What A Man-Eater!

OK - here is what I hate about living in a small town.

My boys just started back into school. I love their school, actually. It's like a Norman Rockwell painting - happy teachers who I know on a first name basis, gardens, trees...parents playing soccer with their kids before school starts in the morning. Moms and even a dad or two standing around with their coffees after the kids have gone in to class, talking about things like pie or the Fall Fair.

We're super invested in that school. I know the kids and the moms and the teachers. I volunteer sporadically. I'm there. Almost all the time.

So they know me. Or at least, I thought they knew me. See, Jack and Nathan have male teachers this year, which I love. I think it's great for boys to have male teachers thrown into the mix. One of them I haven't met yet. I was asking around the playground about him, since Jack threw his backpack at me after school and took off for a rousing game of four square without saying much. One of the women said,
"Oh he has Mr. __, does he? Hmm...wait until you see him. Yummy."

Being a normal red-blooded woman I said, "Oh - he's nice eye candy, is he?"
And then more than one of my married friends jumped in quickly with, "But he's got a girlfriend, Jen."

Jesus - like I was going to go and attack my son's teacher! Like I am so desperate for a man that they have to keep me on a tight leash, make sure I keep my raging mid-30's hormones under control. This isn't the first time that's happened either. Whenever one of my married friends points out a good-looking man, they usually follow up with a quick "Oh - he's married, though." Like they're warning me off.

The kids have gotten in to the act too. When we were talking about the aforementioned hot teacher who I have yet to see, Jack ignored the other moms as they waxed poetic about his manly attributes. But before I could say a word, Jack said, "He's too young for you, Mom. You can't date him."

Even though Jack has never seen me go on a date, hit on a man or have any male friends who aren't married to my female friends. I guess I must come off as a bit of a maneater. In my yoga capris and old t-shirts. Carrying backpacks and a large double double. With my hair in a ponytail.

Maybe it's time to shed my mom coat, throw on some stilletos and do a catwalk through the playground. Give everyone a show. Shake things up a bit. As the song says...let's give them something to talk about...

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