End of week ramblings

I know it's only Thursday, but I officially started my Spring Break 4 hours ago so it's the end of MY week.

* At my school, we test all incoming kinders. Gives us a baseline of where everyone is at developmentally and gives us a chance to talk to the parents of those who didn't do so well and could use another year of pre-k. It's ultimately the parents' call though---which is sometimes frustrating. More about that later. Anyway, I do the language and reading readiness part of the test. I have to ask them some pretty standard questions like name and age.(I also have to ask whether they are a boy or girl. With the story of the transgender first grader all over the news, I was pretty nervous every time I asked THAT question, I'll tell ya. ) There's also a section dealing with letter sounds. The kiddos have a little picture to look at. I give them a sound and they are supposed to find something in the picture that starts with that sound. One little girl was looking and looking for something that started with /sh/.  Finally, she said, "shtoch tape". Yeah....I counted it. :) One little guy didn't even pause when I asked him to find something that started with /sh/---he instantly answered **it! He wasn't being sassy or funny....just answering the question. Yeah.....I counted that one, too. (And, no, there's no poo in the picture. They are allowed to provide their own word.)

* While we were busy testing incoming kinders, the other Kinder teacher and I had subs in our rooms. One day, when we got back, the aide told us one of the little boys mooned everyone during class. Can I tell you how overwhelmingly grateful I was to find out he wasn't one of mine? Cause I have had it happen this year. One of my GIRLS mooned everyone while they were practicing for the Christmas concert. In church. On the altar.

* Last week I had to have a rather unpleasant conference with one of my little guy's parents. At screening last year we recommended they wait another year. They opted not to, but said they'd be ok with him doing kinder twice if it became necessary. Well, I've been telling them since October that he's struggling. Not just a it-takes-him-a-little-longer-to-catch-on kind of way but it's-mid March-and-he-still-doesn't-know-all-his-letters. He's just little. Anyway, we have a bit of a mouse problem in our school. And guess who made appearances during this conference? TWICE?! Three times if you count the one the first grade teacher saw which caused her to run screaming like a banshee into the hallway.

*Driving home after the conference, I'm on the highway when I see movement out of the corner of my eye. Honest to God, my first thought was MOUSE!

*So our maintenance guy, in cahoots with the Orkin guy, decide the best plan of attack is to set out sticky traps. These traps don't kill the mice....they just get stuck in the glue and stay there screaming and trying to free themselves. I know because we caught one last Friday. Cooking spray and a plastic spoon will free them, by the way. (You need the spoon because it's just too hard to convince the little guy you are only trying to help and they bite) There are no more sticky traps in my room. I think they are cruel. I bought a live trap to use instead.

*Orkin guy comes back today and tries to put down more sticky traps. I tell him I don't want any. After he leaves, I realize my trap is not where it should be. I hunt Orkin guy down and ask him about it. He says he just pushed it further under my desk and says he doesn't believe in them. I really, really had to bite my tongue to keep from saying, "Yeah? Well I don't believe in torturing small defenseless animals."

And lastly....

* I stopped at the store to fill a prescription on the way home. When I went to pick it up, instead of the just one month supply they normally fill, for some reason, they gave me three months worth. At first I was a little annoyed since it was more money than I planned to spend. Then, I decided, maybe it's a sign. Maybe I'm being told I won't want to/be able to go to the store next month. :) Yeah.....definitely a sign.