What were YOU asked, or told, this week?

Questions I was asked, and things I was told, this week.... by little ones at school.

Kindergarten - Ryan: Madame, I drew the repellor on my airplane."

                    - Tommy:"Did you babysit us yesterday?" (THIS, I was asked on Monday.)

Grade One- Katie, when told she had to do some independent writing, cried, pouted, stated she didn't know WHAT to write about, then drew a picture, and wrote the following sentence. "I LIKE ME!" She is now ALL smiles.  I guess that is as good a start as any! :)

Grade One - I was explaining the "Four Corners" game, where upon the count of five, each child has to be standing in one of the four corners of the classroom. If they are NOT in a corner, they are eliminated from the game. I was reviewing the rules,and prompting the children to tell me what comes next, when I said, "So, what happens next when I count ONE-TWO-THREE-FOUR-FIVE? One little scamp pipes up right away "TIME OUT!"  HE obviously is very familiar with being put in time-out and less with the game of "Four Corners."

Grade Two - Lunch is over and they are back in class. Susie:"Was that BIG recess?" I guess I am not the ONLY one who forgets whether she has had lunch or not. 

Grade Two - Ashley "At Hallowe'en I am going to be a DEAD Prom Queen."  What happened to witches, ghosts and goblins? 

Grade Two - "My Dad is a diamond MINDER!"

Grade Two - In a team teaching classroom of 37 children, the other teacher was explaining rules and procedures to the kids.  I was seated at the back of the group, listening and observing. With one hand held a little above her head, she tells them "MY expectations for you are up here, THIS high!"  The little fellow in front of me says quietly, "My Mom's boyfriend's are HIGHER than yours!"  Out of the mouths of babes... Comments like that make me smile, a little, but also make me WONDER, A LOT. 

WHY IS IT THAT....?

...I can remember ALL SIXTEEN digits of my ATM bank card, BUT I can't remember to take the dang card out of the machine when I make a withdrawal? I ratttled off the numbers to the receptionist at the bank, after giving her my name, when I went back to get my card. Duh!

... some dog owners get SO, SO upset when your dog wants to meet THEIR dog? Don't they know that dogs are social animals?

...  I was given a HUGE sleep apnea monitor, which weighed a ton on my chest, had a dead battery in the morning, but that when I returned it the next day was told T-H-E-N,  "We should have given you a SMALLER one.  We will have to do this again."  ARRGH!

... when someone asks you where you got "such-and-such a gadget, or small item", you say "Here, take mine.  I can get more!" Maybe it is because you have SO MUCH, and they don't? "For it is in giving that we receive."

... you don't bat an eye when SOMEONE ELSE'S dog tosses his cookies in the back seat of your car. 
Hey, I was just happy he didn't get Vimy!

... when children at school ask me my age, I usually reply, "That question is too personal." Yet, when I want to show off my flexibility in the gym with yoga poses, I suddenly have no problem telling them I am sixty-two years old.  "Pride goeth before a fall."

... BURSTING into tears when I got stopped for speeding, DID NOT work this time?  Maybe it was because Jiminy Cricket and I were doing 90 KMH in a 50 KMH zone!!!   The poor, sweet, darling, handsome and ever so kind police officer HAD to fine me.  He was almost apologetic.  I haven't had a speeding ticket in FORTY years.  MEA CULPA, MEA CULPA, MEA CULPA!  Mais maudit, ça pince le portefeuille!!!!  172 50$

... Canada Post STILL can't get their keys to work for the Super Boxes?  Those of you who followed all my misadventures of a year ago, when I had moved into an apartment for a short time, may remember that I blogged more than once about my "Mail Box Blues."  I ended up being issued FOUR sets of keys in the space of less than three months, for my mailbox. I retained that SAME box when I moved to my own home.  I quote from my blog of January 24th, which ended with "Any dibs on my getting another set of keys before the end of winter?  W..e...l...l..., I received this letter in the mail from Canada Post, along with..... my FIFTH set of keys.  Tis laughable!!!

FORTY minutes in the life of a supply teacher.

7:55 am - I arrive at my assigned school with five minutes to spare before my 8:00 am duty. Turns out I don't HAVE that duty. It doesn't show on the schedule, though it is in the teacher's notes.  Someone says they are sure they heard THAT teacher's voice in the hall. 

8:00 am - I rush to the classroom. Lo and behold! The teacher IS present. I check my app with the assignment. You guessed it? I am at the WRONG school. The two teachers in question share the same last name, but not the first. I know... I can just hear my neighbour now, M. Ange, saying "Nounoune!"  I think Nounoune should become my middle name.  

8:05 am - I am getting ready to dash off to the RIGHT school, where I am NOW REALLY GOING TO BE LATE FOR MY DUTY, when the ever so sweet VP nabs me in the office.  He informs me that a parent has posted on FB, that a SUPPLY teacher was drinking pop in class on Tuesday. Well, guess who was the O-N-L-Y supply teacher in that school that day?????? Yours truly.  Do I have time for this? Just when you think you have experienced E-V-E-R-Y  FIRST possible occurrence of something in your teaching career, you get GOBSMACKED!  It must have been a very slow day in someone's life. In my defense, I must state the facts and ONLY the facts!  A) I was drinking WATER out of a recycled plastic ginger ale bottle. B) I don't drink pop, unless I am making a mixed drink. OOPS! Did I say that? Ipso facto, I would NEVER be drinking pop at school.  C) On a point of principle, I don't buy bottled water, ever, ever, ever! I don't use nice, expensive water bottles either, because I keep leaving them behind me in different schools and classrooms. I know "Nounoune"! Enough said.... I could write an entire blog just about this last paragraph. WHAT have I learned?  Don't use green plastic bottles, and R-I-P the darn label off ANY plastic, recycled bottles that you do use.

8:13 am - I am half way to my car, when I realize my lunch is in the fridge, so back I run into the school.

8:16 am - I am finally on my way to the RIGHT school, after asking the secretary at the WRONG school to call the secretary at the RIGHT school, and inform her that I will be "REALLY,  REALLY,  LATE FOR DUTY NOW."

8:21 am - I arrive at THE RIGHT SCHOOL.  I dash into the classroom, dump my stuff and run outside to the playground, where I am now over twenty minutes late, only to find out from the teacher there, that I DON'T HAVE ANY DUTY after all! It was a mistake in the notes. 

8:25 - I heave a sign of relief and dash back INTO THE SCHOOL.

8:30 am- I have two minutes to look over the day's preparation and take a few deep breaths, before the bell rings.

8:32 am - In walk twelve of the cutest, sweetest, most darling four and five year olds, and I know right THEN AND THERE, that I am going to have a most AMAZING DAY, and I did!  I am blessed.