{raise that roof}

i am well known for my (fabulous? amazing? epic? sometimes dangerous?) hand motions.  i'm not sure when this characteristic of mine came about (maybe from all those church songs! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BTfrqAqShfQ), but i've always felt the need to "show" people with my hands by painting.. or motioning an image with my flailing arms. if you watch closely, i can't sit still (yes, even in church!) i'm always toe tapping, finger wiggling, body rocking, or fidgeting.  which is probably why i relate to kids so well (because they can't sit still either!)

my kids too are realizing my over use of fabulous hand motions...

student:  ms. s, why do you always do this? (raising the roof) And this? (throwing and waving hands up in the air)

i didn't have the heart to tell her that the second is used as a venting exercise, which means i am probably screaming in my head and on the verge of wanting to tear my hair out... so i went with this more catholic school appropriate answer: "oh! it means i'm praising God."  (which is sometimes true :) )

humm... and what did i find my little rascals doing the next day... rasin' the roof.

{ready, set, GROW!}

my kiddos and i have been working on a germination experiment for some time now... how long?  oh, FOUR WEEKS!  after getting my kids all excited about being scientists, making hypothesises, and doing experiments our first attempt FAILED miserably, and i must confess-- i saw it coming!  we used very sad looking seeds that seemed to already hit their expiration date.  so, i talked to the kids about "what happens when an experiment fails"... try, try again!  this time, using seeds that seemed a little more promising from my mother.  monday rolls around, and do you know what i find??? MOLDY SEEDS!  shoot!!!
some of my little friends have confronted me about the disaster... and i keep saying, "oh, maybe they need more water?" 
so tomorrow i'm going to prepare for this little confession:  i can't make plants grow... seriously!! several of my good  friends can tell you that i've killed a cactus or two (to which they said, "gee!  you're less nurturing than a desert!" hummm... thanks, friends.)  but this lady has been cursed with the opposite of a green thumb (black finger? brown pinkie? if we're talking color wheel, then red toe!) 

all i have to say is thank goodness i don't have to grow my own food :)

p.s. favorite quote from the day: child eating hamburger:  "oh no...ms. s, my onion ate my cheese!!"

{we all drool on our pillows sometimes}

i adore elementary kids.  a) they love giving hugs and b) they love making you homemade presents.  hence, why i love this tiny second grader.  i see this kiddo two times a week for computer class.  she doesn't always follow directions, but she sure has a cheerful smile.  among the chaos at the end of today, a little hand holding a handmade card waved in front of my face.  i took the card and the hug that came with it as the giver scurried away to her classroom.  as i opened the card, what did i find?  a portrait of myself in a field of flowers.  precious.  she also included a little sticker... "we all drool on our pillows sometimes."  how could you not smile!  yes, we all drool on our pillows sometimes, but fortunately, it's usually dry by morning :)  thanks for the reminder!   

{will you play solitaire with me?}

sometimes i just roll my eyes and laugh inside.  oh, children: the little aliens that are so mischievous... yet, are so darn cute that you don't mind.  which brings me to my next story-- we (the teachers)  have been TRAPPED inside with the kids for TWO recesses.  do you know what happens when kids aren't able to run wild and free?  they turn into monkeys, sharks, and emus (shout out for my camp people-- holla!).  any YES, a combined species.  (PICTURE IT-- that combo is fierce... did you put that baby into a mental picture, yet?  UFTAH!)   these are the days that teachers have the urge to  "call in sick"  or schedule doctors appointments but resist because they are professions who love their job (most of the time)....   you may be unaware, but teachers not only double as nurses, physiologists, counselors, mothers, yes- zookeepers, janitors, cheerleaders, and detectives (a few of our many roles) but one of our overlooked gifts is rhw role of a meteorologists.  we can tell you when a storm is coming DAYS in advance.  how?  the way our children act-- no lie, ask any teacher and they'll agree.  Anyways, on with the story... as I'm trying to camouflage myself from my little friends (who by now have become natural disasters), one little guy who is playing lego's notices that my spirit-o-meter would be much higher if i was taking part in the festivities.  he walks over to me...

child: "do you know how to play solitaire?" 
me: (where is he going with this?  does he not notice this book i'm holding up to escape from this juggle?)  "yes, i do!  it's a fun game!"
child:  "do you want to play solitaire with me?"
me: (i tilt my head and smile.. hum?)  "isn't solitaire a one person game?" 
child:  "oh, yeah."  (as he scampers off to play lego's with his friends )

i can't figure out how the little ones who make you want to tear your hair out are the same little ones that make you smile the most and keep you coming back day after day.  it must be the "alien" in them :)