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Generous to a Fault

We’re out of Kleenex in my classroom. This is allergy season. My nose is running like a faucet, and the Kleenex box is empty.

The Kleenex is mine. I bought it. It sits on my desk — but I am not the one who used a whole box in just a couple of days. In fact I was quite shocked to visit the newly opened box and find it empty.

I picked up the empty box, turned to the class and said, “My Kleenex are gone. I just bought this box and it shouldn’t be empty yet. I need to blow my nose. Since you guys used all my Kleenex I think it’s only fair if you all give me something to blow my nose with.” I turned to the child closest to me – it was Ike. I said, “I have to blow. Give me your sleeve.”

He extended his arm, holding the cuff of his long sleeved-shirt in his fingers and stretching the sleeve taut. “Okay,” he said. “Just don’t use the side I do.”

Quilly is the pseudonym of Charlene L. Amsden, who lives on The Big Island in Hawaii. When she is not hanging out with Amoeba, she is likely teaching or sewing. Or she could be cooking, taking photographs, or even writing. But if she's not doing any of that, she's probably on Facebook or tinkering with her blog.

18 Comments

  1. LOL, ain’t that just like kids? I mean last night my son tossed the kitchen towel into dirty clothes hamper. When I asked for something to wipe my hands off on, he extended his shirt here……..lol.

  3. he is sooo sweet..that was nice of him honey..ahhh, disgusting but oh so nice..

    good luck with your allergies. my daughter has them and she has such a hard time with her runny nose and the endless, and i mean endles snezees..

  7. What is this, Quilly-Sister? I get poopy stories over at Cindra’s blog today, and snot stories here at yours…is it Leaky Orifices Monday and no one told me???

  8. Jan — I was afraid to call this kids bluff for fear he wasn’t bluffing.

    Nessa — if there was a clean spot.

    Chana — the sneezing is potentially a worse problem than the running nose, considering how seldom we’re allowed to go to the restroom.

    Brooke — that’s why I share’em. They’re just too funny to keep to myself.

    Jenn — are we looking at the same kid?

    Jackie — I guess this is just your lucky day!

  11. Ha, ha, haaaa! Children are amazing! I would be totally grossed out with the thought of germs near me (as is, my poor kids know to cover their mouths when coughing because you do NOT cough on me… being a yogi and a yoga teacher, I cannot get sick because if I do I cannot breathe and if I cannot breathe no yoga and no teaching and…) which goes to show his sweetness but his line is classic! I bet you could totally write a book with the stuff you hear these kids say!

  12. You can pick your friends, and you can pick your nose, but you can’t pick your friends nose. but I guess you can wipe it…haha

    Give me your address, and a box of kleenex will be on it’s way…….I just bought five..haha

  13. Miz B — indeed. I have some winning anecdotes I’ve yet to share from my past ten years. My current kids keep me in good supply. And yes, the little darling was disgusting, but hailariously so.

    Nea — I went straight to the store after school. One can only use those brown paper towels a few times without removing both their nose and top lip.

  16. Quill here in Georgia, at the beginning of school they make a list of things that the kids need to bring to school. On that list is a bottle of liquid hand sterilizer, and a box of kleenex. If every kid does their job. the teacher ends up with about 25 boxes….. haha

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