So...I took a two day break.

Sue me. ;)
Wednesday I got a bit over 300 words done, and when other nights I've gotten about five times that completed, I tend to get a bit disheartened. Plus, I got asked to help out with teachers' kids while the teachers of the preschool at the church went to a certification class for two days...so I was with kids from 8-5 without a break today and yesterday...and though I somehow manage to stay awake ridiculously late (I definitely could have gone to sleep about, oh I don't know...five hours ago), I don't have energy to devote to finding good words among the cobwebs in the corners of my mind and string them together in a way that is becoming and entices the reader to pursue the next page. (ooo! That was good! Too bad it won't work in my novel!)
So, while I feel guilty about not reaching 10,000 words by Friday, I think my break was justified.
Today the kids were just as hilarious as yesterday, probably more so. One girl was "selling money for free" on the playground and gave me a wood chip that was worth "infinity and beyond dollars" so I would never have to worry about money. (is that telling of our economy or what, that a six year old is playing out money problems!) I of course recieved this gift with due reverence, holding it aloft so the sun could touch its woody goodness, my eyes wide and my mouth in an expression of awe and humility, and one foot ever so delicately pointed behind me in an almost ballet like manner. She was well pleased with my reaction of course. She also gave me a 'diamond carrot' which was 'the most precious thing in the world.'
Another boy and I were playing ice cream shop, switching back and forth at being the ice cream man (I was also the ice cream man, not the ice cream woman). Whenever I asked him for a type of ice cream, he would say (in his amazingly adorable 3 year old voice) "we don't have that. You have to go over there."
Once he, a little girl, and another little boy were all "selling food," so I got a hot dog from one, ice cream from another, and a cheeseburger with fries (that cost 'zero cents') and they tried to give me more. I said "oh no guys, all this food has made me so full there isn't any room in my tummy for any more food!" The little ice cream boy said "No it isn't! You need some cheetos!"
I pointed at him and said "You are going to be a salesman when you grow up."

Another little girl isn't quite two yet but she speaks really well. We were out on the playground and she bumped her head (ever so slightly and she was totally fine) and came over to me red-faced: "I bumped my head!"
I sat her in my lap, and just as we got situated she said "I feel better!"
Then of course I realized her diaper might be dirty.
"Are you dirty?"
"No" she replied
"May I check?"
"sure!" With that, she stepped down from my lap and bent over so I could check her diaper. Absolutely hilarious.

The people on the nursery staff (that's me and a few other women) were aided by some parent volunteers, and today I recieved the antithesis to my normal age question. Twice -- not once -- TWICE, a mom said to me "So, do you have a little boy or girl that goes to the preschool?" Each time I looked at the woman and smiled and said 'Thank you!' and of course set the record straight...no telling how old they thought I was.

Despite the long hours and many children with varying levels of independence and stubbornness (often inversely proportional -- that was interesting), I had such a fun time with these kiddos and sort of wish it was something that happened more often. Probably not at nine hours a day...but hey, I did about a month's worth of Saturday and Sunday hours in just two days (and on a month where I've needed to take off two weekends in a row!).

Still looking for a more permanent, less higgledy-piggledy scheduled job for weekdays (I suspect I'll stay at the nursery until I move too far away...I've made friends), and as of this week I have four new applications staring employers in the eye, so I just need to wait it out. I've lowered my standards to "Hey, it has benefits!" from "I really need to use my degree and this is paying way too little a month," so I've applied to a lot of receptionist and office assistant jobs and then I just applied to a Librarian Assistant position (I could do worse than spending my days around books, I really could!) that looks like it would be amazingly awesome. Let's hope and pray that no one finds out about the job so I can get it and be well on my way to a topknot, cardigan, and eyeglass chain (and I am absolutley serious, librarian chic will make its comeback).

Tomorrow I will work on the book after I get the dress altered, work, and engage in social activities (people who AREN'T doing NaNoWriMo and are not just there to work on their novel!). I'm aiming for at least 500 words.