Before Trivia

Friday was 8th grade homecoming. The high school student counsel sponsors it, as a way to prepare the 8th graders for school dances next year.

The teachers on my team decided that it would be a great idea to take the kids to nice restaurant before the dance, as a way for them to learn proper restaurant behavior and tipping and so on.

We were taking 40 students to a local Italian restaurant and 30 to a Mexican restaurant two doors down. I was accompanying them to the Mexican place along with the math teacher and the science teacher.

We get to the school to corral the kids onto the correct bus. They looked so cute! The boys were wearing dress shirts and ties, and the girls were in beautiful dresses. I was almost teary-eyed seeing how mature they looked and how much more mature they were in their more formal attire.

Many of the boys' ties were too short, so the math teacher and myself retied some of them for the boys. "It should meet the top of your belt, not the bottom of your sternum!"

They were so funny, too, because they were impressed with the teachers being a little better dressed than the norm (although we weren't as formal as they were.) One boy told me if he could whistle, he would whistle at me. Awkwardly sweet.

So, since I was not going to the dance, and I needed to leave immediately after dinner to make it trivia on time, I drove myself. I got to the restaurant early, and tell the hostess that the kids will be there shortly.

I get a blank stare.
She gets the manager.
I tell him that I had personally called 3 weeks ago about bringing a group of kids to dinner and was assured that the could accommodate us.
He has no idea what I am talking about.
My stomach drops.
I had meant to call him and make sure they were ready for us and see if there was anything special they required of us, but with the state testing, I just ran out of time.
The manager asked who I talked to.
I HAVE NO IDEA!
He calmly tells me not to worry. They have plenty of room. There is a side room and the kids can sit where they want and we will be taken care of.
He later asked what we were doing that we came out to dinner all dressed up. I explained that they were going to a dance, and we wanted them to practice going to dinner, behaving and tipping and so on.
He thanked me.

Because we weren't expected, it took a wee bit longer than we had hoped. Still, we were done by 6:30. I had just enough time to get to trivia (According to Mapquest, it was 27 minutes away. It was starting at 7:00.)

The kids boarded the bus and waved at me. The enthusiasm on their faces was precious. I know few people would ever call 8th graders precious, but seriously, you just had to see them!

So, on every front, it was a great night.