If you read the newspaper regularly, you probably missed the news about the grand opening, for the simple fact, it wasn't reported by the media or tabloids. I am, of course, talking about the grand opening of my nail salon last week at the daycare. 

It had all started the week prior when one of the boys asked why my nails were purple. I had painted them that colour so they matched my dress for the date I went on the night before. I did not tell the boy this, I just told him that I wanted to have nails that colour. Somehow, from that conversation, he managed to talk me into bringing some of my nail polish to work and painting his nails. I don't know how he did it, but I found myself promising to bring in some nail polish. He must have used some powerful four-year-old persuasion tactics. 

I decided on taking only four colours into work; too many would be too much work for me, for starters, and too overwhelming for the children. I had with me, light pink, a periwinkle blue, apple green and a metallic gold/bronze type colour, which turned out to be very popular. 

The promise of nail polish turned out to be a great tool with which to bribe the children. I've never seen them clean up after themselves so efficiently. 

That afternoon, I went outside with my small collection of colours, parked my arse on a very small, child's chair and officially opened my nail salon. I had sort of dreaded the task, imagining that I would grow bored of it quickly, and it would become tedious, but actually, it wasn't so bad. The children, especially the boys, were excited about it. I sat the children down in front of me, asked what colour they wanted, and went to work. It was great fun afterward, seeing the boys playing in the sandpit, or playing with tractors and bulldozers, with bright blue, gold, pink or green nail polish. 

It also gave me a small, rueful joy, to know that some of the parents would not be pleased about boys having painted nails, as some of them are quite normative. But, as I said to another teacher, I have not forced this on the children, the ones who wanted it done have come here voluntarily. The ones who don't want it done, have stayed away, and I have not bothered them. 

Despite the success of the opening day, my salon will be shut down temporarily. I do not know when I will open again, or if I can get new clients. I suppose I could always go back to painting the dog's nails in the meantime. She just loves that. (Sarcasm)