There's no crying in...kindergarten

Today, the reason I left kindergarten in the first place, came back and hit me like a ton of bricks. Criers. I had two darling boys boo hooing today. The first one was manageable. But with 1 minute until dismissal, after I had asked everyone to bring me their sticker charts if they earned a sticker, one child sat and sobbed on the carpet. I was rushing kids out the door, when I heard, "Tommy's crying." I approached Tommy and asked what the problem was.
"You didn't give me a sticker," was his response.
"No," I replied. "You didn't come and GET your sticker," I answered.
He then said, "Because you didn't give me one."
HELLO! What part of GET YOUR STICKER do you not understand? Well, the crying was so obnoxious and unreasonable, that I finally said NO STICKER, and sent him to the bus (crying the whole way). I sat down at 3:00 and thought for the first time this year: I miss 3rd grade:(

Oxymoron

O.K. I know the title of my blog and my new background are complete opposites. I mean, who in a small town is really into damask with large rhinestone accents? Well, for my family and friends who know me well, this new background is SOOOOOOO me. So what if I grew up in a small town. So what if I live in one now. My new background is the real me: dramatic, edgy, and FULL OF SPARKLE! Hope you like it:)

Miss (not Mrs.) Metzger

I'm sitting at the desk listening to Miss Metzger (Reese, that is) take her students' lunch count for the day. Only one child is ordering the hot dog. Miss Metzger is wearing a skirt with the t-shirt she put on this morning, and has added heeled shoes and a headband. There are close to 10 stuffed animals and dolls strategically placed around the desk area, and each of them has a letter "Aa" paper to complete. She is telling her "students" what to do on the paper. She has already highlighted mastered skills on their progress reports (my rough drafts from today), and stickered the papers from apple stations. She hopes to teach them a song and the new "pray" before they leave. She sounds soooooooo much like her mother:)

I asked Reese tonight if she thought she might like to be a teacher when she grows up. Recently, when you'd ask her, she'd respond, "Well, I want to make hot dogs and I want to pass out ice cream, so I think I'll work at the Dairy Queen because I can do both." A parent's greatest aspiration for her child. However, this evening, the answer was different. She said she'd like to be a teacher; one like mom or Mrs. Dalton (my co-teacher). She even wants to teach KINDERGARTEN in Mrs. Dalton's room when she leaves. Right next door to mom:) I couldn't be more proud!

Puzzles - "Piece" of Cake

I've always been amazed with the way my children can master the assembly of a puzzle. Sometime around the age of 2, each of them has been able to complete 25 piece puzzles with ease. I can remember Drew and Reese sitting for long periods of time doing puzzle after puzzle. Well, now it's child #3's turn, and he's already a pro. Just in the last week, I've noticed his ability to work through our 25 piece puzzles. He's doing them at my mom's and at the babysitter's too. I sat down with Trey tonight to observe his newly acquired skill. Although hard to imagine, even two year old brains can think logically. It was so interesting for me to watch him turn the pieces in his hand 3 and 4 times, as he looked over the board deciding where the piece would fit. He often went for the corner pieces first, and then worked off of those. When a piece would not fit the first time, he'd try it another way. Still no luck; he'd set it to the side and choose a new one. When the puzzle was all but two pieces complete, he tried the second to last piece in the wrong spot. When he couldn't work it in, he immediately placed it in the other spot. I watched quietly, but when the last piece was placed we CELEBRATED! He clapped his hands so proudly. I gain such insight from little moments like tonight. Children really are little sponges absorbing everything around them. What new skill will he surprise me with next?

I must be nuts!

Oh my gosh! Did I seriously just add another responsibility to my already hectic life? I guess my sister in law has me curious enough to try this on my own. Now we'll see how often I can keep this up to date.