The C word !!

I LOVE first graders!! Yes, if you had to spend every single day with fifteen six year olds who are all so demanding different, you'd want to poke your eyeballs out a break occasionally and this where I come in...the sub!

Last time I had these guys I met "my little sweetheart" who had lost a tooth 'cause it bled when he washed it so the doctors removed it...read that story if you haven't already, ADORABLE KID !!! So I was completely looking forward to what conversations would unfold during my day in first grade...

First, I should explain that first graders are a little less forgiving when subs do not do things EXACTLY LIKE THE TEACHER so I do my best...it's hard having fifteen critics constantly telling you that you were supposed to read them a book after snack and not after lunch....but hey, I've learned to admit "I am trying to entertain you kids so you don't go home crying do things the right way but as long as we get it all in, the teacher will be so happy."

Back to my little sweetheart who I almost did not recognize because he forgot his glasses. Well, I met a little opposition from one kid in the room who did not want to draw me a picture of a person doing their job in a familiar place (fireman/fighting fire, teacher/school) as we discussed nouns (people and places) and then write me a sentence about it...he preferred to be doing cartwheels or punching holes in his water bottle which would leak all over himself and the floor...so I continued to speak and ignore his comments but not my little sweetheart...he marched up to my desk, with a look on his face like he had just witnessed a major crime and he patiently reported the information...
"Now, now, I believe I just heard (he looks back at the defendant to make sure he's accusing the correct criminal kid) yep, I believe I just heard the C word !!" I'm saying every curse word in my head trying to remember the C word hoping he doesn't see me smile so I look sternly at the defendant and say nothing. My little sweetheart is nodding his head and patiently and politely accusing the kid of the C word crime and then the accused says, "Crap???" I simply shh him and point to his paper hoping this will just blow over and not be a big deal. I tell the sweetheart to go back to his seat and assure him that was kind of an inappropriate word and that it would hurt my feelings if I hear it again. Luckily it worked.

This same sweetheart got nervous (again) when he got behind on a test and came up to me and said, "with all this racket, it's making my minds a crazy" as he made dramatic swirling motions around his little head. I had the kids quieten down and assured him my minds were crazy too, lol.

After that, he told me in front of the whole class that my name and his teacher's name sure were very nice names (wink wink) and a couple of the boys said, "oooooh I'm gonna tell Mrs. W when she comes back!!" and the adorable sweetheart said proudly, "Don't mind if you do! And be sure to tell her we'll have a new student in here beginning next week!"

I heart first graders

Journey to The Gym VI-gettin' crunk!

Wow Wow Wow talk about a Zumba class!
With challenged energy today, I decided to show up for Zumba class anyway. As we began our dance session, my major concern was my failing deodorant needing a hip replacement in the future 'cause Christie was crunkin' and she knows how to shake it! The problem is that some of us have lost our skillz over the years. Now ten years ago, you could find us at my house, dancing for hours and hours...we could do it and do it well, let me tell ya. My diminishing skillz have forced me to question, was I actually a cheerleader in high school? How come I can't do this anymore? I'm so not coordinated now and at one point, I thought I could possibly pull a groin muscle from shifting back and forth so quickly and lacking such control. Oh, but good thing my sister was there, she was in the same boat I was in...in fact I couldn't decide if I was laughing at me or her more! She turned once and said to me, "Hope my knee cap don't roll off onto the floor!" But we had fun!

Christie, who is abnormally blessed with major Zumba skills, was bustin' out some old school moves today! She put on some Pitbull and as my sister noted, we were doing the Roj...remember Roger from What's Happening? We did his dance today, we did the snake, dusted off our shoulders, had some Kid 'N Play leg thrusting and she even threw in a semi-cabbage patch...so you know we were having a blast!

My sister and I have decided we should really practice our Zumba moves at home some during the week...do a little Zumba homework! Now I must go back next Sunday! I'll either work my tail off or laugh it off one...either way, reducing my surface will surely be in my future.

Journey to the Gym V (and flowerless flowers)

I was all  hyped up this morning, ready for the gym...excited I would soon be reduced to tears by 'Lady F' only to walk through the doors and have her chicken out tell me class was cancelled due to all the crazies other ladies deciding to go run for miles and miles and miles and miles (I don't run). So I grabbed a treadmill and worked up my own sweat...which worked out fine because I made it home sooner and was able to eat an extra lunch do some laundry.

I wasn't in the mood to push myself too much since I had been completely exhausted yesterday after a field trip (1st grade)to a local farm. We live in the country, farms are nothing new. The challenge is adding in hundreds of other people on the same farm for school field trips, counting heads like every thirty seconds, lying to telling the kids "we'll eat soon!" when they all ask every six seconds "When can we eat??" By the end of the day, I had no desire to even walk to the car. I seriously felt like lying in the grass and waiting until my husband or someone else drove right up to me and lifted me inside the vehicle. I am old. But luckily I am not the only one because one of these first grade teachers called me and asked that I fill in for her the last half of Friday so she could get the heck outta Dodge! Hope she is having fun footballin'!

Just before I walked out the door to go to work, I received an automated e-alert that my daughter had completed another Accelerated Reader quiz on her library book at school (parents have the option to sign up and receive the test scores automatically, love that!) When I looked closely I was discouraged because she only made a 30. Then I took a second look and saw that she was testing on The American Revolution...she is six years old. I asked her teacher (who teaches next to the room I was subbing in) if she knew B had tested on The American Revolution and luckily she was able to delete this mishap and get her to test on her actual library book Young Chrissy...whew! Not sure how B typed in American Revolution though! lol

As soon as I walked in the classroom for my subbing job, I got hugs and smiles and many said, "Hey Brooklyn's Mom!!" I just love first graders! Despite the fact that three girls cried on me (not my fault!). One fell out of her chair, got embarrassed, put her head down and sobbed but when I told her about me falling out of my chair(as an adult-some of you may have witnessed it, lol) and how embarrassed I was, she smiled and it was over. One girl cried when someone wasn't gonna be her friend and still another made a mistake on her math test and was unsure if she could correct it...(she did) and once again all were smiling their toothless grins. One little girl brought me the prettiest bunch of grass flowerless flowers back from P.E. Did I say I just love first graders?!!! So adorable.

Had a fantastic day, kids are so cute...I love my jobs. I would also love a pedicure this weekend, along with an eyebrow waxing...I need a little hygiene pampering!! Can't wait for Zumba Sunday at The Gym.