Got to scare some kids today

particleacc · Oct 31, 2008

This morning, I went to my girlfriend's elementary school to visit her class. (She teaches K-2 special needs kids.) The entire school was walking around to each class trick or treating. Everyone was dressed up in costumes and there were a whole bunch of parents there too.

Yesterday, I bought an old shirt and pair of sweatpants at Goodwill. I ripped off the sleeves and ripped up the shirt and sweatpants. I then coated myself with green body paint before I went in today. I also got some black and green hair spray and sprayed that on. As I walked in, all the kids AND parents were staring at me. A bunch of the kids would stop and say, "Look! It's the Hulk!!!". Some of the parents even stopped and took my picture.

What was funny was that a lot of the smaller kids took one look at me, their eyes got huge and they moved to the side of the hallway away from me as they passed me. As I came around a corner, a teacher was coming around the other side and literally jumped when she saw me! This actually happened a few times as I made my way to my girlfriend's class.

All the kids (well, the ones that weren't terrified) wanted to have their picture taken with me. As one parent was walking with her kid's class, she stopped and pointed me out to her son. She said, "Look, he doesn't even need fake muscles!". Her son then came up very close to me and was staring at my arm. I flexed a few times, which actually scared a bunch of the other kids!

Well, I got green paint all over my car, but I had a good time. I got to scare a bunch of 5 and 6 year olds! (And some teachers too!) My girlfriend liked my costume so much, she took me over to the office to show me off. One parent came up to me and said my costume was really good. I said I had been working on it for a few years! I guess being 6'2" 290 makes a good Hulk!

Still working on washing that paint off though....

Buildinthaskinnys · Oct 31, 2008

Thats Funny man!, hope you have some pictures to post later.

particleacc · Oct 31, 2008

I should have some pics in a bit when my girlfriend gets home with the camera. I'll try to get them up.

Just spoke to my girlfriend. A lot of kids were coming up to her after I left and asking about me. It seems that they all believed that she had the REAL Hulk come to her class, which is why so many of them were afraid of me!

She showed one of the pictures she took of me to a parent who came in after I had left. The mom asked, "Are those real muscles?" My girlfriend said yes and the mom said, "He must be HUGE!".

oldfella · Oct 31, 2008

Nice work! I love working with those kids. Did that for four years at my gym.
They never ceased to amaze me. That was really good hearted of you to do that for them. Great story and yes def put up some pics!!

particleacc · Nov 1, 2008

Here is a picture if I got the attachment right...

Don't I look mean and vicious???

Ashop · Nov 1, 2008

Buildinthaskinnys said:
Thats Funny man!, hope you have some pictures to post later.

Yeah that would be great! Funny stuff.

particleacc · Nov 1, 2008

One of the best pictures was one of me and one of my girlfriend's students. He came in a Hulk costume too! He was one of the first that really wanted his picture taken with me. (I'd post it, but don't want to put pictures of someone else's kid on the internet.) He did his "Hulk pose" with me. He came up to about my knee!

After we took the picture he asked me if I would do a "Hulk smash". I told him that we had to respect the school's stuff, so I couldn't go smashing stuff. I told him that us Hulks would protect the other kids if anything scary happened in the classroom.

I had a lot of fun with the kids.

Buildinthaskinnys · Nov 2, 2008

Great pic man and great story too! I hope you didnt hurt yourself running though any walls! LOL

Muay Thai · Nov 2, 2008

cute story

thebrick · Nov 2, 2008

Great costume!

I'm sure the kids did love it! Looks great!

My wife said someone at her job dressed as the Hulk, but he is really skinny

she said it didn't work for him...

Pekkerwood · Nov 3, 2008

Particle, that is a way to live life. Inspiring and rewarding I bet.

particleacc · Nov 3, 2008

I go into the school and volunteer and help in my girlfriend's class often. It is very rewarding. In fact, it was what my girlfriend does for a living that attracted me to her in the first place.

When I was married, my (now former) stepson was one of these "special needs" kids. He was 7 years old when I met his mom and could not read. He was pretty much written off and simply punished all the time due to his "hyperactive" behavior. As I became more involved with him, I started working with him on his homework. He loved working with me instead of complaining about homework because I made it fun and rewarding for him.

I was the first person who actually gave him structure and rules. He learned VERY quickly what earned rewards and what made me disappointed. I NEVER yelled or threatened him. I only made sure to explain what was expected and what the consequences were of his behavior.

In all honesty, I thought that he was mildly retarded when I first met him. Turns out he was like that only because that was how everyone treated him!!! He learned SO fast, it made my head spin. After working with him for a while, I told him that I would personally take him to the mall and get him any toy or kid's movie he wanted for any A he got on his report card. He had NEVER got anything higher than a D before. Well, on report card day, he ran home, pushed past his mom and came running over to me. He had got ALL A's on his report card!

Unfortunately, after his mom and I spilt a few years later, I learned his grades and behavior took a nose dive. I felt pretty bad about that.

My girlfriend does an awesome job with the kids in her class and has been nominated again and again for teaching awards. Each kid is ALWAYS at least a grade level higher when they complete her class.

I have gone in and read to them, bought various books for them, help with special events, and play with them. They seem to look forward to my visits and always have funny comments about me. I have been asked if I was in the Army because I was so big. I have been asked if I was a wrestler. My favorite was when I was asked if I was my girlfriend's dad! She laughed and asked the student why they asked this and he said because I was so much bigger than her!

Any way, since I don't work a regular job, I try to go in as often as possible and help out. Oddly enough, I really don't want any kids of my own, but do find it very rewarding to work with these kids and see them progress.