multi-age fun

I have mentioned I stop in at the school now and then. I have a volunteer position/job that I do that usually takes about 45 minutes every other week to complete. I have learned that if I go into the office at about 1:30, I can do my job and then have the last few minutes to go over to my daughter's classroom to help out and make sure everyone has all of their belongings in the correct backpacks and such.
so yesterday, I did just this. and when I went into daughter's class, it was somewhat typical chaos. a group of kids(K) were at a table with the teacher's daughter(high school senior)learning about money. a group of 1st graders were doing something with glue, string and popsicle sticks. and the 2nd graders were reading with the teacher at a table. I walked in and said I just stopped by to help, and she sent me to the glue fiasco/project.
"so, what are we making?" we're making a rainbow. or so they said.
OK.
let me explain the scene..... brown yarn, school glue, and wooden sticks. a rainbow, you say? ahhh, yes, I see it! (no, not really, but they were very excited and proud of themselves, so I nodded and smiled a lot)
so then they tell me the rest of the plan. they were constructing a rainbow and were then going to paint it. umm, yeah, you have like 5 minutes of school left for the day. no painting happening right now. disappointment fell over each face.

quick! think!

I look in the art closet and find a bazillion coloring pages of rainbows. I hand 1 out to each child and tell them their homework is to make the most beautiful rainbow they have ever seen. I told them to use any art supply at their house to help make it. they were happy. can't wait to see what they come up with!
after the first bell rang, I de-glued and de-sticked and de-yarned the table.
so then the teacher tells me that she wanted to talk to me about daughter for just a minute. instant panic set in...was she in trouble?
my son got there and I told them to sit down for a minute with their little brother so I could talk and then we'd go home.
seems that my daughter is doing really well in K so far. so well that the teacher is assuming she'll be ready for 1st grade material after the Christmas holidays.

thunk.

that was me, falling over.

"uhhh, really?"
"yes!"