Four eyes.

I definitely jinxed myself last weekend by boasting that I haven't gotten sick yet. Well, Sunday night, it hit and had my throat out of commission this past week. I'm never stating the obvious ever again. :P

On Friday, V decided it was okay and wise to eat a black crayon. She had black flecks around her mouth and on her tongue. I literally had a smack in the forehead moment. Five minutes after, she said she felt like she was going to vomit. OH WHY COULD THAT BE?! Is it because you ate a stick of colored WAX?! So she emptied her stomach of crayon in the girls room, and I asked her what possessed her to eat that crayon. She gave me the most vacant look I've seen from her. I told her that I expected that from a kindergartener NOT a second grader. And this was the "what the heck" conversation amongst the teachers.

Another moment of the week was that I've convinced my kids that I have 4 eyes (2 on the back of my head), and that I got my second pair when I graduated to become a teacher. It's pretty awesome. I'm pretty sure I'm going to give them a complex when they're older.

Me: "You think I can't see what you're doing when I'm meeting with another teacher or writing stuff on the board. Remember boys and girls, how many eyes do I have?"
Them: "FOUR!!"
Mar: "They're just hidden in your hair!"
Tay: "You might even have more than that! [pats her cheeks] You could have some here too!"
T: "And here! [pats neck]"
Me: "That's right. You remember that."

I also have a new kid named J. Thankfully, he seems like he's either average or above average in terms of reading levels and other tasks. That will make his transitions a lot easier for him.

M sent me the most hilarious video ever called Math911. Check it out. Why can I see one of my own future kids doing this? haha

I have parent-teacher conferences on Monday. That means I don't have to go into school until 11am. Isn't life beautiful? I get sleep and no traffic? Everyday should be conference day. Hopefully the conferences will go well. Every single one of my parents are coming in. Again, I'm not a public speaker. "But you're a teacher, Miss Chelsea!" I can speak in front of kids like nobody's business... but with adults, I'm intimidated because I have to know what I'm talking about in every word I say. With kids, you can make a mistake and laugh it off, knowing that they don't really care about that. They just want to know they're protected, loved, and capable of learning. With adults, you're left wondering if they took you down in esteem or are now saying "what the heck are they doing in the classroom?!"

On a parental note, I am really fortunate to have the parents of the lower-performing kids really care about their kids' education/homework (I know other teachers aren't so fortunate). Every single one of my lower kids gets all their homework completed every week. That REALLY helps and will hopefully make a difference in their kids' learning this year.

I went to the Virginia Aquarium on Friday, too, for a Teacher Appreciation Night. I got to see the new IMAX "Sea Monsters" for free (pretty cool)! :D I love having educator perks. The aquarium isn't like Boston's... but they're apparently going through a lot of renovations which is good. Hopefully it'll be a lot better in the next few years. I did enjoy the harp seals when you walk into the place though... sooo cute.

I have free passes to the Virginia Air and Space Museum, too, so I'm hoping to check that out in the weeks to come. I'm part of their "Educator's Connection!" Yeah!

- Miss Chelsea :)