last night was another plug for living in a small town. this time it is for the school...

we had a busy night. my oldest son needed to go to a Reading Rally in the old gym, where kids from grades K-6 spend an hour reading with a parent or whoever. all the kids got to dress up in halloween costumes, and the first graders put on a little program. there was a contest and candy, they really do a good job with it. i just think the whole thing is a great idea, to foster a love of reading in our little people. even my little guy got to go, and he read his pile of books the whole time and thought it was the greatest thing.

in addition to the Reading Rally, there were volleyball games going on. all parents of kids at the school are considered "boosters" and are scheduled to work periodic concession stand hours. last night was my turn. i worked my shift with a wonderful guy who told me stories about his kids and hunting and was kind enough to man the popcorn machine all night. i really loved just seeing how the community turns out to support the girls--even people who don't have kids were there to cheer them on. i found myself knowing a large majority of the people there, which is such a nice thing. we have never been to a high school volleyball game before, and i feel bad about that. we'll be going more often i think.

but the thing i really love is this: all the kids K-12 are in one school. that means the big kids watch out for the little kids, and they all seem to know each other. i can't tell you how many high school kids called my sons by name, gave them high fives and talked with them. i could tell it made my boys feel pretty special. i kept thinking "and they get to grow up like this! it's so friendly! i never had this when i was a kid!!"

so, there it is. another small town story from a girl who never wanted to live in one.
i'm sure there will be more to come...