sol17 #13: we almost kissed!

On Friday at recess, a second grade student came running up to me...

"Mrs. Jantz! Mrs. Jantz! J pushed me and E so close together that we almost kissed! We were like an inch away from each other!"

I just stood there. Not knowing whether to laugh or ask him another question about the situation. So I did both. I let out a little giggle (because it was just so cute the way he told me), then asked him if they really did kiss. Ha! They didn't. Thank goodness, because I don't even know how I would respond if they really did. Seriously, kids are hilarious and I love that there is never a dull moment at school!

sol17 #12: before the sun comes up

Call me weird, but I enjoy waking up early on the weekends. The house is peaceful, I'm usually pretty productive, and I like watching the natural light pour through the windows as the sun rises.

It's currently 7:18, the sun is just coming up, I'm on my second cup of coffee (yum!), laundry has been started, dishwasher done, and I'm about to knock out an hour or two of work so I can enjoy the rest of the day with my family. Perfect start to my day :)

Beautiful sunrise this morning from the kitchen window.
Happy Sunday!

sol17 #11: It has memories!

E - "Mrs. Jantz, I just finished the last page in my notebook!" 

Me- "Wow, E! You've done so much writing, you should be proud!"

E - "What should I do with it?"

Me - "Take it home and show your wonderful writing to your family."

S - "Or you could just throw it away." 

E - "I'm not going to throw it away! It has memories!"

Right on, kid. Or should I say, write on, kid. I love that his little 7-year old self knows that there are great memories in that notebook that he can cherish. And hopefully, he taught his friend a small lesson about not throwing away all his hard work. :)

sol17 #10: thawing out

Normally, I like going out for recess duty. It's a chance to get some fresh air and chat with kiddos I don't normally see. Well, today was a different story. The wind chill temp was 20 degrees at noon, and that's just plain cold. Chicago has been pretty mild this winter, so I'm not as used to this frigidness as I would be in years past.

As soon as I stepped outside, the burst of cold air immediately made my eyes water, the wind was going through my down jacket, and I could feel the ice cold cement through the 1-inch rubber sole on my gym shoe. All I kept thinking was, "Stay in the sun, stay in the sun."

I've been inside for 15 minutes now and I'm still thawing out...

had to make the best of it and take a selfie with these happy boys!

sol17 #9: work can wait

I've been feeling super overwhelmed this week with a million things I need to complete before my summative evaluation meeting in a few days. I got home from work yesterday afternoon and charged up my laptop with the intension of working for an hour or so after dinner.  We ate early and got everything cleaned up by 5:30, so I was actually feeling pretty motivated to get some paperwork done!

However, James was being super adorable in his walker - going back and forth from the kitchen to the family room, crashing into furniture, backing up, and figuring out how to get himself out of his "traffic jam."  He was smiling, giggling, and feeling super proud of his newfound driving skills.

After playing with him for awhile, I picked him up out of his walker and laid him down on his blanket. I took a peek over at my charged up laptop and decided instead that I would lay down next to my baby. So, instead of working, I played and snuggled up with my boy. Knowing that I won't get these moments back with my son, my work can wait. :)

sol17 #8: and the reading ribbon goes to...

At the end of each reading group, I write a positive statement on a strip of construction paper and award it to a student. This statement comes from an observation I made during our 30 minute session, so it is specific to that student. I read aloud the statement, we all clap, and the strip of paper is stapled into a bracelet that the student can wear on his/her wrist. Pretty simple, and we (not so) cleverly named it the reading ribbon :)

After a few weeks of handing out the reading ribbons, one of my little second graders asked if I had a blank one. While I was writing one out to a student, she was thoughtfully writing one out to me! It was adorable and totally made my day.

sol17 #7: best friends?

For the last few weeks, James has been SUPER interested in our dog, Willy. James reaches out to "pet" him, squeals when he walks by, and tries to chase after him in his walker. Willy, on the other hand, wants very little to do with James. He will give him the occasional kiss, but other than that, Willy pretty much leaves James alone. 

Until tonight, we got the bumbo seat out for dinner, strapped James in, and started feeding him his butternut squash. James LOVES his food. And Willy, well, he loves food too. So a friendship was formed tonight. Over a shared love of butternut squash. 

I know this is just the beginning of many meals they will be sharing. :)