All things considered, life is pretty good.

Is it really May 11th and I only have one post for the month of May? This is absurd! I have so very much to share, including some fantastic stories about my new friends (we shall call them "Lyle and Craig") who are quite possibly the most eccentric and flamboyant and wonderful and loving boys in my ward. Seriously, I couldn't make friends with the mainstream crowd of enrichment attendees and Sunday School teachers. Nope, I gravitate towards convicted felons, former drag queens, and kindred soul-searchers. And my new friends are somehow all three of those things. They will merit their own entry and possibly an entire new blog.

I also have to post pictures of the project that has been taking up all of my time lately. The entry is ready to go, but I can't really reveal it in its entirety until the work is completed and the gift that it is resides in the intended hands of my friend that is getting married this Friday. You will just have to wait.

On top of that, I am headed for Minnesota for a few days just after the wedding. It will be my first time back since last August, and I have a bit of a nervous twitch in my left eye about the whole thing. I am pretty happy where I am at, it didn't transfer with me when I went to MN for two and a half years, will it at least transfer with me when I go for two and a half days?


And speaking of happy, finally, I need to write a post about my job, which is sort of growing on me. Sure every frustration that you have previously read about is still there. My boss is still a blithering idiot, the parents drive me nuts, and there are some children in my classroom that frighten me more than a little. But there are some joys that are coming out along the way, that make the whole ordeal more and more bearable each day.


I started noticing it because of this dream I had the other night, in which I returned to my old school but some of the kids from this school were there. And I was faced with the shocking realization that I really love these kids. Since then, I have been savoring some of the best moments throughout each day. Can you see what's coming? It might be another list!


Moments I love at work:

1. Today, Future Serial Killer and Future Criminal Mastermind sat down and read a book together. They weren't cohearsed, they had the option of any activity in the classroom, and they sat down quietly on the library center carpet and shared a book together. It was model behavior. I love it when kids choose books all by themselves.

2. I have mentioned before that we are reading "Tale of Despereaux" and I repeat to you again, if you haven't read it, you need to. It is beautiful. The kids are getting into it. (Side note: I wish they had never even made the movie of it. I agree with Zack of Carolanne fame. I haven't seen it and I have no intention of seeing it. I am becoming more and more convinced that movies only ruin good books) ANYWAYS. The kids are remembering every bit of the plot and talking about it and making guesses as to what will come next and they are actually understanding it. It's wonderful stuff. Plus, we read the chapter on forgiveness today. I officially became the sappy teacher that cries a little when reading stories out loud. I have never done that before.

3. Today a little girl who shall be referred to as "Homecoming Queen" found a centipede on the playground. She showed it to everyone and tried to count its legs and asked me what it was and marveled over how soft it was. She and her friends named it and tried to bring it back inside after recess so they could keep it as a pet.

4. Meanwhile, another little girl, the "Social Weirdo" (she is an old soul, can sing to you any John Williams movie theme, and frequently recites lines from "All Dogs go to Heaven" and Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade") found a butterfly, which she correctly identified as a male Monarch (yes, there is a way to tell the difference) and then chased around the playground for a half an hour before she decided to put flowers (read: dandelions) in my hair in an attempt to get the butterfly to come to us. It was a really good recess.

5. During lunch, "Class President" and "Abercrombie Model" (self-explanatory, yes?) used manners. Not only did they say "Please" and "Thank you" without reminders, they never stood up and danced, reached across the table, or belched. They were polite to the other kids at the table, listened to everyone, contributed to conversations that others led, and their whole lunch table didn't have to be asked to quiet down even once. It was more than refreshing. It was encouraging.

6. When the kids turned me into a frog with their magic wands, I asked them if kissing a prince would make me human again. The "Inseparable Best Friends" told me they would have to pre-approve any princes I wanted to kiss. The "Social Clique" girls offered me one of theirs, as long as I returned him after I was done kissing him.

7. There is this little girl in my class that comes part time and has the sweetest disposition. She is so respectful and very smart and generous to the other kids. I can honestly say I have never had a student anything like her. She drew a picture for me over the weekend and gave it to me this morning. It is of a giant heart shaped house and each window has a member of her family peeking through, and me, I am peeking though a window too. You can tell its me because of my hair and my glasses. On the bottom of the picture it says "I love Nancy, To Nancy From ***" I get a lot of pictures from kids. This one is one I will keep.

Right now, they are almost all asleep. Class President is snoring and occasionally trying to run while lying down. Handsome Prince (the one the Social Clique offered me for spell breaking purposes) is mumbling in his sleep, something about "puppy". FCM is drooling, Space Cadet is sleeping with his eyes opened, and it's the only time of day that Tattletale Bully is actually quiet. Astronaut Girl is humming in her sleep. She told me today that when she grows up, she wants to be everything except a football player. I told her that when I was little, I wanted to be everything but a teacher. We laughed and laughed. She understood why it was funny.