Is it wrong to body-slam a 10 year old??

I know, not a question you hear every day, right? So, you all know I have spent the last 4 weeks of my life with a room full of 8-10 year old boys (and the one brave girl...thanks again, Cait!), and we have kinda started to bond. Most of us, that is... Anyhoo, there are a couple of the guys who were so nice and shy and quiet at the beginning of camp that I have now discovered had me totally fooled! I think it was all part of some master plan. You know, the whole "Let's see how long it takes to gross-out, over-power, and be louder than the teacher." Guess what...they had no clue who they were dealing with! I grew up around boys, I live with 3 males, and I am trying to raise 2 boys to be men. So, after proving I can kick butt in a burping contest (nice, huh), can kick a ball high enough and far enough to elicit comments like "Wow, Mrs. Erin, that was awesome!", and that I don't mind being sweaty, I think these guys decided I was acceptable...and a great target.



By the way, the "Wow, Mrs. Erin, that was awesome!" statement has been made many times throughout camp as I continue to defend my title as "The Burp-master".



So, today, as the other parents were arriving to pick up their kids from camp, my group and I can be found in the Music Room beating the crap out of each other! Yes, you read that right...They had decided to use the little Nerf football and the many rubber bouncers as ammo against me. What started as a game of "Monkey in the Middle" (or "Keep-away" as us old-schoolers called it) turned into a massive conspiracy to get me. I mean, I had to totally take off my glasses, because I kept getting nailed in the face hard enough to knock them off! As I am totally pegging a kid with the Nerf football, his mother happens to walk by to pick up his little sister from another room. Now, I must say, his older brother was in the room trying to help me out...not that I needed it, but it was nice! Anyway, the chase managed to make it out into the hallway, where this child proceeded to tackle me outside the room his mother was in! It was so freakin funny, I had a hard time catching my breath long enough to get him back. As his mother walks into the room to claim him and his older brother, I am totally nailing him with one of those little hop-on bouncer things! I turn in time to see his mother's face, and have a moment of "OMG, what the *&#@ was I thinking?" As I am trying to come up with why exactly I am allowing this group to attempt to take over, she says to me "Go ahead, I can wait". How totally freaking awesome is that??? So, I proceed to pick this child up and body slam him (very gently) onto the floor as his Mom, brother, and little sister look on! Again, I say "nice, huh"!


Before you all begin wondering what type of lawsuits I may be facing, I must tell you what the response was to this action. "We mess around rough like that at home...I am so sorry." Can you believe that?? I just "Mann"-handled this child (insert the whole ba-da-dah thing), and his mother is telling me to go ahead!!! What a great world. Why can't more people be like this family?

Needless to say, I am a bit concerned about what tomorrow may bring, as it is the last day of Summer Camp. I proceeded to battle with a few of the kids after-hours today...these are TK's (teacher's kids)...and I have no doubt they will be ready and waiting for me in the morning! I just think it is really cool that the guys feel comfortable enough to allow me into their "inner circle".

BUT...that does NOT mean I am not jumping out of my skin with excitement that tomorrow is the last day of camp!!!