Rocketman: Cried and cried in my arms before walking out the door to go to school. But by the end of the day said, “You were right! I was so busy and having so much fun that I forgot all about missing you.” A good thing, I guess. But wiping his tears off my pajamas is never a good way to begin a day.
Bubba: Bubba’s Pre-K teacher, who mentioned about a month ago that he may not actually be ready for kindergarten when it is time, commented at how mature he seems after the break. How verbal and excited to learn new things. How instead of thinking it’s playtime all the time at school, he is coming up to her while she works with kids and asking when it’s his turn to write. He’s interested in letters coming together to make words. Using great words in sentences….just becoming such a mature little boy. AND, she mentioned that he held up the line as the kids walked into the building from outdoors. While his peers began to protest, he held up his hand and stated: Just a minute. I wanted to thank PJ for holding the door for me. Thank you PJ! He was the only child who said thank you and his teacher was blown away by his good manners. Proud Mommy Moment.
Zen moment: Sitting in the car at pickup for Rocketman and choosing to stop poking at my phone and instead enjoy the conversation with the polite, maturing little boy in the back seat. Who talked about whether or not there was “pulp” in his pink lemonade. He wouldn’t mind if there was because while Ben can’t stand it, he actually loves pulp. Who talked about maybe not liking Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles that much because in the movie Raphael says the S word…which is “stupid.” And we talk about how that word isn’t as much a bad word as a mean one. Sweet quiet little banter that I will miss next year if and when he does go to kindergarten.
Something that made me laugh/smile: Witnessing a fourth grade student who has moped through the year with his hood on and head down glaring at people, smiling for the first time. A radiant smile. When later I rejoiced in his smile to him, he told me that he knows he used to be cranky and miserable, but he woke up one day and made the decision to be happy, because it’s just a better way to be. And then he found that once he shared his happiness with others, others were actually kinder to him than they ever had been before. And so happy is his new way to be.
An act of kindness: When that same fourth grader, who has spent the year asking me to leave when I came in to work with him, thanked me for all the help I have given him in writing this year.
A moment to be thankful for: The beautiful faces of my students from: Pakistan, India, Puerto Rico, Portugal, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Morocco and the Netherlands all wishing me an early happy birthday.
Today I’m feeling: Anxious. Depressed. Overwhelmed. Pensive.
RookieMama 
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