2nd Graders After All

Today they giggled.
They participated...listened...wondered.
They were captivated by toy puppets and a stage made from a box....liberal theatre people who ran around with bare feet and braided hair.
They sang and made funny noises - no hip hop, no slang....and you'll never believe it but...
They loved it.
I missed most of the show because I couldn't stop watching how still our ADHD kids were...how mesmerized our space cadets seemed to be....how happy a little toy theatre made all of my little thugs.
For the first time in all of my moments with them it felt like they were 7 and 8 years old. I think we all forgot, if only for a little while, that their world is full of violence and drugs and video games. I took in everything I could about those 30 minutes. It reminded me of the very reason why I choose to spend my days with them.
Beneath all of their tough exteriors are second graders who can't help but laugh at things like dancing puppets, goofy songs, and dumb jokes. I knew they had it in them :)