A Long Weekend

I took the day off today.  We have a substitute teacher shortage and I wasn't sure they could be able to get my room covered.  But Doctors just don't seem to want to work weekend and evenings, or if they do I'm not offered any of those times.
I had put my absence into our substitute teacher system last week.  No one had picked up my job.  Years ago I would have worked a half day, but I've learned half day jobs are never picked up, no one wants to commit to a half day when they can work a full day.
I needed to keep the appointment.   I was planning on working until 1:30 and making the drive if the opening didn't get filled.  Several friends offered to have my class join their class.  Not a perfect solution, I really needed to keep my appointment.
 I was pleasantly surprised on Wednesday when the school secretary told me a former worker stopped in and was willing to sub.  Yippee! I got to sleep in!  Do a little shopping and still make my appointment.  It is amazing how relaxed I am going into this weekend.

In The Eye of the Beholder

Today, with the help of a retired teacher friend and a volunteer grandmother my class of 5 year olds painted brown branches onto blue paper.  This afternoon we made small tissue paper wads of paper and glued them on to create blossoms.  After school I quickly hung them on the bulletin board outside my classroom.   I made my customary step back to admire the collection.  I was amazed which two children created the most striking pieces.  One was a child with multiple impairments.  She didn’t make a branch, just several wispy stripes across the center of the paper.  Her fine motor skills are so weak she made few blossoms and they were very randomly placed.  Beautiful! 

The other little guy had no interest in the process and pretty much threw the tissue paper on the “branch”, again very striking.  The surprise of which pieces are most appealing is one of the things that draws me to student art.

Red is My Favorite Color

Spring has finally come.  The snow is melting, the ladybugs are awakening and my kitchen cupboards have had a cleaning!  To make the week complete, I’m home for the day with a spring cold.

 I sat down to read my Kindle with a handful of little cinnamon candies in my hand.  I slowly enjoyed the remaining candies from bag I’d found at the back of the cupboard.  Left from making applesauce they were hot and chewy.  Perfect to suck on and slowly chew to sooth my sore throat.

I laid the red orbs down beside my favorite chair, they looked so pretty on the cream table.  One hand holding my Kindle, the other flipping the pages, I slowly munched and read.  Out of the corner of my eye I’d occasionally select a candy as I flipped the page control, completely engrossed in my novel.

I reached for the smallest candy.  I’d been nibbling at the odd shaped candies returning to my childhood need for pairing candies off by size, then eating them together two by two twins.  It was a solo candy, I need to eat it first.  My aim was off; I was so into my book.  As I brought the red hot to my mouth, it moved between my fingers.  Aurgh!  A ladybug!  

Not According to Plan

The parent letter asked for all the leprechaun traps to be sent to school on Friday or Monday, so we could capture the leprechauns that pass through the classroom during the night!
Five parents sent their child to school with traps today!  The "gold" was already hidden in other traps!  Not a wee man in sight, I was on my own!  I hide a class size pile of Rolo's in the classroom for discovery later in the day, the few remaining candies were in the closet, not that this Weight Watcher member planned to eat any. I casually walked to the closet, ignored by the throng of excited five year-olds.  I quickly put a handful in my denim jacket pocket.  As I carefully examined each new trap I'd put my hand in my jacket and take two of the gold wrapped   candies.  With a couple of papers in my left hand I'd lean over and look around the trap,  When my right hand was covered I'd drop in a couple of candies and exclaim, "oh look, you almost caught a leprechaun, he dropped his gold!."
My reward for all this excitement was 18 wildly excited children dashing around the room looking to see what other mischief the leprechaun had caused.

What was I thinking?

Today my students brought their leprechaun traps to school.  We carefully set them around the room after demonstrating them to the class.  Tomorrow morning with any luck we will have caught a leprechaun.  If we don't catch one, maybe we will just get him to drop his gold.
I've done this fun event most years.  All construction is done at home, and afternoon tomorrow the traps will be place in the hallway for a few days.  What I din't think about was the chance that my new principal will be dropping in some day this week for a formal observation.
I know from past experience the excitement of the day may cause kids to dash to a corner of the room because they've seen a leprechaun out of the corner of their eye.
I think I'll spend the rest of the night trying to find a good way to wrap this up into a really amazing writing lesson!
I may need a wee bit of good luck!

Belling the Cat

Like a cat poised to kill its feathered prey, our former principal patrolled the halls looking to pounce on her victims.  Children were admonished, threatened and expelled.  Teachers were ridiculed, criticized and demeaned.  She’s not a quiet person but you never quite knew when she’d show up and we all dreaded her appearance outside our door.  She rarely visited, but she’d lurk, hoping to find something.

After a long and painful five years under her reign,  our new superintendent listed to our list of horrible stories and reassigned her to another building and grade level. 

We’ve now had new leadership for six months.  We’ve settled into a new set of expectations.  As cold and flu season came along we realized we many of us shared the feeling of dread when we heard an adult cough in the hall.  Our former principal had a chronic cough.  Probably from an allergy to children, we all knew if she were out and about we’d hear her cough.  Her cough was as telling as a bell around a cat’s neck.

The Day Can ONLY Get Better

It will be a busy day.  Good thing I woke up at my usual 5:30.  I quietly showered so I wouldn’t wake our sleeping grandchildren.  I know the oldest usually wake at 7:30, I’ll have plenty of time to run to the grocery store and get back home.  Grandpa should be able to sleep in, if I get back quickly.

Last night we drove our son and daughter in law’s van home, no need to switch all the car seats for one night.  We will be going back to the new house.  I’m providing lunch for all the helpers.  I took the fob off the key ring.  Thankful once again my husband always hangs up all the keys.  No searching for keys for me.  Wow!  It sure is dark with day light savings time. 

I inserted the fob, and rotated it to start.  Nothing!  We don’t have this style of key.  Dang this makes me feel old.  I flip the key over, still nothing.  It’s 6:35.  I text Brad, ask if he’s awake.  I ask for pointers on how to start his van.  I get an immediate call.  After a week full of water seeping into the basement, a plumber to turn on the water, a broken toilet and broken valve I hate to be the bearer of more expensive news.  I followed all the directions he could give me.  When nothing works I promise Dad can get this fixed when he wakes up. 

Mentally changing my morning schedule I turn to walk back into the house.  I trip over the lawnmower wheel, catch myself before I fall.  As I enter the house I dutifully hang up the key fob.  Next to the….KEY FOB!  Grabbing the other fob I go back to the garage.  I’d been using the key for the vehicle my husband has been using for work this week.

After a quick call to Brad to admit my mistake I head off to the store.  I sure hope I can manage to follow the recipe for the cookies I plan to make!