Last Day Of School

It was such a bittersweet day. I was super excited for summer, ready to be home with Eila, and needing a break from my high-needs class. But, Urban Day is closing, I don't know if I'll ever see any of my kids again, and last days are always sad for me.  I think the kids felt the same way as me- it was a really fun day with some tears thrown in there.


We went on a zoo trip on the second to last day of school. There were enough chaperones that each adult was in charge of two kids, so it was very stress-free while we were walking around the zoo. The kids in my group were so cute! They really wanted to see the lions (they were exciting) but were thrilled by all of the robins bopping around the zoo grounds. :)

We had an activity day on the last day- it was exhausting and fun! Each class rotated through a variety of stations- hula hoops & bouncy ball things, tattoos & bubbles, lunch & naptime, playground, snacks, and coolest of all. . . the bouncy house!

This teacher's still got it :) 

Some People Say Everything Happens For a Reason. . .

I'm just not sure what that reason is yet!


A couple of months ago, our principal held an all staff meeting and told us our school was closing. We were told that there are not enough funds to sustain the school long term, so they are closing it permanently.

We were all surprised- although I work at a charter school, it has been around for a long time (50+ years) and has a good reputation in the neighborhood. All of the parents/family members were bummed to hear the news. Every single one of them wondered why we couldn't do something, like fund raise, to help keep the school open. The board decided not to go that route, which feels kind of like they are just giving up. It doesn't feel like a good way to end.

End-of-the-school-years are always hard. Kids stay up later since it is lighter, they get wigglier with nicer weather, we've covered most of the curriculum, we know we'll have to say good bye soon, and we're all ready for summer. This year, its even harder. Not only are we affected by all of that stuff, but now we are worried about finding new jobs and wondering what will happen to our current kids.



I go back and forth believing that everything happens for a reason and things just happen because they do. Right now, I'm in the "it happens for a reason" camp. I hope that somehow I am on to better things. (Not that this wasn't good!) Maybe I can better impact kids' lives somewhere else. Maybe another opportunity will pop up that is a 100% perfect fit for me.

 Maybe I'm destined to live at home with my parents forever. That's how it feels right now. So much for saving up to buy a house- We were just starting to be able to save up again since Dan found another job after losing his old one. But now that I am (almost) unemployed, we're can't (safely or smartly) plan on moving anywhere!

I guess we will just have to see where life takes us! My family and I are currently healthy, happy, and safe, so overall we are doing well!

Things Kids Said on a Monday

I have a hilarious bunch of 4K kids this year! Today was a more mellow day (I needed it after my little chunk was up randomly for large portions of the night), but they were still funny little people all day long!


One of my kids is like a little old man. He wears little cardigans, velcro faux leather shoes, khakis. . . he's adorable. He talks with a gruff voice and answers pretty much any "why" question with, "That because."
For example: Why did you pour your toothpaste spit on the table? (they brush their teeth at school in the morning)  "That because."  Because why? "That becuase."
Or: Why are you laying on the floor? You should be standing in line. "That because."


One of my girls secretly colored all over her mat sheet with yellow crayon at naptime. We didn't see the crayon and didn't know it was crayon at first because of how it looked on the sheet. We asked her what happened and she said, "Me and my mama were walking to school. When we were walking to school we stepped in a big pile of yellow paint. It stayed on my shoe until naptime and then got on my mat." So if I ask your mom if you stepped in paint she would say yes? "Ummmm" Are you telling me a story? "Maybe it was crayon. I think a crayon did it. It fell out of my cubby and got on my mat. And now it's under the table by my nap spot."


We were talking about what to do if there is a fire in your home. I asked the class what they should do and almost all of them said call 911. One little guy asked, "But what if the phone is off?" and another boy said, "Then look all around your house so you can find the charger!"


We were also talking about things you shouldn't touch like matches and lighters. I asked them to name other things they shouldn't touch: cigarettes, anything that is pokey, a hot pan, and keep your hands to yourself (this randomly lead to a discussion about how you shouldn't hit your friends).


The kids in my class this year all think it's funny to call me mama and they tell me they are going to be my baby and come home with me.


During calendar time: "Ms MaElly. Do you know who Batman is? Bruce Wayne!!"


We dance to a song called "Pop see ko" and almost all of my kids think it's called "popsicle"

37 Weeks!

How far along? 37 weeks. The baby is considered full term and is spending her remaining time gaining weight and getting ready to be born! 

Total weight gain: I have an appointment on Friday, so I'll find out then!

Maternity clothes? Mmm hmm! Some of the maternity shirts I have a getting a little bit short- my belly is huge! 

Stretch marks? Nothing so far

Sleep: Oh man- it has been rough! I have such a hard time falling asleep and staying asleep. I've gotten a lot of "its your body's way of getting prepared for being up all night with a baby". Although I've never had a baby before, I disagree with this. I can't sleep because my body is sore, not because a small person is waking me up. 

Best moment this week: My sister-in-law passed her dissertation defense! I have to get through tomorrow and then its Spring Break! 

Miss Anything? Physical energy (still). Moving around is getting difficult- I'm a little slow and a little uncomfortable at the beginning of the day. By the end of the day, I'm really slow and uncomfortable. 
Movement: So much! She is a busy little baby. She is so strong too :) 

Food cravings: sweet things lately- I had a slice of chocolate cake with a scoop of ice cream three nights this week. And it was delicious. And frozen raspberries. 

Anything making you queasy or sick: Onion and/or garlic. Cigarette smoke.  

Gender: She's a girl! 

Labor Signs: Nothing yet! I was born 3 weeks early and my friends, family, and coworkers think I'll have her early (I'm not sure why. . . I don't have any predictions). I'm in the home stretch though! 

Belly Button in or out? More on the outtish side but sometimes flat. 

Wedding rings on or off? They're on still. 

Happy or Moody most of the time: Generally happy with moody/sappy/sentimental/teary moments thrown in there. My 4K kids were super  excited that today is April because they know I'm having the baby in April. Some kids thought that today was the day. During calendar time, I showed them what day she is due and then talked about how babies get to pick their birthdays, so she might be born before the 22nd or she might be born a little after. We also talked about how I'll have to go to the doctor/hospital and then when she's born, I'll get to go home. I'll stay home and take care of her and I won't come back to school for a long time. One of my kids started to get teary-eyed and asked, "Can you give us all hugs before you leave?" I told her of course! She said with tears, "But can you give us all hugs right now so you don't forget or if you don't have time before you have to have your baby?" It was the sweetest thing ever to me! I wanted to squeeze them all and not let them go :) It's going to be hard to leave all my little ones. 

Looking forward to: Definitely spring break! I really can't wait for a week of organization and relaxation. 

Weekend Goodness- Baby Shower and Irish Dancing Edition

Friday:

I know it's not the weekend, and it was actually during the school day, but it was too cute/fun not to share! 

We had a mini "Irish Fest" on Friday for some of my 4K kids and some of the daycare kids from the daycare next to my school. Although Rosie hasn't Irish danced in a really long time, she came to dance for the kids since I couldn't do a whole lot of that :) 

The kids loved it! Even the really little ones watched quietly and nicely :)
Rosie did a jig, reel, and hornpipe (and then jig again because it was requested by the little ones) by herself. I joined her for a quick treble reel. 

I did "St. Patrick's Day" by myself.
Man, was it hard work! Whew!
Rosie said all the moms and teachers watching were worried that I was going to go into labor :) 

After all the really little kids left, Rosie and I taught the 4K kids a jig.
They were adorable! 

 The best part of Friday: My niece and nephew were born! Evelyn and Jack :) They live about 6 hours away, so I won't get to meet them for a while :( But the pictures I have seen are adorable. I am SO excited they were born and that they are healthy! Happy birthday, little babies :)



Saturday:
My  mom came over in the morning and helped me organize the nursery. I'll post pictures of it soon! Saturday afternoon was filled with more baby things- Dan's side of the family had a baby shower for us. The theme was "Welcome to the World, Little One"

Dan was fishing all weekend with friends, so I left all the baby shower gifts at his moms because it would be too hard for me to bring them all home. I had nothing to organize that afternoon but felt like I needed to do something. I decided a good 'something' would be to look at baby clothes and get a cinnabon. It went well- I found 2 cute little newborn-sized outfits and a women in front of me in line at cinnabon turned around and said "Oh you just look adorable! Your belly is so cute!" :)

Sunday:
My mom and I went to a baby consignment store. It was okay- there wasn't a very good selection of things. I did a million loads of laundry when I got home and then waited for Dan to get home from fishing. Once he did, we picked up the shower gifts from his mom's and I organized them. It was good/busy/tiring weekend!


Only 2 more weeks until spring break! I am so ready for it!

Things Kids Said on a Thursday

Boy: How come _____ has a bandana in her hair? Can she wear that?
Me: Uh-huh
Boy: But bandanas are gangster. How come she can wear one to school?
Me: Well she's wearing it in her hair like a headband, not cuz she's gangster.
Boy: But she couldn't wear it on her face, right? Like covering her mouth?
Me: right.
Boy: Cuz gangsters do that and there's no gangsters at school.
Me. Exactly.



"He's literally sitting right on my spot right now."



Boy 1: But we're family
Boy 2: Actually, we're not family.
Boy 1: I thought we was!
Boy 2: We're friends. But your mama's my godmama, so it's like we're family.



"Ms. Kelwee. . . Butterflies can't die." After I told him that butterflies die when they get old, he said, "But bees can't die. They eat honey and honey can last forever!"



I was standing in the girls bathroom making sure my girls weren't being extra silly when all of a sudden I heard a little guy's voice  right next to me say, "So this is what the girls' bathroom looks like!"



Recent baby name guesses: Gingerbread Man, T'Amiyah, Zaniyah, April, Kennedy, Tinkerbell, Elsa or Anna (or her first name could be Elsa and her second name could be Anna so she could have both!), Flowers, Hannah, Penelope, Little McElwee, Journey, X like the letter, Mrs. L, Kat with a K, The Little Mermaid (but don't let her lose her voice)

Things Kids Said on a Thursday

"Where's your baby?" - said as a little guy pushes all over my belly



I gave each kid one thin mint as part of their snack today. They freaked out. I mean, I know thin mints are delicious and exciting, but getting a cookie with some goldfish crackers was like the best thing that ever happened :)



Boy commenting on the yellow hallway outside our classroom:  "How come the walls are still yellow? When will they be blue, like our classroom?"  Oh they will be (very bright) yellow for a long time.



Kid: "Can you come to my birthday party? It's going to be at monkey joes!"
Me: "Your birthday was in September- are you having a birthday party now?"
Kid: "No. I will when it's my birthday!"
Me: "Sounds good- if you invite me, I will come."



"Ms. McElwee! It's almost April. Your baby is going to come  so soon."
I know kid, I know!



Boy 1: "Ms. McElweee!! ________ said 'donkey fart'!"
Me: "Gross"
Boy 2: "Yeah. Gross. That's not polite, right MissElly?"
Me: "Right."



"I sprayed water all over the bathroom last night cuz I thought it was fun. My mom got mad and I had to lay in bed early. And I cut the fuzzy hair off a head. My mom got mad at that too."



After singing the days of the week song and pointing to the "Thursday" square-
Me: What day of the week is it?
Kid 1: January!!
Me: That's a month and we already had that one. Do you want to try again? Look where the arrow is pointing and think of our days of the week song.
Kid 2: 2015!!
Me: Hmm. . . that's a year and we already had that too. Now it's 2016. Any other ideas?
K 1: Oh! Oh! Saturday!
Me: You're close! Saturday is a day of the week, but it isn't our day today.
K 3: Guys. It's Thursday!



Me: "Just so you know, I have a doctor's appointment on Monday, so I probably won't see you until Tuesday. Ms. H will still be here and you'll have a sub."
Girl: "Are they going to to cut your baby out?!"
Me: "Nope- it's just a check up to see how she's growing."



"Ms. McElwee- I drew this owl for you but then I scirbble-scrabbled all over it cuz it's choice time and it's okay if we do scribble-scrabble work during choice time, right?"

Things Kids Said on a Thursday: Valentine's Edition

We didn't have an actual Valentine's Day party in either of my classes, but we did pass out Valentines! I like to make mine :) This year, I happened to find some cute little dinosaurs at Target in their Valentine section. I washi-taped the the dinos to some scrapbook paper and wrote "I think you are dino-mite!" on each card. They turned out pretty cute and the kids were excited about them!




Onto things kid's said today. . .


"When is your baby gonna have her birthday?"
Probably near the end of April- on the day she's born.
"Can I come to her birthday party?"
No- I think it's going to be just me and Mr. McElwee at her birthday this year.
"Only two people?! Why is her birthday gonna be so small? Cuz she'll only be zero?"
Yep :)



A little girl found a box of chocolates in her backpack. She took the box out and said it was for me and my assistant to share. About half way through the day, she told me that she was going to give a chocolate to each of the kids who are being good (there were probably 4 chocolates in the box).  Near the end of the day, she almost started crying and said, "I made a mistake! That's my box of chocolates. It's not for you. I think my papa gave it to me!" The chocolates went back into her backpack :)



I got a lot of, "I love you, Ms. McElwee!" and a few, "I love you, baby!"s

We made cards for the kids' families. They made handprint hearts on the front, toilet paper tube stamped hearts on the inside, and copied the words "I LOVE YOU!" onto a piece of paper that we glued into the card. I think it's hilarious that one little girl wrote the word "yawn" on her card. We're learning about the letter Y this week and she knows "yawn" starts with a "y". She asked me how to spell yawn and before I knew it, she had written it on the front, inside, and back of her card! Haha!

Happy (almost) Valentine's Day! 

Things Kids Said on a Thursday

My little spanish-speaking kid came up to me very angrily and said, "She's being funny to me!" I said, "Why is that making you angry? Being funny should make you laugh- it should make you feel happy." He responded, "She said 'ha-ha'' (in a teasing voice). "Oh, you mean she was making fun of you!" We talked with the girl about how that wasn't nice and how that made him feel upset. We have come a loooong way since the beginning of the year with him!



A couple kindergarteners, who were in my class last year, were arguing in the hall as they were walking towards me. When they got to me, one said "Ms. Minster- are you having a baby?" I said yes and the other kid said, "See, I told you." Then the first kid asked, "Is it gonna be a black baby?" I told her I was pretty sure it was going to be a white baby since I'm white and the baby's dad is white




"Mrs. McElwee? Can you come over to my house? If you come over, I'll give you chocolate ice cream!"




"Ms. McElwee. . . Does Mr. . . . Mr. . .  umm Mr. McElwee! Does Mr. McElwee have any tools I can borrow this summer to build a go cart? I'll give em back when I'm done working on it."




We were doing yoga youtube video as a class and at one point, we were supposed to lay on backs and lift our hips in the air. One little guy was puffing his belly into the air instead of lifting his hips up. He noticed how big his belly looked and said, "My belly is getting so big! I think I'm gonna have a baby too!"





What day of the week is it?     "OCTOBER!!!!!"    (not sure where that came from)

Things Kids Said on a Thursday

For some reason I saved this as a draft instead of publishing it on Thursday. . .



Me: germs are invisible
Girl: Just like God!



4K girl:  Is your baby wearing clothes right now?
Me: Nope.
4k girl: She's not?! Is she wearing panties?
Me: Nope :)
4K girl: hahaha she's naked in your belly? hahahaha




Kid during a story time: Ms. McElwee! He just picked his nose and ate his boogers! That's SO gross!
Me: Do you know why it's so gross?
Kid: It's his nose.
Me: Noses aren't gross- boogers are. Did you know that we have boogers in our nose to help keep us healthy? What are those really tiny things that make us sick?
Class: Germs!!!
Me: Boogers help stop germs. So if you eat your boogers, what else are you eating?
Class: Germs!
Me: Yep! If you eat boogers, that means you're eating germs too- and that is gross. So please don't eat your boogers and keep your fingers out of your nose.




"How come you picked to have a baby girl? You didn't want a baby boy?"
"I didn't get to pick"
"Did the doctor get to pick?"
"No. . ."
"Well who got to pick then?"
"The baby kind of did. . . she is just growing into a girl."

Things Kids Said on a Thursday

"Your belly is getting so big! You're gonna get those things my mom has. I kept getting bigger and bigger in her belly and it made her stretched out and you can see where I stretched her out on her sides!"



"Ms MaGelly- did you know you have a baby BUTT in your belly?! Hahahahaha"



Kid 1: You and Mrs. Boy McElwee (she meant Mr. McElwee :)) . . .  I want to know what name you're gonna put your baby into.
Kid 2: It's probably not going to be Hyper. . . is it?
Kid 3: It won't. And it won't be Luna either.



I told a little guy to take his hand out of his pants and he said, "But my butt is so itchy!"



Kid: Ms McKelly, who lives at your house with you?
Me: Me and Mr. McElwee
Kid: Why doesn't your mom and Mr. McKelly's mom live with you?
Me: They live at their own houses.
Kid: Does your baby live with you?
Me: Well, she goes every where I go, so she has to live with me.
Kid: Well my dad is getting a new house and my aunt is moving to Seattle but my brother has to keep living with me and can't live at my Grandma's house.



"If my mom doesn't pick me up, you'll have to take care of me forever!" (I'm not really sure if that was a threat, wish, or concern. haha!)




One of my kids has been gone for a few days because she's been at a funeral. The other kids were asking if she is sick and I told them why she isn't at school. A kid asked what a funeral is and I told them that it's a time when people get together to celebrate the life of someone who died. A little girl said, "Oh! We're doing that for my uncle this weekend! I think he's going to bring ice cream cake!"  Is your uncle dead? "No- I think it's his birthday." Ok, well a funeral is for someone who is dead. "Oh well my uncle isn't dead so it's probably not a funeral then." I think your right :)



As kids were getting picked up, a little girl said, "Bye Ms. McElwee! Bye baby!" and quickly kissed my belly :)

Things Kids Said on a Wednesday

Since we don't have school tomorrow, here is some of what I heard today. . . .



"You know you're gonna have to deal with all the poop, right?"



"Which Annie do you like more? Black Annie of white Annie? My brother likes black Annie more cuz  her house is cooler. I like white Annie more cuz a kid snores on the steps and it's so so funny!"



A kid put his ear on my belly and said, "I can hear your baby breathing!"



One of my kids accidentally kicked another kid's nose. The kid who got kicked started crying said, "He  peeled some of my lip off and I think it's still stuck to the bottom of his shoe!"  (Don't worry- her lip wasn't bleeding- I think she was mostly startled)



The 8th graders painted the hallways around my classroom a very bright yellow. As we were walking to our room today, one little girl said, "It feels like we're inside the sun every time we walk through here."



On our way to the bathroom: "Can we pretend like we're in space? And there are aliens everywhere that we have to catch?" Sure- but you need to be very, very quiet to catch the aliens, or you'll scare them away. I'm pretty sure no one talked until we got back to the classroom, and then it was only to tell me how many aliens they caught :)




Stay warm tonight and tomorrow!

Things Kids Said on a Friday

I had a class holiday party for a family event on Friday. The kids were so cute! They normally have to wear uniforms, but since they don't have school on Fridays and this was an optional event, they could wear whatever they wanted. . . which meant festive Christmas dresses, santa outfits, and adorable sweaters. 

The main event of the party was cookie decorating. I planned on making sugar cookies in a variety of shapes for the kids to decorate. Due to an oven malfunction, that did not happen. I now have a large batch of sugar cookie dough in my fridge (not a terrible problem to have. . .).  I made a grocery store run early in the morning before school started hoping to find some plain sugar cookies.  They didn't have any :/ Luckily, the bakery had a couple boxes of yet-to-be-decorated gingerbread cookies! These worked out perfectly and the kids had lots of fun (and spent lots of time) decorating them :) 

So much playdough! 

I made little gift bags for each of my students. Each bag had some homemade peppermint scented playdough, a packet of hot chocolate mix, a bag of microwave popcorn, and a little card game. They were excited to get them :) 

Onto the things said and overheard at the party. . .



"Mrs. McElwee! Do you know that Santa is always watching you? He sees you when you're sleeping and knows when you're awake."
"He knows if you've been good or bad."
"So be good be goodness sake!"


A couple kids were looking at a book and I asked if they knew what animal was on the page. One of them shouted "It's a beast-er!"  (It was a picture of a beaver)


"Ms. McElwee- this present is for you! It's a coffee gift card and some candy. But it's a surprise, so don't open it until Christmas."



"Do you have a cat and a dog? Do they fight a lot? Cuz my brother and sister do."



"Guess what? I get to go to the mall tonight and see Santa!"



"Sometimes Christmas parties scare me. I don't like when Santa comes into the room."



One of the parents asked her kids what she wanted for Christmas and the kid said she wanted a pink striped fan. . . the mom has no idea what she means. Haha!



"My dad's a pain in the butt!"  Why?  "Cuz he's a pain in the butt! That's just what my mom says sometimes!"



"Miss McElwee? Why are you eating that cookie? Is it cuz your baby wants a cookie? Does your baby like carrots too? You need to be healthy!"



And hearing little kids who can't pronounce the "R" sound very well yet say, "Merry Christmas!" is always adorable :)


Happy winter break!

Things Kids Said on a Thursday

"Ms. McElwee. Did you know you're not supposed to drink beer with a baby in your belly?"  I did, but thanks for making sure I'm being safe!



girl 1: I wanna be Elsa
girl 2: Don't you already have her dress?
girl 1: Yeah, but I wanna be her.



When I was picking up one of my classes, a kid said, "Hi Ms. McElwee!" and then kissed my belly and said, "Hi baby!"



A girl in my morning class said, "We should name your baby today!" and then a burst of name suggestions came:  
-Luna
-Octagon
-Avery because my babysitter is named Avery and she's a girl
-Penelope
-Miss McElwee becuase you are Mrs. McElwee and your married to Mr. McElwee and your baby would be sad if she didn't match
-Sprinkles
-the letter "K"
-Emma because my neighbor had a baby and it was a girl and she named her Emma
Thanks for the ideas, but I think Mr. McElwee wants to help name the baby too. I'll tell him all of your ideas.



During calendar time: "Excuse me. Excuse me! Excuusssee meeeee!!!" I ignored the excuse mes- this kid is working on not blurting out during group times. Finally, he raised his hand. I called on him and he said, "Did you know that spiders can bite and the bites itch but worms can't bite you? I don't like spiders but I do like worms."



We were reading a book about living things vs. nonliving things and how living things need food, they can grow, and they can make more of their own kind. A girl raised her hand and said, "Is it true that is an animal lives inside your house it can't die?" Then we had about a 10 minute class conversation about dying- my hospice-social-working sister would be proud :)



"Ms. McElwee- I'm gonna ask my granny if I can come to your house this Saturday, okay?"   Maybe some day you can visit my house, but I live kind of far from school and I have lots of plans on Saturday, so ask your granny another time :)

And Baby McElwee is A. . . .

Before the official results, I decided to check out some old wive's tales to see what they predict. . .



Is the bump expanding out like a basketball (boy) or sideways like a watermelon (girl):  Boy

How's your skin? More blemishes equal a girl:  Girl

Dry hands and cold feet mean it's a boy:  Well, my feet tend to be cold and the winter weather is drying out my skin, but if I go with this tale, it would be a Boy

Craving sweets means it's a girl and craving salty snacks means it's a boy:  Girl

According to the Chinese gender chart (which is a year and month based thing) I'm having a: Boy

Based on a Mayan chart (if age at conception and year are both even or odd, it's a girl. If one is even and one is odd, it's a boy), I'm having a: Boy

If your spouse gains sympathy weight, it's a girl: It could be that we just had Thanksgiving, or maybe it is sympathy weight, but this would go to Girl

Morning sickness means it's a girl:  Girl

Is the bump high (girl) or low (boy): Girl

Heart rate about 140= girl, below= boy: 159, so Girl

Sleeping on the right (girl) or left (boy): Boy

Hair growth on legs- faster = girl, slower = boy: no change. . .



That's 5 for Boy and 6 for Girl. . .  so pretty close to 50/50 with a slight lean towards girl.



So I had the anatomy scan today, which was pretty cool. . . we got to see the heart pumping, the aorta, the bladder, arm, leg, feet, and hand bones, a brain/skull view, and lots of swallowing, sucking, and kicking around. One of the best things was when we could see the baby's legs moving around and I could feel kicks at the same time. Watching the little one move as I felt it was a really cool thing.

Right when we got in the room, the ultrasound tech asked us if we wanted to know the gender and said that although she can't tell us 100%, she wouldn't guess. If she wasn't certain, she wouldn't tell us, and that she would check several times. Right away, she said "I think I know what you're having. . . but I want baby to move it's legs just a little bit" About half way through the scan, she showed us an image and pointed out the legs and them pointed out three little white lines. Dan started to ask what that meant and I said, "You were right!" and the tech said,



It's a girl!




Her measurements are right on track and fluid levels around her are just how they should be. I do have to get another ultrasound at my next appointment because my placenta is right next to my cervix. If it doesn't move, then I would have to have a c-section. My doctor said usually it moves, but it's something they need to keep track of just incase. I'd prefer not to have a c-section, but I guess I would rather know in advance if I have to have one than have have major bleeding and an emergency one. Right now, I'm just so excited to be able to think of the baby as either a he or a she. . . now I can refer to her as she! :) that I'm not stressing about placenta placement.



I told my afternoon class today that I was having a baby and it's a girl. Their responses were awesome:


-Did you bring pictures of her? (I had ultrasound pics with me, so I showed them those- we have a feet picture that they loved)

- When is it gonna be her birthday? Will it be soon? Like next week? Or next year? Maybe when the snow melts. But some snow already melted. . .

-When she's born, are you gonna have her birthday party at Jump America?

-When she turns five, can she come to school with us?

-Is she borned yet?

-Is she at your house or in your belly still?

-Is she gonna be a boy baby or a girl baby when she gets born?

- I'm gonna buy her a teddy bear!

-Will she get bigger before she's born?


And my favorite . . . .
-Were you hungry so you just ate a baby?  . . . is that why your belly is big?

I Am Thankful For (4K Style) . .

The kids were buzzing today- they were all excited for thanksgiving! I'm never exactly sure how to talk about holidays with my kids. . . I mostly avoid directly talking about them because not everyone celebrates and many of my families are low-income families and might not have celebrations, but they were all so excited, I couldn't ignore it :)

I made a 4-year-old appropriate yet accurate (as I could be) smartboard story about the first thanksgiving. We talked about if and how their families celebrate.  The kids' answers were very diverse (as expected)!


One girl said that she's going to her dad's house for thanksgiving and then when she comes home to celebrate, they will have turkey sandwiches with mom and grandma.

A boy said that his uncle makes a turkey outside.  (Maybe he deep fries it)

One boy's dad makes the tuna fish they have every thanksgiving.



We read a book called "Bear Says Thanks" and talked about what being thankful means. During one of  our stations, the kids made a handprint turkey and said what they were thankful for. They are adorable!

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I like the wishful thinking in this one! haha! 

Happy Thanksgiving, everyone! What are you thankful for?

Things Kids Said on a Thursday

"Ms. McElwee? I like your skirt. BUT do you ever wear a butterfly skirt with a heart tattoo on your cheek?"



"Ms. McElwee. After school you can go to your house and get your pajamas on. Then wait outside- my mom will come pick you up and bring you to my house. Then we will watch some movies and have a sleepover!"



"What's your middle name? What your mom's name? What's your dad's name? What's your brother's name? What's your sister's name? What's your cats name? What's your dog's name? What color is your car? How old is your dad? How old is your mom? How old is your brother? How old is your sisters?" She would have kept going, but we had other things to do :)



One of my kids took the bathroom pass and came running back to the classroom. I asked him if he went and he said no and looked scared. I asked him why he didn't go and he said, "There's a monster in the bathroom." I was pretty sure there was not a monster in the bathroom, and my 4ker was being completely serious, so I walked to the bathroom with him. He opened the door and said, "See! A monster!!" I could see the custodian's shoes peeking out from under the stall :) I told my kid that it wasn't a monster. "It's not a monster? Then it has to be Santa!"



During our morning meeting, one of the kids asked when our friend who was shot was coming back. They know that she got really hurt and had to go to the hospital, but I didn't tell them exactly what happened. I told them that she had to stay at the hospital for a really long time and I wasn't sure when she would feel better enough to come back to school. One kid blurted, "She's sleeping in the hospital? Where does she sleep?" I told them how I visited her and saw her room. . . she has a bed and a couch for her mom and that's pretty much it. "Does she have any toys?" "Does she have a tv?" "Does she get to take a bath?" And their biggest concern of all. . . "Does she get to go to the bathroom or do they make her hold it all day?" I told them that was a good question and wasn't really sure (I didn't want to explain what a catheter is). One kid raised her hand and said, "I know where she goes. The bathroom is around the corner at her doctor's office. Her mom takes her there. That's what my mom does when I have to go to the bathroom at the doctor." I bet you are right :) We miss our friend and hope she gets better soon! Her mom said she is slowly slowly getting a little bit better each day.




I asked a kid what I should get from the grocery store for dinner. He said "Donuts and chicken." Sounds good to me :)



"Ms. McElwee. . . someone farted and it stinks. It wasn't me, but I really need to go to the bathroom."



"Ms. McElwee does your boyfriend like snow?" "I have a husband- we're married, so he's not my boyfriend anymore." "Ewwwwww.  So he likes snow?"



I had a home visit with one of my 4kers after school today. Her mom said that her little one was really disappointed because right before I got there the mom let her know that I would not be staying for dinner or sleeping over.

Send Good Thoughts Her Way

A random number called me a few times on Wednesday day night. I was already sleeping and don't usually answer when I don't know who is calling me, so I let it ring. The person (who turned out to be my coworker) left me a message saying to call her back right away. Weird.

When I called her back, she told me that one of my kids was shot.


Woah.
One of my kids? Who was just in my class earlier that day? Shot? What?


Then I got a call from another coworker. She told me that my student was shot in the head while she was sitting in a car and now she's at children's hospital.



I saw on the news that a four-year-old had been shot, but kids getting shot happens way too much in the Milwaukee area. Other than thinking how terrible that was, I didn't think too much about it.


Now all I could think about was how terrible it really was. I felt so sad for my little 4ker. I didn't really sleep that night and my eyes were puffy the next day from so much crying. No child should ever have to go through something like this. All it took was the couple seconds of someone pulling a trigger a few times and this kid's life is drastically changed forever. She was happy, confident, strong-willed, and sweet. Now she has a brain injury and is laying in a hospital bed.

I visited her on Thursday after school. Even though she was very swollen, her head covered in holes and sutures, and tubes and monitors connected all over her, her mom sad she already looked better than the night before. Although her brain was swelling, her first surgery went well and she was doing well for her circumstances.

Today, she was taken off her ventilator and is breathing in her own. This little one has such a feisty, strong-willed personality, and it's showing even in her critical condition. With so many prayers coming her way, she has to be feeling everyone's love. Send good thoughts her way, please.

Things Kids Said on a Thursday: Halloween Edition

I don't really celebrate halloween (or any other holidays) at school because not all of my families celebrate. Instead, I do seasonal activities on/near holidays. Today we colored pumpkins, carved a pumpkin, explored pumpkin guts and seeds, made pumpkin pudding, and watched a Magic School Bus movie about bats. . . 

I asked the kids if anyone knows what's inside a pumpkin. A girl shouted out "Brains! My granny cut open a pumpkin and I put my  hand in and felt them!" 

"Are you gonna keep the seeds and cook them? With salt? I like them with salt."       Definitely.

I opened a can of pumpkin to use in our pumpkin pudding and showed it to the kids. I asked them if they knew what it was. Best guess: tuna tartar 

I told the kids that they had to taste the pumpkin pudding they made, but if they didn't like it that was okay. One kid made the worst face when he took a bite. I asked him if he liked it and with a pained look, he nodded yes. He ate about half of his bowl, making a disgusted face each time he took a bite. I told him he didn't have to eat it if he didn't like it or if he got full. He ate the whole bowl. And looked miserable the whole time. 

A kid turned out a hallway light while we were walking into school. I told him those lights were only for grown ups to touch. A little girl added, "Yeah. Cuz you will get le-lec-to-cuted. And then die." 

A boy threw an entire handful of pumpkin guts across the classroom. I asked him if he thought that was a good idea and he said "I wanted to make it splat!"  Good thing it landed on tile- the splat was a good one- now clean up your big mess! 

The afternoon class got to watch the kindergarten, first, and second graders in a costume parade. One kid walked by in a wolf mask and about half my class started crying. The biggest kid, who is about 4 feet tall, wouldn't calm down until he was sitting in my lap and pointed out every single ninja turtle costume that walked by. 

After watching the bat movie, I asked the kids what they learned. Best answers: The movie said vampires aren't real, except I still think they are.  Bats can only see by making a beeping noise or they will crash into walls. I'm going to be Ariel for trick-or-treat.

Things Kids Said on a Thursday

"You know why I'm doing so good at this, Ms McElwee? Because I'm awesome!"



"Teacher! You have beautiful hair today!"  thanks, little guy. . . I barely had time to do it this morning :)



"My big brother HATES Frozen." (he's about 12) I asked her why and she told me,  "I make him watch it with me every day." What a nice brother




A little guy got to school and right away said, "I don't trust" What don't you trust? "I don't trust girls" A little girl jumped in and said "Even your mom? Your mom's a girl." And he said, "My mom's not a girl, she's my mom"




After I finished giving directions, I asked the kids to raise their hand if they could tell the class what the directions are. I called on a kid who said, "Actually, I don't know. I was singing Frozen in my head."




"Are you gonna tell my mom that I had a good day? Cuz if I have a good day I get to go bowling!"



"Ms. McElwee! I'm gonna invite you to my birthday. It's gonna be at McDonald's and it's gonna be a butterfly party." This kid's birthday isn't until August.



A parent came to pick up her kid and as the kid was leaving, I said bye and told him to have a good weekend. He said, "Bye! Love you! See you tomorrow!"