"Could we schedule a play date, Monica?"

Today I worked my first day at my new job. For those of you who don't know I was recently hired as a "Special Needs Facilitator" at Adas Israel's preschool called the Gan HaYeled. It is in Washington D.C. and merely a six minute metro ride from my new apartment. The kids that I am working with are mostly three year olds while some are four. They are so tiny and cute and funny and they all speak hebrew (aka very, very cute).

Some reasons why today was a great day:

1) I was playing with one boy for a while at second recess today and when we were walking back to meet the parents, he said, "Monica, I think you are beautiful. You are beautiful.". Sure, it's nice to hear that from your boyfriend, but when a three year old says it, you know he means it!

2) I have multi-colored finger nail polish on and the kids were looking at it. One of them, a teeny-tiny boy, was touching my fingers with his fingers and that's when I noticed that his fingernails were awfully shiny. I said, "Hold on a sec. Do you have nail polish on too?" And he was like, in a matter-of-fact tone, "Of course I do!"

3) I made really good friends with another teeny-tiny boy today. He gets my sense of humor and he is really serious and polite (he's like a business man in a toddler's body). At the end of the day, as I was leaving, I ran into him and his German nanny (a student, my age, studying in America for 2 years). I got to walk back with the two of them and the girl was so refreshingly nice and fun to talk to. We both went into the metro station and as we were about to take trains in the opposite directions, the little boy said, "Monica, I would like to schedule a play date with you. Could we schedule a play date, Monica?" He asked me in a very business-y tone.

4) The same boy from number 3 asked me if I had any children.

5) FREE FOOD! And not only that, good free food. Today for lunch they had falafel, pickled turnips, tabouleh, pita, roasted eggplant and lots of veggies.

6) Everyone is so nice!

7) I am getting paid money to have fun!