Spring Break (!)

Let's talk about this title.  More specifically, let's talk about that exclamation point that's caged up in brackets.  Because it's a blog first, people!  For the girl who OVER-uses the exclamation point to confine one of those happy line-with-a-dot's in the very title of her long overdue blog post, it's never before seen.  And the reasoning is this:  this is Spring Break (the End of Maternity Leave Edition) as opposed to Spring Break (the End of A VERY LONG Third Quarter Edition).  The difference is HUGE.

Normally, this week would be the best week ever (if you're a teacher, you know!), but I feel like I'm going through some serious mourning period and the whole pizazz of the holiday isn't quite there (if you're a mom, you might know!).  In fact, I've been so upset about returning to work that I haven't really wanted to come around here and talk about what we've been up to.  I felt like sharing our family adventures was akin to tossing a big fat lie into the virtual world, with the underlying theme being heartbreak.

Sigh.

I mean, WE HAVE HAD a glorious time thus far.  WE HAVE.  But, I've had some not-so-glorious moments on my own and it's been difficult trying to keep it together in front of the girls each day.  If only brackets worked on tears.  (TEARS).  Yep, definitely don't have the effect I was hoping for. 

There have been people that have been able to snap me out of it (briefly).  Like Nory and Jet, who have taken the playful approach.  Or Phil, who has taken the MOST SUPPORTIVE HUSBAND EVER approach.  Or Kumari, who has taken the CLEAR AS DAY approach by telling me "no work, no money, Madam".  Gotcha.  When the lady who left her child in ANOTHER country to earn a better living for him has to give advice to the lady who leaves her children for merely ten hours a day........the point is made rather effortlessly.

I start Sunday.

Moving on......

I am writing to you tonight because Courtney and Phil are watching some lame movie that had a typewriter in its opening scene and - according to my long list of movie-viewing rules - I don't view movies that feature typewriters.  So, rather than pretend to enjoy "The Imitation Game" (Oscar movie, ya, ya, whatever), I decided The Pearl Curriculum would be a better time investment ;)

Back to Spring Break (!).  Since I've been on unpaid leave for the last two months, we decided to save our money and have a Kuwaiti stay-cation.  We've taken it upon ourselves to do all things BEACH and discovered on Monday that we could get a week-long pass at the Hilton Resort for a great price!  It's only five minutes away from our house and we've been going to and from ever since.  Nory's especially in heaven and - because we get to come home for naps and sleep in our own bed at night - we've been in heaven too!

Time to end this post with the greatest exclamation points of all, Juliet and Eleanor!  (ELEANOR).  Hmmm.....can't cage that one in either.  But it was worth a try ;)

Her first swim!!!!!

A recently-discovered, jumping-picture PRO!

Lunch-Making....a new A & C :)

We have finally found success in the packed lunch department!  I'm not sure why, but in the past it has been a last minute scramble for leftovers in the fridge, granola bars, apple sauce, or crackers.  It was a "Shoot!  What about lunch?!" sort of thing as we were leaving the flat, rather than a top priority which it absolutely should have been.  I mean, Nory's food has always been prepared in adequate time (because I want to make sure she's eating certain things throughout the day), but ours was just not viewed with the same level of urgency.  That is until we found THESE.....these beautiful lunch containers from where other than Pottery Barn Kids!

Since purchasing these lunchbox gems, I'm having a lot of fun putting our snacks together the night before work.  Finding different coloured foods to fill each little part - and make the finished product look so organized and pretty - involves the creative process and I've always been a fan.  I've also found this eating arrangement to be ideal for grazers like me.....or for those who only have 5 minutes here or 5 minutes there to get some energy into them (ah-hem, ALL TEACHERS)!

That being said, if I don't get the job done before I go to bed, there's NO CHANCE it will get done at 4:30 in the morning!  I suppose the time it takes me to put them together is a bit of a drawback....but if I can motivate myself after dinner each evening, it's 100% doable :)

Alright, it's BED TIME!!!!  The morning seems to come extra early around here.  We hope you all had a wonderful weekend!!! XOXO

The first week of classes was super!

Number one - it was only three days long (lucky!). 

Number two - we got to meet all of our students (and middle school kids RULE!). 

Number three - a kind person brought us cookies at the end of the first day as a "survival" gift (THOUGHTFUL times TEN!).  

We are enjoying the new campus and all of it's lovely GREENERY and we are both beginning to feel more at "home" in our individual classrooms.  The hallways are much livelier when the students are around and the smiles are certainly more frequent.  Ah-hem, "Ummm.....Miss.....do you have a baby in there?!!!!"  Haha.

In not so great news, the germs that accompany a return to school have also been lurking around the flat.  Nory came down with a high fever on Wednesday night and has since experienced vomiting, a running nose, and two sleepless nights.  Phil and I are pretty exhausted and I woke up this morning feeling like I was hit by a legitimate mac truck - totally lifeless and couch-bound for most of the day.  This has put a big damper on Phillip's birthday celebrations (a cancelled breakfast and afternoon tea party) and I'm wondering whether this "coincidence" has anything to do with his birthday wish of NO CELEBRATION WHATSOEVER.  If it is related, I'm hoping he could refine his wish in the future to be a little more kind to the people in his inner circle ;)

We've joked that age 31 has not been too great so far.  A sick baby.  A sick wife.  Intermittent internet all day long.  The first seven pharmacies on a Tylenol run being closed at 4:30 in the afternoon.  And then a traffic-filled drive to a random bookstore to retrieve a three hole punch that has been nearly impossible to find in the entire country!  I think he should take it all as a complement that at age 31, you're just mature enough to handle whatever curve ball gets thrown at you ;)

Here's to hoping the rest of the evening goes smoothly!  Even if it doesn't, if Nory could just sleep a little better than she has been, that would be AWESOME!!!!!! 

Happy Birthday, My Love!  If a pity party is what you were looking for, you got it!!!!

XOXO

CONGRATULATIONS SENIORS!!!

Last night we attended high school graduation to support all eleven basketball family members of the graduating class.  We were lucky to receive invitations from one player in particular, who happens to be heading to Stanford in the fall.  His entrance speech was basketball related and I'm not surprised it resulted in UNIVERSITY ACCEPTANCE at all!  (Refer back to ANY basketball team related post I've written....EVER.....and you will feel similarly.)

The ceremony was long (we didn't get home until 11 p.m.!!!), but worth attending indeed!  Phil and I gave eleven standing ovations (obviously) and several more as the boys were called up for individual awards.  Six of the boys won best male athlete (I wouldn't have been able to pick just one either!), two of the boys won awards for positive contributions to the school community, two of the boys graduated with high honour roll with distinction (4.0+), and one of the boys was VALEDICTORIAN!  Seems to me like this group of men are also all-stars OFF the court.  Ah-hem, if you ever doubted the correlation between athletics, academic performance, and character - THINK AGAIN!  These boys are a shining example of that.

WAY TO GO BULLDOGS!  Thank you for inviting us to your big night.  We are SO, SO proud of you!

Here's Something Strange...

Today my students were GREAT.  OUTSTANDING, really.  We were doing exam review about the circulatory system and my students were working hard in partners to prepare for Thursday's big test.  I gave them a few mandatory activities to complete first, but they were able to review in their own way after completing the things I had prepared for them.  During their personal study time, many of my 6's made "quizzes" for their peers (and some even set up mini "classrooms" for their pupils), played science bingo in teams, and made silly songs and verses to help each other remember key points.  It was so nice to see because these kinds of days - these really productive USE YOUR TIME WISELY days - don't happen very often.  Especially when it's June.  Especially when you want nothing more than for your students to focus.  But it DID happen.  In ALL FOUR CLASSES it happened.  And it was awesome.

So, why then, did I come home from school in tears?  Questioning my job as a teacher.  Questioning what I'm teaching these kids or if I'm even teaching them anything at all....

Sigh.  All I will say is that there is a lot more to being a teacher than the enthusiastic groups of young souls that learn in our classrooms each day.  I will also say that husbands rule.  Daughters rule.  And Kuwait-Mamas-Across-The-Hall rule too.  I sometimes wonder what those of you who go home to a quiet house do in these situations.  You simply must rule too.

Here's to a better day at work tomorrow.  It's our last teaching day of the school year and the kids (and teachers!) couldn't be more excited!  Exams are still to come, but as I tell my kids in the most DISNEY-IS-THE-BEST-PLACE-EVER voice:

STUDY, STUDY, STUDY, let your BOOKS be your BUDDY!!!

A Hunt of a Different Sort.

I think the universe is trying to tell me that at 28 years of age, eggs are a little boring at this point.  Vintage, even.  Why else would my work week (ah-hem, EASTER SUNDAY!) begin with three grown men using recycling boxes, rulers, and whatever else they can to save me from a seemingly fearless gecko in my classroom (who excels at hide-and-seek)? 

It's happened to me before.  In fact, it's ONLY HAPPENED TO ME BEFORE according to science department history.  And I'd like to tell you that this makes ZERO SENSE.  Because I'm the only gal in the department and I'm definitely the MOST AFRAID PERSON ON EARTH of things that are unpredictable.  Anyways....

The last time this happened was at parent-teacher night at the start of last year (a scary night to begin with, ha!).  This time, it was on Easter Sunday.  At 6:30 in the morning, when I was still half-sleeping and still fully-not-present because I just wished I was home with Nory....in Canada.  Alas, I sucked it up and went into work, walked up the three flights of stairs to my classroom, unlocked the door, switched on the lights and then BAMMMMMMM!!!!!!  (I sure as heck feel there was a BAMMMMMM).  A tiny, little yellow thing (but oh-so-ferocious!) was scurrying all over my teaching space, showing a particular passion for my desk area.  Ughhhhhh.  In that very moment, I felt it was the perfect reason to go home with a 'sudden illness', but the "adult/mother" inside of me decided I should at least ATTEMPT to solve the problem (which it indeed WAS) before calling it a day....

And so, I kindly asked Mr. Gecko (obviously he was a boy) to play around in another's class.  Or outside.  I even told him that there is chocolate in my fridge and I was sorry that the Easter Bunny might have missed him and that if he could just move closer to my door, rather than right beside my desk by the fridge, that I could get him a delicious piece of it......

He was unresponsive.  On top of everything else that he was. 

So then I proceeded to holler for help and I'm CERTAIN that - in retrospect - Mr. Gecko WOULD HAVE BEEN more cooperative with me in an effort to avoid the three grown men that made their way to my classroom.  The poor guy horrifying creature put up a good fight (extending the search by MINUTES with his speed and agility), but was eventually released to the great (and hot!) outdoors - tail-less and (I imagine) scared as all get out.  I, on the other hand, closed my door with relief and prayed that his friends didn't get word of the incident.....(and offered my once-denied chocolate to my science department heroes, of course!).   

Phewf.  What a hunt!  

Now that his busy season is over, I think I will write a letter to the E.B. and tell him that:

1)  I am STILL enthralled by the same-old "egg" hunt idea.  No need to switch it up just yet.

2)  Please do NOT forget about the gecko next year.  (Although if I were writing this letter to Santa, it would be a different story).

Time to get ready for another day on the battlefield.  Let's hope my 86 students are the only challenges I face :)  

Travel the World in ONE SCHOOL DAY ;)

Our students and advisory teachers worked very hard to put together an "International Day" program for the school this past Thursday.  The day began in the theater, with performances detailing Kuwait's past and present, cultural dances from various countries, and a parade of flags that introduced the nations that would be featured throughout the middle school building.  From the theater, "borders" opened up and visitors got to explore different classrooms with each one representing a different country.  The classrooms were full of information and experiences that made you feel as though you were truly visiting that place.  It was AWESOME.  AWESOME!  Here are some pictures:

This slide popped up during the short play about Kuwait.  I found it to be HILARIOUS....

SOUTH AFRICA (designed and decorated by one of my grade 6 classes)!!!!  In this room there was a photo booth with safari animals, a bulletin board of colourful masks, and signs reminding you to "please not feed the animals" as you journeyed throughout the room.

JAPAN!!!!!!  Just imagine the excitement in this room when students discovered that they could give sumo wrestling a real try!

BRAZIL!!!!!!!!  (Or party central!)  The hype of this room was generated by the fact that Brazil will be hosting this year's FIFA World Cup!  Our students are soccer crazy, too, which made it a bopping attraction :)

SPAIN!!!!!  The grade 8's did a SUPERB job on the artwork in this room.  It was unique from the other classes with giant murals made of tissue paper.  I LOVED IT.  Also, they had a really great dance performance at the start of the day...which continued throughout the day.....in the hallways....of every grade level.  Ha!  Oh grade 8's ;)

KOREA!!!!!  I was a supervisor for the "Korea" students and so I spent half of my day in this country.  We had a blast together - listening to Gangnam Style on repeat, as well as some popular K-POP artists (like 21!).  As for this picture, you're looking at some ROCKIN' Korean anime created by one of my hardest working students.  He RULES!

HAWAII!!! (Not so much a country....but fun enough that they allowed it to be somewhat considered so?).  This room was certainly a fan favourite.  They had a tiki hut serving mocktails, a "hula girl" face-in-hole photo opp, and a Ben and Jerry's icecream stand!  What's not to love?!

MEXICO!!!!!!  Where we tried on sombreros and indulged in some guac...

Following classroom tours, all visitors got to indulge in an international buffet organized by the members of each country's food committee.  We had sushi and machboos and fresh fruit and zebra cupcakes and.........what didn't we have?!  The kids did an outstanding job!

I wish I could share more pictures of the day, like ones of my students in their amazing costumes.  Alas, I have this thing against posting pictures of students on the blog and so you have to believe that this day was TEN TIMES better than anything represented in my short blurb here.  Days like these ones are the days that make school the best invention ever.  It might have been a little more hectic than usual (ha!), but the students were engaged, excited, proud, and learning (something, at least!). 

WAY TO GO, MIDDLE SCHOOL!!!!!!!  Now it's time for you to travel FOR REAL.  (Although I'm not sure you'll have as much fun as you did on this whirlwind day of travel....)

Doing internet research on the last day of the week, on a spirit day?

Not the best idea I've ever had.  Even with non-stop room circulation, you could bet these hyper pre-teens were off-task more than they were on it!  Alas, it DID lead to some funny moments that made me laugh out loud.  Here they are:

Student #1:  (Jumps up out of seat)  I FOUND MY HOUSE IN SPAIN ON GOOGLE MAPS!!!!! 

Student #2:  (Giggling uncontrollably. Like....struggling to get the words out!)  Is it true that you buy your milk in a bag in Canada?  MILK IN A BAG?!!!!!!!!

Student #3 and #4:  (Girls, obviously.  Girls that are decked out in spirit gear.)  MISS, PICTURE US!!!!!  [Translation:  Take our picture, please!]

Student #5:  (makes a peace sign as I walk by)  YOLO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Laugh/Sigh.  It's safe to say that NONE of these students were very concentrated on factors that affect lung capacity.  Oh well.  Another day, another dinar, another week ahead! 

The week, so far:

You would never guess that parent-teacher conferences are scheduled for this Tuesday and Wednesday...............

Should be fun!

A Bake Sale.

While lining up for class.....

Student #1:  MISS!  We have something very exciting to tell you!

Me:  What is it?!

Student #2:  (as excited as all get out)  We're having a bake sale!!!!!!!!!

Me:  That's wonderful news!  What are you raising money for?

Student #1:  (with a big grin)  For you and Mr. Phil.

Me:  (laughing)  Huh?  We don't need any money!

Student #3:  Well it's actually for Nory!  You can stay at our school because we will pay for her things.

Student #1:  Health insurance, airplane ticket......

Me:  (tearing up)  Aw....that is so sweet of you.  But the deal is done.....

Student #4:  Miss, we know that you have papers with the new school....

Student #5:  (clearly a smarty pants)  It's called a contract!!!!

Student #4:  But it doesn't matter because we will have a bake sale for Nory!  And we will give our own money too. 

Student #6:  (clearly the rebellious one)  AND WE WILL BURN DOWN YOUR NEW SCHOOL!!!!!!!!!!

Everyone:  (laughter)

I am a constant "WHY DON'T THEY PUT THEIR NAME ON IT?!" complainer.

For real.  It drives me insane when students leave their work NAME-LESS.  Especially because I have 85 students.  Especially because there is a particular spot on every handout for their name.  Especially because I GIVE THEM TIME to write their name.  And ESPECIALLY because I RE-REMIND them to write their name prior to the submission of ANYTHING.

You can imagine, then, how much my day was MADE when I found this sitting on my desk:

Besides making me laugh, I wonder if posting this sign by my classroom inboxes will do any good.  I have been thinking about other Beyonce-inspired "DO NOT FORGET YOUR NAME!" signs that I could create, too.  The following lines come to mind:

"IF I WERE A BOY.....I would put my name on it." 

"I'm CRAZY IN LOVE with people who put their name on their paper."

"I like the NAME ON TOP, yeahhhh kids!"

Haha.  Can you tell that I'm overtired?! 

GOODNIGHT PEOPLE! xo

Putting THE FAMILY Numero UNO.

Lately, I've been finding it really difficult to balance teaching, parenting, wife-ing, friend-ing and time for myself.  I mean, I can DO all of those things, but I am definitely not doing them each as well as I would like to.  I feel like if I am being a really good teacher, then I am working late and not being a really good mom.  If I am being a really good family gal, I am not being a really good friend.  I started to feel really overwhelmed and down and that no matter what I did, I was always letting SOMEBODY down.  And being a guilty person to begin with, this was seriously stressful for me.

For a while, I thought I was handling my obligations really well.  Perhaps I was on some sort of a "working mom" high that just motivated me to keep on going.  People were impressed that I went back to work so early and I think I was too.  It helps that I like my job and I think it helps that I was forced to go back to work after 70 straight calendar days.  I kept thinking, "I can do this" and I would continue to grind it out every day.

But then the first paragraph stuff happened.  It wasn't pretty, folks.  Nory is like a little person now - showing us how much she wants us around by screaming with excitement when we walk in from work.  And seeing her wave goodbye when I leave the house is crushing (times 50)!  I hate it.  She handles it far better than I do and I usually require our brief trip down the elevator as a time to re-group and suck it up for the school day.  The truth is.....I need more time with her.  She is growing up SOOOO quickly and I want as many moments with her as possible.

Over the weekend, Phil and I both had some sort of revelation.  The next day at work, he rescheduled Saturday basketball practices to Sunday nights (freeing up family time on the weekend) and he made sure to end all practices in the future in time to be home for bath time with Nory.  I cancelled tutoring that same day and then had to deliver the difficult news to one of my favourite parents that I just could not continue working with her boys anymore.  Voila - FAMILY FIRST.

It's really hard to get wrapped up in outside-of-the-home stuff, especially when you are the type of people that we are.  I love to teach and I love to work one-on-one with kids to help them improve.  Phil ADORES basketball and would do it all the time if it were feasible.  We are passionate people.  Passionate people who also have financial responsibilities and traveling dreams.  Perhaps this is why we so easily got tangled up in the extra work that we do.

We will see how this restructuring of commitments works out.  When you wake up to things like this (even when the clock says "4:45"), somehow it feels like everything is going to be A-OKAY......

You won't believe this.

You know that feeling you get when you hear "SNOW DAY" on the radio?  That extra giddy, super bouncy feeling that takes over you?  The one that sends you straight back to your room for comfies and then straight back to your siblings for more "HIP, HIP HOORAY" time?!  Well, that's the same feeling we have RIGHT NOW!

All schools are cancelled today in Kuwait.  Yep, students have yet ANOTHER day off!!!!!  Teachers at our school must report from 9-2, but that sure beats 7-3 so I won't complain - not even for a second!  I'm not really sure why the students aren't joining us, but I am assuming it has to do with all the rain we got the other day.  So - let's just call it a RAIN DAY.

And in our spare time, WE TEACH PEOPLE!  Haha.  Oh happy day.  I get a little extra Nory time after school before my DATE NIGHT with Gem begins!

Tonight it was pouring rain in Kuwait.

This happens rarely, which is why my night was completely MADE when one of my boy students remarked, "IT IS RAINING CATS AND DOGS OUT THERE, MISS!" Ahhhh - his excitement was so genuine and amazing.  Not even in a MILLION YEARS could I forget that face.

Parent Teacher Conferences.

Always a joy!  We will be back at school from 6-8 tonight and then we have a full day of it tomorrow!  YAHOOO!!!!!!  Depending on the student, the conference can be somewhat of a show and tell ;)  Check out what one of the boys did during bellwork yesterday:

Funny, yes.  But appropriate during science class?  NEVER!  This is only one of the gems I've tucked away this year.  One Direction love notes are another popular item ;)

The fun begins (or continues?) in 1.5 hours.....

Things that ROCK about being a teacher:

1)  Making massive pieces of "artwork" to display in the hallways....

2)  Students that march into the classroom and ever so dramatically say, "__________ the Fabulous is OFF today!  I am OFF!  I am done!"  Students such as these ones then continue to say that they will go home immediately after school, put some "fairytale soap" into the bathtub (to make the water pink, of course), and then light candles so they can "finally RELAX". 

One Saturday Morning!

The weather is BEAUTIFUL and our day began with Daddy's first U14 soccer game.  The team looked sharp in their black uniforms and Phil surprised the boys by sporting his very own #15 jersey (somebody actually enjoys matching, despite what he claims).  Those jerseys, I tell ya - they mean BUSINESS!  BLACK MEANS BUSINESS!!!!

Nory and I found some shade where we could stand and cheer on the boys.  I think the ball came straight for us three times (how is it that the soccer ball ALWAYS FINDS the ONE BABY in the area?), but luckily I was super on-the-ball (HA!) and was able to dodge the ball like a BOSS.  Nory didn't really seem too into the whole game.  Once the warm-up was over, she called it a morning and slept through the entire game!  Perhaps this was her way of telling us that she's more of a basketball girl.....

VICTORY!  The boys won 4-2!!!!!!!! You can tell that Nory was super pleased with the "W".  You can also tell that she believes in only one kind of "football" - and that is the AMERICAN kind.  (What to do when the only appropriately-sized Bulldogs onesie is in the wash?!  I suppose you wear any other kind of sporting attire you can gather up!) 

Here's a close-up of her outfit.  But, more importantly, she'd like you to know that although she enjoys athletics, she's still a high fashion gal (as demonstrated with her COACH BAG teething toy).  

What a great way to start the season, BULLDOGS!  We can't wait to cheer you on at the next match! 

How Attractive is YOUR Cereal?!!!

You should have seen the skeptics in my classroom today when I announced that we'd be extracting iron from breakfast cereal.  Not a single student believed it was possible, despite my reassurance that it could be done.  And I don't blame them really.  I mean.....I think it took me 12 attempts with various techniques and cereal brands before getting the job done.  Just ask my husband.  I was a crazy-lady-on-a-serious-mission this past weekend, trying every trick in the book to pull off a successful Steven Spangler.  Even some colleagues disagreed it was doable.  But I swore by every YouTube video, Scientific American article, and Bill Nye clip that it was gonna happen. 

Well, several bowls of cereal later................IT WORKED!  And I felt like a little kid on Christmas.  (Or a 27 year old.  Yep, probably more like a 27 year old on Christmas).  I carried my experiment with me around the halls of our school and showed it off to anyone that would listen.  In fact, I even forced it upon those who could care less.  Because it was AWESOME.  And science RULES.  And people should appreciate the fact that I persisted through our cereal cupboard - faced adversity - and finished STRONG! 

Here's what we did to make it work (a.k.a. here's how you TOO can turn into your Christmas-Day-self): 

Grind up some "Total" cereal flakes into a fine powder.

In the end it should look something like this.

Pour the cereal powder into a Ziploc bag.

Fill the bag half full with water.  Reseal it, making sure to leave some air inside the bag.

Let the contents of the bag sit for 10 minutes.  Or longer.  Longer is better...

Run a magnet along the outside of the bag where the settled cereal powder meets the water.  Drag the magnet towards the surface of the water and then move the magnet away to watch the iron pieces fall to the bottom.  You can make your own little "iron puppet show"!

 

 

 

Watching the "WOWEE-KAZOWEE!!!" looks on my students' faces made every single, frustrating, pre-lab minute worth the hassle.  These are the moments where my job really is the best thing ever.  I suggest even the Mommy's out there try this one at home.  I can think of a few nieces who would LOVE IT!

The Random-ness of Being ELEVEN.

While lining up for science class....

The First Student In Line:  Miss!  There's a birdie outside the window!

The Second Student In Line:  Miss!  I have the same skirt as you.  I wore it in Finland last Christmas!

The Third Student In Line:  Miss!  Look at my bouncy balls!!! (Proceeds to bounce two balls in the hallway.)

They make me laugh.  Oh to be eleven and fabulous ;)

The Work Week in PICTURES :)

In a paragraph about bullying (and how to put an end to it!), a student suggests that those who are being bullied simply "SUCK IT UP PRINCESS", a term used by Mr. Phillip during P.E. fitness blasts.....

The most beautiful sight one can see in a classroom:  EMPTY INBOXES!!!  They equate to ZERO MARKING and one big SIGH OF RELIEF!  Temporarily, that is.  An hour later....they were filling up once again!

Last week the treasure was bracelets.  This week it was "just a small cake" to celebrate a club member's birthday.  My gosh it was BEAUTIFUL!  And three different kinds of cake composed the interior:  red velvet, chocolate crunch and vanilla!  The girls ran off as soon as clubs was finished, leaving Em, Phil and I with the leftovers.  DARN!  Haha.  We brought some home, but gave the majority of it to the guards. 

I had one of those days this week.  Where your kids don't listen and you wonder if your voice is actually functioning or just a figment of your imagination.  Even my teddy grahams were clowning around.  Must have been a full moon....

Teaching can be a rollercoaster, with really high times and some really low ones.  This picture marks one of the former.  Imagine the sweetest little thing walking into your class one morning, smiling as big as ever with a bouquet of pink roses and luxury brownies.  Melt my heart, it did! 

I also liked the moment where one of my really hip students yelled out, "MISS!  I brought my English binder to class.  I am sorry, but the problem is that it is a look alike with my science binder!!!"  And the moment where one of my....ah-hem....."energetic" students belted out Miley's "Wrecking Ball" without realizing it.

Sweet moments aside, weekends are super.  And that's what it is now.  THE WEEKEND!  YIPPEE!!