lunch date

Everyday I eat lunch with my bff. This began on the first day of school because we were worried about how he would handle the cafeteria. As the year has progressed I've realized that although he can handle the cafeteria now, I would really miss the 45 minutes we have to read books, write our abcs, sing songs, and play without worrying about the distraction of a whole class.
This week we invited another little boy to our group. My bff and this boy had been to preschool together so although they are not in the same class they know each other and are comfortable with one another. I was terrified about how this could go. I pictured disaster, both children having melt-downs, one of them running out of the classroom, one under the table. Last week I went back and forth on whether or not to even invite the other boy. Could this possibly be a good idea or would I be the one under the table hoping no one would notice if I didn't go to my classes the rest of the day?

It has been the best experience this year. The two are so grown-up in this setting. They interact more with each other than they do with other children, which gives me the opportunity to work on social skills we couldn't begin to touch on in a whole-group setting. The best part, however, is the empathy they show toward one another. They look out for one another, giggle at each other's jokes, and generally interact in a way expected of kindergartners.

I am loving it and can honestly say that even after a long day of school and grad class I am looking forward to tomorrow's lunch date.