vampire teeth.

this is like a sunday morning post, but for friday.

friday's top 10.

[in no particular order]

1.  the king or queen of the day gets to eat lunch to me.  (yes, they get to.  it is quite the privilege.)  yesterday my new little student ate with me.  sad.  i wanted to take her home with me. and help her learn how to read.  i'm only one person!  and i have 22 little ones that need me--and some really do whether it be academically or emotionally, they need me.

and then i got this little gem.

 

"Sometimes we feel that we are weak and lack the strength to rescue others, but the Lord reminds us, 'Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me' (Matthew 25:40)."

(from here)

2.  one of my girls came in today with her mouth looking sort of funny, like she had a piece of licorice stuffed up in her upper lip (yeah, we used to do that to pretend we had braces--like we wanted them or something).  then we were sitting at the carpet and i noticed these little things poking out of the sides of her mouth.

vampire teeth.  "so in king-of-the-day's name, there are 5 letters.  3 are consonants.  how many are vowels?  girl go put that in your backpack.  boy, how many?" 

bang. just like that. no one even knows.  but girl sure knew.

3.  vampire teeth came back after lunch.  same thing.  it was so funny, i really have to bite my tongue sometimes!

4.  this cute little chunk gave me a hug the other morning and said, "i like how you're skinny.  do you want to know why?"  "why?"   "because then i can hug you with 2 arms and .lalalalalalalala."  she went off for awhile.  it was very interesting.

5.  just in case you didn't get the memo, mr. webster changed the spelling of a few words.

      weekend = weeqad

      wedding = wadeg

      monkeys = maqes

      brother = brathr

      second = saqit

6.  there is this girl in first grade that is absolutely gorgeous.  gorgeous skin. gorgeous, curly hair.  gorgeous smile.  so cute.  i wish i looked like her but 15 years older.  today i was standing by the drinking fountains while all of the kids were getting drinks after recessing.  she gets her drink, looks up at me and says, "you look really pretty."  and i wanted to eat her up! and i said, "thank you so much!"  (really i wanted to take her to Disneyland with me or something, but i can't.)

7.  the current state of my classroom.

and my desk.

8.  today marks 2 months until my bday.  HOLLLLLA!!! i'll make a list of acceptable gifts now.

9.  santa died.  well, not really but kind of. i thought it was going to blow up.  it didn't .  but the belt broke off and neither my power steering nor my ac work.  it is 85 out today.  and please, when you pray tonight, thank the Lord for power steering.  it's like i am cranking the wheel on the teacups at disneyland every time i turn my car!  nbd.

10.  one of my students said to me the other day, "miss kendrick, guess what!"

"what, boy!?"

"my picture is on my facebook page!"

"that's cool!"  [seriously, a face book page?  you're 8 years old!]

"yeah, but you have to be my friend to see all of my pictures and stuff."

some funny notes of today

ok so today was a little bit crazy.

read it all. you won't regret it.

started off with my queen of the days mom standing at the door.  so i went over to see what she wanted to talk about and saw her holding a leash.  and on the other was this huge yellow lab.

"she wanted me to bring in the dog for her queen of the day."

(this is not on the list of acceptable items.  we only allow 2 photographs and a few trinkets (stuffed animal, soccer jersey, favorite book, and other non-living items), what makes a dog okay?)

[inside my head, my thoughts]

oh brother.  a dog? how did you sneak that in? especially right when the bell was ringing and all the little children were scattering to their classroom like little mice that had just seen a cat.  and um, hello. you can't just bring a dog into class.  phone call?  email?  and really, what were you thinking?

so then i unwillingly said, "boys and girls, queen-of-the-day's mom brought in her dog.  please quietly say hello then keep working on your brain book."

and i sat down at the back table and checked their homework folders (which i forgot to send home today! whoops!).

"uh, miss kendrick....i'm, i'm.  [terrified look on face and tears burst out] i don't like dogs!!"

"okay, sit right here with me.  it'll be just fine.  i have a big dog like that and i did when i was a baby and your age too.  it'll be okay.  do you want to go to the bathroom?"

"what if he's not gone!  how will i know!" [still crying]

"okay just sit here with me it's okay."

alright, enough of that story. everyone lived, no one got hurt.

do you know who luna lovegood is, from harry potter?

well, she goes to my school. except her hair and eye color are totally different and she has thick glasses that magnify her eyes.  total cutie! [pretend i said that like a peppy cheerleader.]

she wandered into my class for rotations today 5 minutes late and in the middle of me talking started apologizing.  "that's okay, sit down."  

"where should i put my folder?"

"just set it on the back table and come sit down."

"on the back table?  WOOOOOOW you have a turtle!?!"

the rest of the students and i are sitting in a circle at the carpet and yet she continues this turtle rant and whatever else.  it was hilarious.  and just like luna lovegood seems to be staring off into space in her own little world--that's the girl. so cute though.

THEN.

obama gave a back to school speech to all elementary, middle, and high school students.

our school watched it via internet in the gym.

the kids were not having it.

obama spent like 5 minutes introducing mayors and senators and people that were there.  not really relevant to the nation as a whole or the little 2nd graders (or 3rd, 4th, or 5th graders for that matter).

and then he said, "and then, i'm here."  and i said "my president is black, my lambo's blue." [it's a rap song.  i'm not racist. i repeat.  i am not racist.  i'll take a black man any day.] and then i remembered, "hey, you don't have a lambo.  or that bmw x5 you want." someday.

i digress.

so the kids weren't having it.  sitting in criss-cross applesauce with their heads falling to the floor in front of them, wiggling and squirming.  it got to the point were i stopped caring, especially when i noticed 600 students doing the same thing. it wasn't just my class.

the rest of the day went pretty well, relatively speaking.  except for that atrocious stench.

my little student just doesn't get the "i have to pee" sensation.  and apparently the sensation for the other side, too.

i thought it was just smelly kids after recess.

no, no it wasn't.

"k go back to your desks and play the game!"

"girl, come here real quick."

(so we step into the hall)

"did you go to the bathroom in your pants again?"

"ummmmm, yeah?"

"did you go poop?"

"yeah."

"did you bring in a change of clothes yet?"

"oh no, i forgot them."

"k you need to do that tomorrow.  go call your mom."

and she did and came back 5 minutes later and went home.

sorry, but bring some clothes!  i do have a heart and some sympathy, but you're in 2nd grade and you can't stay here like that.

then we took james danger out for TURTLE TIME.

and we let him run around in our circle on the grass.

then we went in and i read james and the giant peach while the kiddos ate cupcakes that birthday boy brought.  i really hope birthday girl doesn't bring anything tomorrow.  yesterday queen of the day brought tootsie pops.  TOO MUCH!  I HATE JUNK FOOD! well, i don't eat any of it.  but the little tykes don't need it!  and plus, it's health and safety week!  food alternative rewards--thank goodness for james danger.  they will take turtle time over treats any day.

ok so then i came home, pumped it up at the gym.  like hardcore.  intervals. lifting.  I LOVED IT. and i'm tired!  but i live for it.

continuing.

i went to institute with katie and tedi.  {tedi drove us in her x5, and i love her for it. and because she's so cool and fun. new friend!}

then i need to add oil to my car before i change it on saturday.

my car was going to blow up.  not really but it very well could have soon.

thank you dad--you are amazing.  he reminded me for about 3 weeks then FINALLY my mom and dad flipped last night and said ASAP! so i did!!

so katie and i were going to add it, and i just wanted to make sure i was doing it right so katie was with me.  Well, she only knows how to check it so we decided, hmmmm....let's get our little male friends to help.  and we knocked and then we opened the door and 2 of them were sitting with their shirts off--they had just gotten back from the gym.  and i was being so funny and said "oh my gosh! put your shirts on! i'm closing the door! i can't look!"

but really i just opened it and we walked in.  and then they had a pull up bar and i said, "yeah! p90x? i think i can do one!"

so i jumped up.  and did one and was like yeah! and jumped down.

wait.  i was wearing THAT SKIRT.

uh yeah, it totally flew up!  and so i was like OH MY GOSH! i am so sorry.  so so so sorry! i need to leave! and i ran out the door and katie and tedi were laughing and then i was like i am so sorry!

it was kind of weird because i didn't feel that "hide in a corner NOW" embarrassing feeling.  i just felt bad that i had just flashed my panties!

and then one of them came out and helped me put some oil in.

[i don't want to give details about my panties, but i will say this: katie said it just looked like i had little spandex booty shorts on underneath.  so we're in the clear. and then we saw our friend moose and katie told him and he was like, "so what.  you wear a bathing suit."  okay, duh. but still, those are my PANTIES! so embarrassing! but hey, we're best friends now!]

and THAT, my friends, was my day.

the sunday post, 40th ed.

wow.  this is the 40th edition.
i'm feeling old.
okay, not really.  i'm feeling like time is flying by me faster than peter pan. 
i love peter pan.


i had a good week, but it was really crazy.  i stayed at school til 9.30pm twice.  Okay, wednesday i came home and ate dinner at home and was back 2 hours later.  then i left at 9.30pm and went to walmart to get some items for thursday.  then thursday i was there from 7.30-9.30pm.  well, i left for 2 hours for a meeting at another elementary school then went back for the faculty social for 45 minutes then locked myself in my classroom for 2.5 hours.  


and you know what?  i didn't even mind.


i loved friday.  i had a sub.  making sub plans takes forever.  only because i'm a perfectionist and made them really detailed so everything would go according to plan.  i benchmarked the whole day.  it was so cute and fun having all of the students read to me, one-on-one.  and then they would tell me about the story.  it was just so cute and fun.  they are hilarious.  HILARIOUS.  i love, love, loved it.


all went well.  i am getting a new student tomorrow!  i'm excited.

some pictures because i absolutely love looking at people's photography.  i wish i had a better camera--i would take more pictures.  but i don't, so i'm not.  i just admire the work of others.  and i work with kids instead. which i absolutely love.

so i show these, because i found these.

this is splendid.

and i want to go here someday.  after italy and spain. and i'll take a trip to london.

this is just so precious.  like how my one of my little boy students put his hand on my little girl student's back and lead her through the gate the other day. i just about died. i have had a few moments when some tears came to my eyes because i really just love them so much.

some of these kids have lives that little 2nd graders, or any child or anyone, should not have.  i pray for them.  i love them.  i want them to come to my classroom and know that it is a safe place where they feel loved and welcomed and have fun and get the attention they need.  it's hard.  as much as i want to sit and talk to the little boy who can't stop talking and doesn't get enough attention at home, i can't.  because i have to be a teacher.  and teach him when it is appropriate.  anyway, if you want my whole philosophy on teaching, let me know.  I LOVE IT.

potty break

james danger's tank is starting to smell.  time to clean it.  i was supposed to do it saturday, but erin and mike were here.  so it had to wait until today--no bueno.


so james danger needs a potty break.


and so did one of the girls in my class.


the kids took a little subtraction assessment so i could group them.  they brought them up to me when they were done.  something smelled not so good.  


"girl, do you need to go to the bathroom?"


"ummm, no?"


"did you already go?"


"umm?"


"did you go in your pants?"


"ummm, yeah."


"okay, go to the office and call your mom."


"ummm.  i don't want to." [not in a rebellious manner, but in a uh-oh manner]


"you need to go call your mom.  take the office pass."


"umm, okay.  so i need to go call my mom?"


"yeah, go call your mom. take the pass."


"okay, so i need to take the pass?"


"other girl, show girl where the pass is."


and then during clean up time... "miss kendrick, there's something wet on the floor."  "yeah, and we smelled it, it doesn't smell good." "it smells gross."


"okay, we'll clean it up it's just james danger's tank." [lies. his tank may be starting to smell, but it was really girl's accident puddle.]


and that's second grade.

labor day

labor day weekend was fab.


except for the fact that i was sick.
okay, i haven't been sick sick in like 5 years, so i pretended i wasn't.  but i just didn't exercise because i would get dizzy just walking around.  and i didn't have much of an appetite, but i wasn't feeling nauseated so i made myself eat, which is never a difficult thing for me. 


saturday was game day.  go blue.  true blue.  GO COUGS! [body pump!]

erin and mike left me right after the game.  it was so fun having them here even though it was fast and furious!  okay, it wasn't furious, just fast.  please not my sick face in the above picture.  yeah, the game was so fun but i thought i was going to die of dizziness and heat stroke because it was like 99 degrees and my shirt and shorts were damp with sweat [ew] and all the up and down standing was just not working for me.  i crashed saturday night!  and got 9 hours of sleep for the first time in who knows how long!  and then i went to church and then crashed for another 2.5 hours and then just laid around the house sunday afternoon while katie was at her aunt's.  some peaceful time to myself, much needed.

monday, monday.

finally felt well enough to run and pump it up.  so i did.  ran a little to the gym then lifted some weights.  and then! we took a nice long [3 hours round trip, i think?] hike up to squaw peak.  the very tip top of the mountain.  it was GORGEOUS.  now, these pictures don't do it justice with my old camera [i want a new one!!!].  so dana, please come to utah so we can get some good fall foliage pictures. photo shoot, yeah! throwing fall leaves. ha. 

start of the trail. yeah katie.

this is katie and i with our new friend tedi.  we love her. she lives right below us.

squaw peak is so pretty and looks out over the utah valley one side and the mountains behind it on the other.  i loved it.  and i love nature.  and, best part, some of the trees at the top of the mountain have started to change colors! love fall in utah!! 

[except that it leads into the long winter...]

friday fun day.

these people are in town.

here's how friday fun day went down.


i'm sick.  i know, i know.  it's almost impossible to believe.  but kids carry different strains, and although i've been around kids my entire life, i now spend my days with the children--21 of them + the other 800 students at my school. and their germs.


erin and mike rolled into room 21 around 10.25am, right before recess ended. the kids were pretty pumped for them to come.  we learned about writing question sentences the previous day and practiced writing questions to ask them. after recess as a way to introduce these fine people, we asked them our questions.  what were the questions?  oh you know, typical get to know you questions:


"have you ever seen a dolphin?"


"what's your favorite ride at disneyland?"


"how long did it take to drive here?"


"do you like living in california?"


and the class favorite:  "what is your favorite sea animal?"  [maybe it's because of my sea-themed classroom, but that question is asked to the king/queen everyday.]


one of my students had this toy story woody shirt on--it was like he was wearing woody's vest with the star "sheriff" pin.  on monday morning i told the kids that were early to go outside and play so he says, "the sheriff needs to go outside!"  he's my funny guy.  he was wearing the shirt again yesterday and i had told mike and erin.  so mike asks him, 


"so are you the sheriff?"


"oh, springville?"


"yeah.  i got 2 pistols." and he walked away.  he's a funny kid.  and he and erin have the same birthday and both love cookies so erin said they should have a cookie bday party.  and he just love that.


so then mike left at lunch and then we had math and then music and then.......an art lesson taught by erin, inspired by eric carle and his famous book, "the big hungry caterpillar." so fun and so cute. and funny.


we [us 3 + katie] went to dinner at tucanos [thanks mike!] and for once i did not stuff myself.  i think it was because my appetite has been nearly there--i've been forcing food down [thank goodness i'm not nauseated--except when he brought around the bacon and fried food--those 2 already make me sick thinking about them and being sick was no beuno].  


then we drove up to sundance--erin's first time.  i love walking around up there, it's so pretty.  it was only my 2nd time.  mike took us on a little tour. thank you, mike.  you're a fabulous tour guide.


we had a little photoshoot on the bridge. here's proof.

and today's the first byu game.

Y

in the words of mike,

"go cougs"

If I could fly...

Today's journal prompt was "If I could fly..."  Mostly because I love Peter Pan and had him on my mind.  And because I want to fly.

One little girl in my class wrote, 

"If I could fly I would go go go go go go go go to California and visit you!"

I LOVE THIS.