Carrie Link

THE SNACK SHACK

Woohoo is playing on the JVII volleyball team, and having a ball. But nobody is more excited than Rojo.

As soon as teams were made and schedules given, a clipboard got passed around asking the parents to sign up for a few shifts at the "Snack Shack," a fundraiser for the sport

teams, whereby many bags of popcorn and slices of pizza change hands.

Oh, and water bottles.

And candy.

"Mom! I will help you at the Snack Shack! I will help you sell water bottles and candy! You will tell me what the people order, and I will just RUN and get it, and hand it to the people! I will just run and get them their candy, and run and get them their water bottle. You will just tell me, and I will do all the running!"

That was in August.

Everyday since then it's been a steady stream of, "Mom! Only _________ more days until we work the Snack Shack! You will just tell me what the people want, and I will just RUN to get it! The people will say, 'I'll have a water bottle, please,' and you will tell me, 'Rojo! One water bottle, please,' and I will just run and go get it, and then I'll hand it to the person and I will say, 'Here is your water bottle!'"

So, yesterday was Snack Shack day and Woohoo had been home sick Monday. Rojo got worried.

"Mom. We will still work at the Snack Shack even if Woohoo is too sick to go to school, right? Even if she is not playing volleyball, we will still sell water bottles and candy at the Snack Shack, right?"

Tuesday morning and Woohoo was still too sick to go to school. Again, I raised my right hand and placed it on the Bible and swore the Snack Shack plan was still in effect.

Tuesday afternoon I pick him up from school, and he's not even fully in the car, door still wide open, backpack flung on the floor, and he starts in, "Mom. You did not forget the Snack Shack, did you? What time will we go to the Snack Shack tonight? What time will I sell the water bottles and candy?"

I assured him we were all systems go for the Snack Shack, and we would leave at 4:15, watch the end of Woohoo's team's game, then be right on time to start peddling at 5:00, as planned.

"Let's go over this one more time," he says, all business, once back at home. "In fact, let me write you a script so you can study your lines. Then you will put the script in your purse and have it at the Snack Shack, just in case you forget. But you will not forget, right? You promise not to forget?"

He digs out paper and pencil and writes me the "script," "OPEN REVERFARTER FOR WATER" and "OPEN DRAWER FOR CANDY."

"Do you understand your job? Do you understand that you will open the refrigerator for water and hand me the water, and I will run and take it to the person? Do you understand that if the person wants candy, you will open the drawer, and I will just give it right to the person, just like that? Do you understand? Do we need to go over this one more time?"

After many more promises that I would deliver on my end of the bargain, we headed on over to the Snack Shack.

He worked up a sweat with all the running back and forth, and endeared himself to most the student body, many parents, and the principal.

When our 1-hour shift ended he was reluctant to leave, just sure he'd left shoes too big to fill. Anyone can hand out candy and water bottles, not just anyone can do so with such unadulterated joy.

Got home and he didn't miss a beat. "Mom. I would like a Snack Shack milkshake please." I got out the blender, milk, ice cream and went looking for the scooper. When I turned around, I saw this: