Catch-up, funny stories, and guest bedroom

This week was so long! I had an interview at school that lasted until 6:15 on Tuesday evening, then a PTA meeting Thursday night, and we did our first grade Teacher Treat last evening. For the teacher treat, we (the three 1st grade teachers) took the five highest bidding students from the PTA auction to bowling and pizza. We decided to drive my car, since we could all fit in it. It seemed like a good idea until the boys had been playing dodgeball in the gym up until our departure time at 4:30. They then proceeded to have competitions over who could rub the most sweat and "oil" on my new leather seats. Nice. We had a good time, though! Let me recap with a few short words: "ninjas, tooting, sweat, "oil," I C-U-P jokes." The best was probably when I asked the boys at bowling "Hey, who am I beating?" And they all yelled "No one!"

Yesterday was also a funny day with all my students in class. At our faculty meeting on Wednesday, we talked about using "Love and Logic" with the students. Yesterday T was very upset with me about math and I tried it out:

T - I HATE THIS MATH! I CANT EVEN DO THIS CRAP!
Me - That's so sad.
T - OH! SO YOU THINK ITS SAD THAT I CANT DO THIS CRAP???
Me - That's so sad that you think that.
T - OH? SO NOW YOU THINK ITS SAD THAT I THINK YOU THINK ITS SAD THAT I CANT DO THIS CRAP?
Me - Yep.
T - I think I need to go out in the hall for a brief cool-down.

Later in the day, C and T were butting heads, as usual. C is a new student in my class and him and T have a lot of tension and animosity toward each other, for some reason. I heard:

C - T, stop making that sound you are driving me nuts!
T - Oh? You want me to come hit you in your face?
C - You wouldn't dare.
T - Oh yeah? I'll show you how to respect me!!!
C - Don't use that tone with me, young man.

While the kids were sitting in line for the restroom yesterday morning, one of them came running out yelling "There is a small kid stuck in the restroom!" As I walked into the restroom muttering "just what I need..." I saw C dragging a kindergartener out of the restroom by the arm. He said "I saved this dude's life!!!" I said "Good, C. I'm glad you saved his life." I didn't have the energy to explain how I'm sure he would have found his way out and lived a long, fulfiling life.

A, on the other hand, apparantly did have the energy. She said "Actually, Mrs. White, he didn't save his life. He could have lived in there." My class then had a very SERIOUS conversation about it:

O - Yeah, but how would he eat?
A - Well, he would have all the water he needed to drink.
As - Yeah, and he could go to the restroom whenever he needed!
(the class laughs)
As - NO, GUYS! I'm SERIOUS. That is very important!

These are the things that are going to make me miss first grade.

After lunch I picked them up to take them back to class, and D was very upset. He sat down in the hall holding his little head with two hands and crying. I got the kids onto the rug to play the quiet game and sat to to talk with D. He was upset originally because he "asked for brocolli with sheese" and they gave him french fries instead. He then told me that he didn't eat any of his lunch because he had "all food that needs a fork" and he didn't have a fork. He didnt ask the teachers in there because they seemed too busy. I went to talk to one of them and she told me he had a burger and fries! Explaining to D that he, in fact, does not need a fork to eat a burger and fries seemed fruitless. Insetad I talked him back into the classroom and gave him some peanut butter crackers to eat. He acted like he wanted nothing to do with them until I started ignoring what he was doing and went along with my business. Then he scarfed them down.

These are the things that, while they make my job fulfilling, I will not miss ALL that much about first grade.

Regardless, as the year winds down I am torn with how I feel about the grade switch. I some ways I am SO excited. In other ways I'm feeling nervous, and a bit reminiscent. I'm just going to move forward with faith in my decisions and a smile on my face! (I've found this year that often times a smile is the only thing that keeps me from losing my mind, haha).

So that's the week. I forgot to do the guest room portion of the bedroom tour yesterday. So I just included a quick picture, in case you were interested.