Spontaneous Crayon Propulsion

In high school, my brother and I thought it was funny to yell "spontaneous propulsion!" and then smack somebody. It's the act of something being propelled, spontaneously, against our will. Obviously. It was science. Who can control science?

I never knew that this theory would come back to haunt me years later.

The other day I had my class working on a project. As many projects in first grade do, this one involved crayons. During the project a student came up to me claiming that someone, we'll call him "Treven", threw a crayon at her. When I looked across the room at Treven he immediately said, "She's lying! I didn't do anything!". That's my favorite line. All I hear is "It was MEEE!"
His guilt was also compounded by the fact that three other students from his table were all pointing at him and saying things like "He threw it. " and "I saw him do it.".

When "Treven" continued to contest his innocence I humored him by asking, "If you really didn't do it, then how did that yellow crayon get clear over to the other table?" You know, he could have said something simple like, "I don't know" or something clever like "That's not my crayon." But no. The quick-thinking child said, "I was just sitting here, looking at those other guys (his malicious accusers), when a crayon just flew over my shoulder and hit her."

And there we have it. Who can argue with science? Spontaneous propulsion strikes again!

In My Dreams

Zack and I "talk" to each other at work via AIM Express. In other words, AOL. It's the only thing the school district's computer system will allow. It blocks every other form of instant messaging. MSN, Google Chat, you name it. But not AOL. That little demon somehow makes it's way onto every computer and then infests itself deep inside the recesses of the computer's mind, never to be deleted. Which is why we don't have AOL installed on our home computers. But demon virus-like software that allows me to communicate with my hubby is quite nice on my computer at work.

Anyway, that's how we communicate because I do not have a cell phone, nor do I have a phone in my classroom. (That's a whole 'nother issue.)

It's nice to chat with Zack when the kids are at recess, or when they're at computers or music or P. E. and such. It's also nice to type in messages at random times of the day, knowing Zack will get them the next time he's around his computer. It's also nice to get random messages from him while the kids are practicing their hand-writing or doing some other thing they can do without constant teacher surveillance (which is not much).

This afternoon, as I was getting ready to go home, I typed a message to Zack that went something like this:

"i'm going home now. i don't know what to have for dinner. my current thoughts are: strawberry and whipped cream crepes (in my dreams), breakfast for dinner, tuna casserole....um, i can't think of anything else. my mind is blank."

Then, after writing the traditional "kso kso's" I logged off and went home. Zack got home about 5 minutes after I did...with strawberries and whipped cream.

I really didn't expect him to go get that stuff for dinner. It was just wishful thinking.

What a sweetheart. In his words, "If I have the chance to make your dreams come true, I'm going to jump at it."

The crepes were delicious.

(By the way, this is not a really nutritious meal. If we had kids I'd totally throw a plate of broccoli in there...or something. )

Extra-Ordinary Things

Once in a while you find yourself being aware of extraordinary moments taking place in very ordinary settings.

Take tonight, for instance.

Zack and I were at Men's Warehouse so Zack could be fitted for a tux for our friend's wedding. We are both really really excited for this wedding. This is a good friend that we've both had for almost a decade. In fact, he's the one who inadvertantly introduced us. He's getting married next month to an amazing girl that is the only girl who could make him truly happy. And he deserves to be truly happy. So, like I said, we are really excited for this wedding. And we're just really happy for him.

Back to Men's Warehouse. As I'm sitting there, watching the lady measure various sizes of my hubby's body, (I believe at one point she asked, "Where is your belly button?" Whaaa...?) , all at once I see the whole picture. Someone is getting married. And in our belief system, this is for eternity. This will be, perhaps, one of the single-most important events in his entire lifetime and for the rest of eternity. If you look at the big picture, and I mean the BIG picture, there are only a few times you can label as significant events. And it's happening here. On this earth. And Zack's getting fitted for a tux so he can look his best to celebrate this moment. And I see the significance of it all. I see how important the tux is. It may be just a fancy black suit. But there's more than that. So much more.

And so, as I sit on a chair in the store, watching my husband prepare for this wedding and imagining all the preparations that have been and will take place before the big day, I see something extraordinary happening. And I'm excited for it.

And Then There Were Four

Presenting one of those creepy, weird family photos of a couple and their dogs. At least the dogs aren't wearing clothes.

Zack and I have debated for a while about whether or not we wanted to get another dog. Maxwell has been such a good dog for us. We weren't sure if we were asking for trouble by introducing someone else into our totally functional one-dog family. We kept going back and forth. Would Maxwell get jealous? Would they become best friends? Would it change his behavior? Would he help with her behavior? Would he become more aggressive? Would he get more exercise? Would the new dog chew on our furniture or our shoes? We've been pretty lucky having a dog that only prefers chewing paper, plastic, and small stuffed cows. Why would we want to jeapardize our perfectly happy one-doggy home?

Why, indeed.

Maybe we got bored with how well things were going. Maybe we missed the sound of tiny paws going pitter-patter on the kitchen floor. Maybe we're gluttons for punishment. Maxwell hasn't been causing us any problems for the past year and a half, perhaps we should drop a potentially huge bomb on him and change his idealic puppy-pampered world forever. Or maybe we just wanted to take care of another living something, since our future kids seem to be on their own eternal schedule instead of our mighty earthly one.

Whatever the reason was, we did it. We got another puppy.

I was kind of on the fence about the decision, even after we paid for her, even after they called and said she would be arriving the next day (we got her from Pennsylvania, the same place we got Maxwell), even as we were driving to the airport. But as soon as I saw her, I knew we'd made the right decision. Here's my first view of her after Zack picked her up from the Continental baggage claim at terminal 1.

She's so tiny!

I don't have a lot to say about little McKay (It was the cutest girl-sounding name among the prophets and apostles. "Uchtdorf" just didn't have the right zing...). All I can say is that she's exceeded all of our expectations so far. After three days she was peeing on command. And as of this afternoon she's going to the door to let us know she needs to go outside to poop. Yes, she's a miracle dog. She likes Maxwell, she doesn't whine at night (as long as she can see us), she stays when we tell her to stay, and she lays down like a bunny just like Maxwell does.

Maybe it's because we're a lot better at being puppy parents the second time around. Maybe it's because Maxwell is a good influence on her. Or maybe it's because she's just a good puppy.

One day after we got her, we took her up to the cabin. While there, we tested out her leaping capabilities. She did quite well.

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Heat

I have an old school. It was built, I believe, around 1952. It's been through it's share of renovations- they've added on 6 classrooms and a few years ago they redid the entrance so it actually looks like an entrance. When I came here to interview 8 years ago I thought I was entering some back door that the custodians use. But no, it was the entrance.

Being built so long ago, most of the classrooms have air conditioning. I, however, am in one of the classrooms that were added later. I have no air conditioning. The temperature outside is currently 92 degrees. My classroom is at a balmy 85. Let's add 20 kids. First grade teachers don't sit when they teach. They are constantly moving. So, my room is 85 degrees, there's 20 other bodies in here and we're all moving around. My only saving grace is the fact that today is early out and the kids went home at 1:25. I get to stay until 6:00. That's when Back to School night starts. Then the room will fill with 20 or so adults moving around. I can't wait. Right now I really really really want to go swimming. Really.

First Grade Adventures: Day 2
Today we didn't have to focus so much on rules. We actually got some work done! Pre-assessments begin. We do a page where the kids copy me as I write "My name is (fill in your name). I am 6 years old. I like (then they write something they like)." It's very informative for me. It shows who can copy words, what kind of handwriting they have, and it shows if they can write something on their own.
Later that day we did a shapes assessment. First graders are supposed to identify and draw the following 8 shapes: circle, square, triangle, rectangle, rhombus, trapeziod, parallelogram and hexagon. I gave each student a piece of paper and had them draw each shape. Most of that assessment came back blank. I wonder how many adults could draw all 8... Yeah! Stuff to teach!
Tomorrow's pre-assessments include writing a story, writing the numbers to 100, and matching a number to it's number word. Should be fun.

Rules Rule for the Day

Try 20 short strangers.

It's not their fault, being short and all. They're only 6.

The wait is finally over. Time to jump back into the hectic, fun-filled days of school. The 80 folders are laminated and cut out. The name tags are in place on the tables (or were this morning). The room has "magically" transformed itself from this:

To this:

The palm tree full of parrots, each parrot lovingly bearing the name of a short stranger, is posted on the door. The pencils are sharpened. The tables are labeled along with the crayon bins, and the glue and scissors bins. The books are sorted. The calendar is up. The dragon is in it's place once again, perched atop a bulletin board where it's been perching for the past 7 years. Though he once was a nice bright green he's faded to an ideal greenish-gray dragony color.

The names are on the coatrack. The bin labeled "Class Books" is empty, waiting to be filled over the next 9 months with stories and tales of a new batch of first graders.

A whole new group of kids with unique personalities, but yet somehow exactly the same as every group that's come before it. A whole new group of kids who believe that they're the sole inventors of the rhyme "Step on a crack, break your mother's back".

They're finally here. 20 new strangers who will soon become the focus of my life. 20 new kids who are excited to go to school but also scared about what they'll find. 20 new kids to convince that they're smart and talented and capable of anything.

I'll try and give an update about each new day of school so you, the reader, can experience first grade all over again. Happy happy joy joy.

Day 1: OVERLOAD

The kids are pretty much overloaded with information today, whether I try to stop it or not. Everything's new. There's so much to remember. They have to learn how to eat breakfast in the room, where to throw away their garbage, where to sit at their table, where to sit on the rug, when it's okay to get a drink or go to the bathroom, where to get that drink and where that bathroom is, which doors to use at recess, and that's just naming a few of the things they have to learn.

Not to mention all the rules: recess rules, breakfast rules, sitting at your desk rules, sitting on the rug rules, raising your hand rules, walking down the hall rules, using the balls and jumpropes rules, lunch rules, talking rules, raising your hand when you want to talk rules (this takes about 180 days to learn), cleaning up the room rules, reading a book rules, passing out crayons, pencils, glue or scissors rules....it goes on and on.

I try not to go over everything on the first day. I try to just get them acquainted with me, the school, and the classroom.

But it's impossible to ignore the rules!

We do a simple art project where they make a picture of themselves and we have to go over scissors, glue and crayon rules. We have to go over how to clean up and what to do when you're done rules. I read a book to them and we have to go over sitting on the rug rules, listening to a story rules, and not talking when the teacher's talking rules.

They're not rules, they're just routines, but it makes no difference to the kids right now. I'm the teacher telling them what to do, how to do it, and when to do it. Right now it's ALL rules. Later it will be second-nature.

But today it's rules.

So some of them stop listening. It's too much. That's when we take a break, put on a jiving CD and play "Freeze Dance". But in order to play, we have to learn....THE RULES! (Freeze Dance rules, by the way, are: 1. No running. 2. No talking. 3. No touching of others. 4. If the music stops and I catch you moving you are out. 5. You MUST dance when the music is playing. 6. Have fun.)

There's no escaping the rules! Especially the rule to have fun.

At least, that's the way it goes in my class.

San Pedro Sula: The City

We got a taste of everything in Honduras. We stayed in the city, we stayed in the mountains and we stayed on the beach.

We stayed in the city first. This was a good thing. We saved the better things for later. Here's a shot of us on our first morning in the city.

The city itself is kind of small as far as cities go. There aren't too many tall buildings. But there are paved roads. Once you get outside of the city, say 5 minutes or so outside, you come to dirt roads. Here's a typical street in the city:

And here's a typical street in the "suburbs".

I was a little shocked by it all. I guess you don't really understand the terms "poverty" and "third-world country" until you actually see it with your own eyes. I found myself asking Zack specific questions about his living conditions on his mission while we were there. "So, did you have a floor where you lived?" "Did you have windows?" "Plumbing?" "What was the square footage of your apartment? (Apartment: Shed in the back of a lady's house.)

We pretty much just drove through the city. I didn't feel safe just walking around. We did go to Gaumilito which is a market of sorts. It's where the Hondurans go to get souvenirs. And where we got some real steals on some cool stuff!

After a day of the city we decided to cut our city tour short and head to the mountains a day early. Which we did. And we made a wise choice. I'll get to that later. After our mountain tour, we had to go back to the city to catch a plane. While we were there we decided to go to McDonald's. Sometimes you just need some familiar food. Here's a picture of the handicapped parking there:

In case you can't discern the sign in front, I took a close-up.Exclusive parking for pregnant ladies ....aaaaaand cleaning ladies.

Then we had to stop at a gas station to fill the rental car up with gas and that's where I saw THIS little gem on the side of a truck.

Okay, so they're trying to sell chicken here. I understand that they're showing you how you can use their chicken to have a fun family barbecue. Soooo, why is there a clown at the barbecue? I don't know what Hondurans think about clowns, but if a clown showed up at my family barbecue and just made himself at home with our chicken, I think I'd have nightmares for a long time after. I think I'm worried about having nightmares after just looking at this picture.

All in all, I am really really glad I got to see San Pedro Sula. It's a beautiful city and has some wonderful people.