An Even Dozen

It was Literary Week.

On Monday, I took my class to see their Book Buddies in the 1st grade.  The first graders read to our K3 kids.  Later in the day, Henry's 8th grade class went and read to the 1st graders.  Caroline's class went to kindergarten, and Josiah's class went to 3rd grade.  Josiah read to my boss's daughter, so I was glad the next day when my boss told me she had so much fun with it.  Josiah tends to read with a lot of expression anyway.

Tuesday was Book Character Day.  Josiah went as Charlie Brown.  Henry's entire class went as characters from the Magic School Bus.  Henry was Tim Wright.  He prefers when I take the candid shots of him.  hahaha  In my class,  I went as Fred from Big Dog, Little Dog.  I read this to my class (on request) at least once a week.  It's one of my favorites, too. One of the kids in my class questioned whether I spelled Fred correctly and held the book up to my shirt to check.  I passed inspection.  

On Wednesday, we got to wear loungewear and read all day.  I'm not sure if that was mainly a lower school thing, because the Upper School kids had tests and quizzes all week for the end of the semester.  Caroline finished her music elective for the quarter with a mini-concert.  Parents were invited and it was the perfect time for me to go - the classroom was next to where we have recess.  It was during my recess time.  But Caroline strongly suggested I do not darken the door.  It was recorded, so I've emailed her teacher to make sure I get to see the performance.  Caroline said her piece was more improv than anything else.  She's really hoping to do art next quarter, but it's always a surprise until the day of.  

Thursday was Fable Day - dress like an animal.  I had six kids in my class all dressed like animals.  There is nothing like trying to teach when half the class is crawling around the room meowing.  Even though it was Fable Day, Henry had a real life situation happen in his math class.  His teacher walked by to check on the work they were doing in class.  She stood next to Henry, put her hand on his shoulder, and said, "Slow down.  It isn't a race."  I could have hugged her.  I have passed the baton on to his new teachers.  God bless and good luck.  

We finished out our Literary Week with Art Day. Each of the houses in Upper School acted out a painting.  All four houses/paintings had a script to follow and the lower school kids went through and had to solve a mystery.  Rountree House, which our kids are in, were dressed as Georges Seurat's A Sunday Afternoon on the Island of La Grande Jatte.  Caroline did not want to dress as a fancy lady in the picture, so she got to be a tree.  Josiah was the artist's assistant.  Henry was an art restorer.  The lower school kids had to find the missing dog in the picture.  The different houses were competing for points on how well they acted out the painting and played the scenario with the lower school kids.  

There was a little more to Friday, too.  This little lady turned a dozen.  

I forgot to tell Todd to pick up a breakfast pizza, so she had her birthday breakfast a day late.  For lunch she had Chipotle, and for dinner, her favorite pot roast.  She had a very Norman Rockwell dessert - yellow cake with chocolate icing.  When she did the scavenger hunt for her gifts, she had trouble with one clue, "Tupperware, Rubbermaid, & Pyrex."  She had no clue what those were.  We finally played the "hot/cold" game to get her to the 'lock-in-locks' that she uses for her school lunches.  Youngins'  

Like Henry, Caroline did not give me any ideas for her birthday save one.  A giant yarn knitted blanket.  Check.  She did get a watch because every morning the kids hang out in my classroom until it is time for them to go to their morning assembly.  Every 1-2 minutes Caroline asks us what time it is. Now, I have an analog clock in my room, and even though she can figure it out, she doesn't feel like figuring it out, hence the question, What time is it?  Happy Birthday! She was blessed with gifts from cousins and grandparents as well.  

Even though she had to go to school on her birthday, it was art day, so not real school, and it was a half day because it was the end of the semester.  We were exhausted when we got home, so she had a very chill birthday.  

We've played a lot of badminton lately.  Benson likes to watch the birdie go back and forth, but he has to stay leashed if he's out with us for badminton.  He also likes to eat the birdies.    

We're looking forward to having Monday off - a nice start to the week ahead.