adventures at legoland

last friday my school went on a field trip to legoland. i was expecting the disneyland of legos, like i'd seen in pictures and fabricated in my head from honey i shrunk the kids. mmm, nope. more like a two story building in an outdoor mall in the suburbs. this only goes to show that the husband is always right about things like this...no expectations = happiness.

so at the entrance of mini legoland is a replica of chicago's downtown area made out of legos, naturally. my coworker looks at this building below and says, "hmm, i don't remember the name of this one."

me: yeah, i can't remember either but i think it has prudential in the name.
her: oh! i remember. kids, this is the EMPIRE state building!
kids: wow! the empire state building!
me: well, it looks a little similar, but this building is in chicago
her: yeah, the empire state building. hah, can't believe i forgot that one!
me: well, i think (know! duh) the empire state building is actually in new york city
her: hmm, nope this is downtown
me: (under my breath as i walk with the kids) kids, that's not the empire state building. let's go look at lake michigan...
you know all those statistics about how many americans can't point out america on a map? i believe them all.

being the teacher is fantastic because you get to pick your field trip group. read: dish out all the behavior problems to other people. at one point, the cute little girls in my group were all in tears as we stared up at the lego version of hagrid. hagrid! the gentlest creature in all of harry potter. if hagrid is scary, i fear for them.

field trips are the best (except for that one time i lost a kid at the pumpkin patch. whoops). every other day i wish i were five again. seriously, what an ideal age.

disclaimer: i promise i'm not that mean about dishing out all the wild kids to parent chaperones. they usually end up back with me, but it is really nice to have a break from constant barking. come back! hands out of your nose! stay with me! hold hands! no whining! no pouting either! you're not a baby! do we need to call your mom? do we need to call santa? :)