Heartwarming.

Ian's 5th grade class finally took a field trip. Their destination?  Medieval Times.  Yes, the place where they put on a big show full of knights riding horses, complete with jousting and eating all your food without utensils.  Oh, what fun!  Right away Ian asked me if I was going to volunteer to be a chaperone.  Um, no.  Not if it involves me sitting on a bus for 1.5 hours there and another 1.5 hours back.  I've learned my lesson two years ago on the kindergarten field trip when a child threw-up (repeatedly) two rows in front of me and it slid to my row on the floor of the bus.  Ugh!   Between the smell, the sun beating down on me, and the bus lurching back and forth in stop and go traffic, I didn't ever need to put myself in that position again.

Ian was fine with me not going.  From what he told me, there were 15 parent volunteer forms turned in the first day asking to fill the one spot available for his class.  It wasn't until the mom of one of the girls in Ian's class sought me out a few weeks later and asked if I wanted to go with her and we could drive on our own, that I considered this a win-win in attending the field trip.  I got to drive (in my own car!!!  With my own AC blowing on me!!  With my radio tuned to the Billy Joel channel on SiriusXM!!  With a fellow mom in the passenger seat to keep me company!!) and I still got to see Ian enjoy the field trip.  Yes!!  I'd love to go!  And I'd love to drive us! 

I was going to keep it a secret, let the teacher know I would be there (it was an option for parents to go on their own) and surprise Ian by showing up.  Jeff thought that was a terrible idea and advised strongly against it.  I could not be more surprised than when I told Ian I was going and he asked me to sit next to him at the Medieval Times table.  What???   Really?  Ian wants me to sit next to him????   He's in 5th grade!  You could knock me over with a feather!   Instantly my heart melted and I was so excited that I had decided to give up my normally flexible Friday to get things done and make my way to Arundel Mills where Medieval Times is located. 

It is mandatory that all the kids have to take the bus to get to the field trip.  But Kathy and I were able to spring the kids free and let them drive home with us.  We signed them out at the end of the program and they could not be happier to dodge the last 1.5 hours of school and have an early dismissal.  I know I would've loved having a parent do that for me. 

All in all, it was great experience.  The kids LOVED Medieval Times.  I am still not completely convinced this ties in a whole lot to what they are studying, but it certainly is a fun place to take a group of kids.  The best part was the knight for our section (out of 6 sections) won the whole jousting competition.  Personally, I think it was because we had the loudest cheering section. 

There were other parents who attended that sat at their own table with some of the teachers.  So I consider it pretty special that Ian still finds it to be cool to be seen with his mom.  He actually had me sit in between him and his best friend.  Aw, I love that.  I know this won't always be the case, so I will cherish it while it lasts.

Our Knight who won the competition!