Grateful Friday

I love how much my students love good books I read them and also good stories we read together.  Yesterday we read "Yoon and the Jade Bracelet."  It is about a girl who is tricked out of her new jade bracelet by an older girl at school.  My students were shocked and horrified and indignant.  Yoon was able to act wisely and get the bracelet back.  I thought it was a good moment for a life lesson, so I said, "If you were Yoon, what would you do the next day?"

All the hands shot up and I listened to everyone.  Some of them were vindictive and told me the revenge they would exact.  Some of them said they would leave the bracelet home.  One boy said, "I would be friends with the kids who stood up for me if I were Yoon."

Bingo.  I told him I agreed.

I loved seeing all their wheels turning as they were processing the story.  It feels electric when everyone is engaged like that.

Also, at school I think I have enough "what a day" experiences that it is just what a life.  It isn't a phase.

The school went from being extra cold, to extra hot.  And it has been humid (for here) the past few days.  At least before (like before the HVAC was replaced) when it was hot, at least air was moving.

Now it is just stagnant, hot, muggy air.

I don't know where they found the clowns that are working on our school, but I wonder if anyone kept the receipt so we can return them to their circus?

It is hard for all of us to maintain our equanimity.  My team and I collaborated in Matt's office after school, because the office is always a perfect temperature, which isn't great for morale....

Matt was at a meeting, but it was fun to be in his office because lots of people stopped by to ask him a question and stayed to chat.  Nicole (the assistant principal) came in and said, "This is fun," and sat down to visit.  A secretary came in to tell us a wacky tale.  

I told Miriam that she needed to be ready during parent teacher conferences because the parent of this particular student is a little creepy.  Alissa said the code word could be "papaya" and if I yelled, "papaya!" Miriam had to come running.  Nicole said to send her an invite to the conference and she would stay the whole time. (Strength in numbers!) Then she sent us all home about 15 minutes early, because it is hard to be happy in 80 degree stuffy rooms all day.

That place tries my patience regularly, but I am also ever grateful to work there.  I like those guys.

We had underground dress up day yesterday and we all wore crowns for no good reason.

Our students ask us questions all day anyway, so why not have one of the questions be, "But why are you wearing a crown?!?"

Yesterday, Braeden called.  He said that QE wondered, "What Nana was up to."  We chatted awhile and I talked to QE.  She excitedly told me about the night before when Papa FaceTimed her from Disneyland.  (He has been in Anaheim this week.) I asked her a little about her life and when they had to go, I heard her little voice say, "I love you Nana!"

How can I love one little person that much and her little brother that much too?  It staggers the mind.  But when she says, "I love you?"  It kills me.  More love than I can hold.

Besides that, I'm grateful Adam is home today and we have a weekend at home!