Somewhere, a teacher is smiling

Just like that.

Spoons dipped into soup bowls and hungry hands reached for dinner rolls as Little shared his big news. “She told us today.”

“How exciting!” I enthused. “Your teacher’s having a baby.”

“Yes.” He nodded, a spray of hair waving mildly, eager fingers spreading butter on a roll.

Daddy and big brothers listened quietly, silverware clinking, and then he dropped the grenade. “I asked her how it got in there.”

To my right, a muffled snort from Daddy. Huge grins from the Brothers Who Know Things. “Lord, help, or I’ll lose it.” That’s where Mama was headed, and then he followed it right up with this, “She said to ask my mom.”

Having covered the topic with at least two of the others, I did the brave thing–I deferred it to his dad who mumbled something into his soup bowl about “later” and “talking about it another time.” All of this, of course, while stifling a whoop and guffaw.

Not to be sidetracked, The Interrogator (who, I couldn’t help but note, had his Daddy’s bright, blue eyes) chucked one more question out on the table. “And how does it come out?”

Thank you, Mrs. Blosser and spouse.

That was some weeks ago. Since then, on two separate occasions, my smallest scholar has reported to me that, “Mrs. Blosser is eating a lot.”

“I’ll just bet she is.” That’s what I thought when he said it, well remembering my own first-trimester cravings. And so, on Saturday last while out shopping for groceries, I picked up a box of chicken crackers. Which went to school this morning, along with a note card in cursive that read something like this:

“Dear hungry teacher, How well I remember my own days of early pregnancy when I wanted to eat anything that wasn’t nailed down and couldn’t crawl away. Been there, done that (x4), but didn’t need the T-shirt.

“I acknowledge the challenge of working a day job while feeling yucky, tired and, yes, hungry. I hope this helps. Signed, Rhonda Schrock.”

Somewhere, a mom’s answering questions. That’s here.

Somewhere, a boy schlepped a package. He’s mine.

And somewhere, a teacher is smiling. And munching.

Congratulations to the Blossers. With a prayer for a safe, healthy pregnancy and infant. And a settled, happy tummy for its mommy.