Smile Sighting #29

K, a kindergartener, hugs me EVERY DAY at school.  I usually see him first at recess.  This is when he runs up to me full speed and jumps up as high as can to hug (and cling) to me.  I can usually put up with one or two of these before I tell him he's got to stop and give me "gentle hugs."  Today he did it in front of his teacher.  She reminded him to be gentle... "Liz loves you, too but you have to be gentle!  Remember to keep your hands to yourself!"

I stand in line with him on our way to music.  When his teacher is looking, his hands are down at his side.  When she isn't looking, he's trying to find my hand with his tiny hand.  Too cute.

Smile Sighting #28

A tells me I have beautiful hair.  I said, "Oh yeah?  I was thinking I wanted to cut it all off because it drives me crazy."  He says, "NO!  You should put some mini braids in it instead and then you'd be like... a white gansta!"

Smile Sighting #27

I was attempting to find a way to explain fractions to two of my kids.  We were adding them, and trying to understand that something like 2/4 is equal to 1/2.  I tried to explain it in some real life example they could grasp (rather than some abstract nothingness).  My first example was money.  50 cents is half a dollar.  If M has 50 cents and finds 50 cents, how much does he have?  T says, "Two dollars!"  That didn't work.  So I moved onto sandwiches.  I said, "You have one half of a sandwich in one hand and one half in the other.  If you put them together you get..."  (see below for visual of what I was doing and answer I was given)

"ONE TINY SANDWICH!"

Smile Sighting #27

I was attempting to find a way to explain fractions to two of my kids.  We were adding them, and trying to understand that something like 2/4 is equal to 1/2.  I tried to explain it in some real life example they could grasp (rather than some abstract nothingness).  My first example was money.  50 cents is half a dollar.  If M has 50 cents and finds 50 cents, how much does he have.  T says, "Two dollars!"  That didn't work.  So I moved onto sandwiches.  I said, "You have one half of a sandwich in one hand and one half in the other.  If you put them together you get..."  (see below for visual and answer I was given)

"ONE TINY SANDWICH!"

Smile Sighting #26

This isn't one incident, but several.  

I have to smile every time I see a kid dancing and singing his/her way through the hallways, especially when they think they're alone.  What's cuter?  When they try to play it off after you round the corner or they realize you were behind them the whole time. 

:)

Smile Sighting #25

I left work after being there for only 30 minutes today because I was SURE I was going to barf.  My math kids and I were in "The Loft" in the media center when I abruptly told them we needed to go back to the classroom because I felt like I was going to hurl.  They all started offering suggestions to "keep it down."  One girl tells me on our way out, "You can barf on J.  He wont contribute anything to society."

Smile Sighting #24

A little girl comes up to me with a rock in her hand.  She says, "Isn't this a cool rock?"  I said, "Yes!  It looks like a worn down chunk of brick."  She says, "It reminds me of a very special picnic I went on with my Mommy, my brother and my Daddy."  She proceeds to detail the whole trip (down to everything they ate) and even remembered that Daddy "smooshed" a bug that got close to Mommy.  Too, cute.

Smile Sighting #23

I couldn't decide if this one was cute or creepy.  I decided to not read into it too much and post!

M says, "I knew you were here today because I could smell your scent before I even got in the door!"

Maybe I should lay off the amount of perfume I'm using to cover up cigarette smell. :P

Smile Sighting #22

M, the boy I've been working on math stuff with, hurt his thumb 2 days ago.  He's had an ace bandage on it since it happened, but last night somebody managed to kick him in his hand (I didn't ask...).  So now it's 3 times the size it was after it swelled the first time.  He's going to the doctor after school, but it was no reason to be sent home.  However, he was having a hard time writing.

We were doing division today.  He was telling me the steps and answers while I was writing everything for him.  He says, "Dang... I feel like an old MAN!  Everybody has to do everything for me!  With my luck, tomorrow you'll have to change my DIAPER!"

Smile Sighting #21

D does his own thing.  He needs help staying on task sometimes.  During the time that they were supposed to be writing a letter to their parents (or other guardian) for conferences, he was doodling.  I squatted down to his desk and asked what he was doing.

No answer.

"Are you supposed to be writing your letter for conferences?"

No answer.

"Where's your paper for the letter?"

No answer.

New approach... "What is it that you're drawing."

No answer.

"Are you just ignoring me?"

"Yes."

"Oh okay, then."  I went to retrieve a fresh piece of lined paper for him, put it on his desk and walked away.

A minute later and he's writing his letter.  We just decided how he and I communicate.

Smile Sighting #20

Girl to another girl:
"Are we chasing boys today?"

:)  Brought back so many recess memories.

Smile Sighting #19

T and J come over to report that K called J a "Mother F*cker."  I said, "Why did J call you that, T?"  He says, "Because I kicked him in the balls."

Nice.

Smile Sighting #18

A girl asks me how to spell "CHOKE."  I said, "Sound it out and spell it like you think it should be spelled and I'll tell you if it's right or not.  If it isn't, you can go look it up in the dictionary."

....

She comes back and points to her spelling... "C-O-C-K."  I suppressed a laugh and just gave her the correct spelling before somebody came along and saw it.

Smile Sighting #17

A boy runs up to me on the playground... "Can I go to the nurse?  A tooth just fell out of my mouth."  He held up a slobbery tooth covered in dirt and leaves.  "Yes, please go."

Smile Sighting #16

A female student asked me if I was pregnant today.
I said, "Nope, just fat but thanks for brining that to my attention."
She said, "NO!  You're not fat... my Aunt is fatter than you... it was just the way that shirt fits you."

Blagh.

She learned a new, unspoken social rule today.  Don't even ask...