Never Too Old For Toys

Vicki, from Uplifting Teaching shared this story with me, and I begged her to let me publish it. I laughed all the way through as I’m sure you will too!  Vicki is a professor of special education at a Christian University.  She loves the Lord, her husband, and her family.  Below is her story.

When I taught second graders I loved to surprise them with something from my toy collection.  One of the most surprising things I own is a mannequin.

I found lots of uses for her.  In the picture, she’s being used to review joints (a science unit).  The mannequin not only enhanced my teaching, but provided fall-down hysterics on occasion.

I first became the proud owner of several mannequins when a store was closing.  I’d been in contact with the store manager who assured me I could have some mannequins when the store closed.

Around that time, my family visited the store to buy a computer desk.  My son brought along a friend (who was also one of my second grade students).  I checked with the manager to find out when I’d be able to get the mannequins and he told me to get as many as I wanted right then.

Our station wagon was already full of three children, one husband, a computer desk (unassembled) and me.  But I was determined to get as many mannequins as possible (for all my teacher friends).

The free mannequins didn’t come clothed.  My husband and I began thrusting naked body parts into the car.  There were arms and legs lying across our kids and my student.  Torsos everywhere!  We managed to squeeze five into the car.  What a sight we must have been to other passengers on the road!

When I first brought the mannequin to school, I kept her in the car.  My plan was to bring her into the classroom after all the students left at the end of the day.  Then they would be greeted by the new member of the class the next morning.

The Mannequin was lying down in the back of my car covered up – or so I thought.  One of her legs was exposed.  An unsuspecting parent spotted the leg.  She came to my classroom and tried as tactfully as possible to ask, “Do you know…Why is there…Is there a body in your car?”

I responded, “Uh…yes.”  I’m must confess that I enjoyed making the parent squirm. Then I explained what was really hidden in my car.

At the end of the school year I had to pack up things in my classroom.  That meant transporting the mannequin back to our home.  The principal offered to carry the mannequin down the stairs.

Not wanting to miss out on a hilarious moment, I neglected to let him know the proper way to lift a mannequin.  You see, if you lift a mannequin up like a doll the arms will fall off.  Without sounding crude, the best way to lift a mannequin is between the legs.

As predicted, when he lifted the mannequin like a doll limbs started flying down the steps!  Poor guy…he was just trying to help me.

When we moved, I had to put the mannequin in a box.  I asked my husband, “What should I write on the box?”  His answer, “Body parts.”