first grade love

an update on "simon" and "anna":

anna has proclaimed she has moved on to another six-year old man. simon is crushed and feels completely blindsided by her sudden "falling out of love with him". Here's a bit of the conversation they had with me this morning:

anna: i'm just not in love with simon anymore. i'm in love with tyler. i think i've been in love with tyler for a very long time!

simon: *insert deep sigh of despair* oh gosh. hannah felled in love with me, but now she says she loves tyler. i'm feeling so crazy now.

me: what do you mean? do you feel sad?

simon: well, not really.

me: what do you mean when you say you feel crazy?

simon: my mind is just spinning. first she says she loves me, then she says she does not. it's so confusing!

poor simon, this is just a taste of some of the puppy love heartache he may feel as he grows. perhaps he should write anna a letter disapproving of her love for tyler. apparently it worked for tyler!

thankful

so today in class we learned more about the thanksgiving holiday and i encouraged my kiddos to reflect on what they are thankful for. of course, their answers were very dear and charming. here is a little sampling of what six and seven-year olds deem worthy of thanksgiving:

I'm thankful for...

"living!"

"Hannah Montana, Justin Bieber....and donuts"

"peppero sticks and planet earth"

"chocolate!"

"my mom"

"my family and the whole earth"

"my baby sister" (note: this baby sister is actually a twin sister that is a whopping 2 minutes younger than her older twin brother)

"everything in the whole world and everything in it!" (imagine a little boy saying this while jumping up and down ecstatically--from "simon" my most enthusiastic lover of life)

"makeup, donuts and Hannah Montana"

"my mom, dad and teachers, life, and the earth"

so, i hope this little list helps pump a little gratitude into your heart as you reflect on the good things in life, from the big, beautiful planet to the smallest donut hole.

more funny first graders

a journal entry one of my little girls "anna" wrote:

"today my writing partner is Simon and I am so happy becoz I am in love with him!"

a note i found in my classroom from a jealous little boy to anna:

"dear anna,

i no that you are in love with simon but i think it is time for you to stop.

love,

tyler"

a couple funny quotes:

"mrs. watt, i know a lot about girls even though i'm a tomboy."

"mrs. watt, i think you are going to have lots of kids. maybe 2 hannah montanas and 2 justin biebers." (my reaction: "well, i kind of hope not...")

a little girl who notices some hair on a boy's face in the "unibrow" area of his forehead:

"hey, you have hair right there!"

unibrow boy: "yeah. that's where MEN have hair."

funny how you learn things from trees

so fall is here. man, is it here. the trees are just bursting with color and the falling leaves dance along the streets and sidewalks. it's like a dream. the gingko trees are what have really taken me this season. have you seen a gingko tree in autumn? if you haven't, well, then...you're really missing out. i can't explain to you how gorgeous they are. the beautiful fan shaped leaves turn from a bright crisp green to a bright, fearless, golden yellow. i was driving home today after work with gingkos lining the streets and i felt as if i were approaching Glory. their delicate leaves blow in circles and kiss the ground, like small dancing butterflies searching a place to rest their delicate wings.

I believe that the beauty of these trees is a gift from God. who else could create such a striking spectacle, as these heavenly trees?

now, to backtrack a little: yesterday was one of those rough days. i had a not-so-pleasant human encounter that left me feeling discouraged, angry and hurt. i got in my car determined to go home, vent and soak in a tub of suds to mend my damaged ego. my plan was derailed. i got in my car to drive home and there they were... those beautiful trees. glistening in the autumn daylight, embracing me with all of their glory. my healing began. it was as if i felt the mercy of God pull me out of my darkened state and place a crown upon my head. i knew this sight, this glimpse of God's love for me was a gift and I felt the heaviness of my heart lighten.

now, don't get me wrong. there was still my fair share of venting and frustration later that evening. i mean, i am human after all. : ) but when i got in my car again this afternoon to come home, i saw the trees again. again, a beautiful reminder of God's love for me and oh how completely delightful it will be to see Him in glory!

first grade shenanigans...

it is fire safety and prevention week at our school. the kiddos have had visits from the local fire department, were able to walk through their trucks and even go through a simulation smoke room to practice crawling. today i taught a lesson on how to safely escape a fire from your home. my kiddos talked about how they could escape from their home if a fire ever started. i asked them to draw fire escape plans to detail their escape. as i walked around the room, it quickly dawned on me this activity may have been a little much for their whimsical imaginations. here are some of the explanations i heard when i asked students to explain their emergency escape (mind you, in all seriousness):

kiddo: "here is where i plan to dig a hole in the ground. then i will crawl through the hole to dodge the fire." (his picture showed about a 5 ft deep hole in the ground that extended about 10 ft from the house). me: will you have time to dig this hole in order to escape? kiddo: "yeah. that's why i'm digging the hole. to get away from the fire!"

me: how are you planning to get out of your home? student pointing: "right here. i drew a magical door." (floating door in the middle of his living room)

another kid responding to my same question: "i have an imaginary pathway."

geez i love them.

and a funny story to close with: one of my students ate a packet of ketchup for snack. true story.

happy chuseok and start of school

happy chuseok! and school has started and i must say the beginning of the school year has been glorious. i'm already in total love with my kiddos. they keep me smiling and laughing. i'm sure there will be many funny stories to come!

we miss you all and hope to chat soon!

fall is in the air

i love fall. it's my favorite season and it has officially arrived in korea. we have finally found some relief from these sweltering summer days. i'm not sure why fall makes me so happy...maybe because i find it a homey and romantic season. pumpkin patches, apple pie, hoodies, cuddling up in a blanket at home, rosy cheeks from the brisk air, football games, thanksgiving, pot roast, ahhh...the list goes on and on.

the shift in seasons also reminds me of how things are always changing and evolving around us. it's a comfort to see the trees follow their natural cycles of being green, turning to orange, and becoming bare, only to start all over again. it's a time of refreshment to build us up, relieve us from the summer sun, but to encourage us as we enter the winter season. i'm very thankful for it.

the fall air is phenomenal. i drive with the windows down and soak in the glorious smells of leaves and mountain breezes. each breath revives me and lifts my spirit. i hope our fall season lasts a long time! : )