out of money, but still had things they wanted to buy. (Join the club, kiddos.)

As you might imagine, it was chaos on a grand scale. I helped out and did the things Mrs. P asked me to. The two other mothers who were there to help stood at the back of the classroom and talked. To each other. Did not even pretend to be helping. I just don't get it. Why bother showing up at all?!

So I put in my hour and a half of chaos (which is really all I can stand – I have a low tolerance level) and came home and nearly fell asleep on the couch. Between the crazy first grade economics lesson and scurrying around putting all the knitting I've done since summer into boxes to send as presents, I am officially out of steam.

I had hoped by the time I got down here some other theme or thought would have worked it's way in here, so that this would sound a little less whiney, but no luck.

Tomorrow – another trip to the post office!