tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20867730731455662612024-02-22T10:32:47.436-08:00An adult's observations in a child's world - my view from the playground“You can observe a lot just by watching.” - Yogi BerraLindahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02759433544294852212noreply@blogger.comBlogger144125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2086773073145566261.post-9453499370743083652015-01-30T15:50:00.001-08:002015-01-30T15:50:23.270-08:00Super super bowl<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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The Super Bowl is in two days. Today is "blue Friday" and almost everyone, everywhere is dressed in their Seahawks blue and green. This afternoon, out on the playground, two boys got into a heated argument during a soccer game and I needed to get involved to mediate. As they each began to shout their version of events, one stopped for a minute, looked at me and then smiled. "Ha! I like your necklace". Talk quickly turned to the big game and recess was saved. #sb49totherescue.</div>
Lindahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02759433544294852212noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2086773073145566261.post-19181749785527415132014-12-08T16:10:00.001-08:002014-12-08T16:10:44.502-08:00Thinking waayyy back<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">I was talking to a little girl about winter activities, and asked her if she had ever been ice skating. She told me she had - "when she was little".</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">She's 5.</span>Lindahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02759433544294852212noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2086773073145566261.post-84336006207359558412014-11-14T18:11:00.002-08:002014-11-14T18:11:55.338-08:00Can I play?<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Advice to a first grader today - after complaints from his friends:</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">"Aw Buddy, if you want to play, it's always better to ask your friends if you can play rather than just tackle them".</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Life lesson #103</span>Lindahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02759433544294852212noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2086773073145566261.post-40521070198920742982014-11-05T13:33:00.001-08:002014-11-05T13:33:58.372-08:00Awesome<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Wisdom from a third grader:</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">"If everything was awesome, nothing would be awesome."</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Definitely need to remember this during my less than awesome moments.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>Lindahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02759433544294852212noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2086773073145566261.post-42855269496820842012014-10-03T15:03:00.000-07:002014-10-03T15:03:10.910-07:00Now you see me?<span style="font-size: large;">Things reported seen at recess today:</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">1. N pushing people</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">2. snails</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">3. spiders</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">4. worms in the sand box</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">5. an invisible boy. Named Sawyer.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">I guess as long as Sawyer isn't pushing people, I can keep my eye on that pushing issue.</span>Lindahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02759433544294852212noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2086773073145566261.post-52159832573863217822014-06-09T14:55:00.000-07:002014-06-09T14:55:12.989-07:00Awkward silence<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">I was having a conversation with a 6th grade boy about "awkward silences". I'm not sure how we got on that subject (but imagine that could be a blog post for another day). Since he is one who likes to talk, I asked if he ever experiences awkward silence. He didn't have to think about it too long before he said "well- we did start sex ed in health last week..."</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Luckily there's a lot to learn in silence.</span>Lindahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02759433544294852212noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2086773073145566261.post-48981534328766215452014-06-05T14:27:00.000-07:002014-06-05T14:28:36.574-07:00Aha moment <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">"Mrs. Y - I figured out why our school colors are blue and green!"</span>Lindahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02759433544294852212noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2086773073145566261.post-21931471026809511872014-05-28T08:21:00.003-07:002014-05-28T08:21:50.368-07:00It's a beautiful morning...<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Have you ever had moments that you'd like to bottle up - to be able to take them out and experience them again at a later time? I had one yesterday morning when the first student I encountered, a grinning second grade boy, greeted me like this: "Mornin' Mrs. Y. It's gonna be a BEAUTIFUL day!". Now I don't know if he was talking about the weather (it was chilly and overcast) or just his prediction of how his day was going to go, but in either case my own day got off to a BEAUTIFUL start. Love those kids!</span>Lindahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02759433544294852212noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2086773073145566261.post-25537698379237432492014-05-21T15:01:00.001-07:002014-05-21T15:01:15.746-07:00Your royal highness?<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">A second grade girl asked her friend to go do something for her, and this was the response:</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">"I know you were treated like a princess at your birthday party, but guess what? You're not really a princess".</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Touché.</span>Lindahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02759433544294852212noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2086773073145566261.post-2534612110613558452014-05-19T17:06:00.000-07:002014-05-19T17:06:06.249-07:00Good morning!<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">I love that kids often come up to report in to me on Monday mornings. They usually start with "look!" Or "guess what?!" and there are definitely some common themes:</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">*Lost teeth</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">*Sleep overs or play dates - some successful, some not</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">*Scraped knees and other new assorted cuts and bruises</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">*New shoes - often accompanied by a demonstration of how fast they can now run</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">*Hair cuts </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">*Annoying siblings</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">*Books being read (especially love this one) :)</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Great way to start the week.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">And I was so hoping it was "fudge" or "fight" or ....</span>Lindahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02759433544294852212noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2086773073145566261.post-73436216483731831742014-05-01T20:22:00.000-07:002014-05-01T20:22:09.607-07:00No ifs ands or buts<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">I was helping two first grade boys with a writing assignment today. We would have been finished a lot sooner if one of them didn't have to write the word "but" - massive amounts of giggles ensued. </span><div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">To his credit, he did ask if he could spell it with two ts. I said no.</span></div>
Lindahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02759433544294852212noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2086773073145566261.post-16046851718326008212014-04-30T17:26:00.002-07:002014-04-30T17:26:50.374-07:00Best not to read between the lines<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">My hair has gotten long enough that I wore it to school in a pony tail for the first time. A group of third grade girls approached me at recess and one of them said "you don't look like you!" while a second girl went in for the kill - "you look really pretty".</span><div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"> I could only laugh, and totally appreciate the sweet intention.</span></div>
Lindahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02759433544294852212noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2086773073145566261.post-3791452234867657142014-04-24T20:01:00.004-07:002014-04-24T20:01:44.875-07:00Really?<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Try to follow this and you get a tiny sense of my life at school</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Told to me in tears:</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">"My friend got mad at me. I was pretending something was real and she said that's not real so I told her it was to real, even though it wasn't - but I was pretending it was, so I had to say that."</span>Lindahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02759433544294852212noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2086773073145566261.post-59855767258226854132014-04-09T13:37:00.001-07:002014-04-09T13:37:49.091-07:00Deep breath in and.....<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">After being gone for 3 days, a first grade friend greeted me this morning and literally said in one breath: </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Hi Mrs. Y - I'm back they buried my grandma in a coffin because she stopped breathing and my mom said I can wear sandals now because it's warmer is it going to rain today and I found a rock shaped like a heart I didn't buy it I found it and I'm havining a sleep over this weekend and am going to wear the nightgown I got for Christmas and I can't wait for summer beacause S. and I are going to have a play date every week when does the bell ring?</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">I don't know about her, but at 8:45 I felt like I had put in 1/2 a day already.</span>Lindahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02759433544294852212noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2086773073145566261.post-69393527553686439642014-04-08T21:28:00.001-07:002014-04-08T21:30:59.924-07:00Fly like an eagleIt's not unusual for an eagle to fly over the playground, but it's not something the kids take for granted either. Today, instead of the usual " Mrs. Y - look!!", I had a boy come up to me and say very seriously "you know, when an eagle circles, a man has died". I'm not sure what look this prompted from me (though I was thinking "huh?") because he quickly reassured me as he looked out onto the play field, "don't worry. I said man. Not child".<br />
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Times like this I do wish recess was longer, since the bell rang and he was gone. Yep - leaving me just a little unsettled.Lindahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02759433544294852212noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2086773073145566261.post-81823147017646397542014-04-01T13:38:00.001-07:002014-04-01T13:38:37.564-07:00They say breakfast is the most important meal <span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">A kindergartner, who is often rambunctious, was being particularly rambunctious this morning before school. When I talked to him about it, he explained this is what happens when he's hungry. Later, the school custodian, who had witnessed the morning's events, was remarking to me about them. I shared with him the student's "hungry" explanation - to which the custodian quickly said "poor kid is always hungry".</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">If only it was that easy.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>Lindahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02759433544294852212noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2086773073145566261.post-59423607082403112622014-03-19T19:35:00.000-07:002014-03-19T19:35:05.320-07:00Bangs, bangs<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">A third grade girl came in looking very cute, but not very happy, with new bangs. I told her I loved them and asked what inspired her to cut her hair. Her answer explained the <i>not very happy</i> part: "an unfortunate comb incident".</span><div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">I so wanted to tell her that some day she would look back on this and laugh. I so hated when people said that to me.</span><div>
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Lindahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02759433544294852212noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2086773073145566261.post-39566724776194001352014-03-14T15:45:00.000-07:002014-03-14T15:45:02.588-07:00In focus?<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Talking with a first grade girl at recess:</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">A - </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">"I take a pill now to help me focus"</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Me- "How's that workin......"</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">A - "Look! I'm wearing galoshes (love that word BTW) so I can step in puddles!"</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">I'll give it a little more time before I ask again.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>Lindahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02759433544294852212noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2086773073145566261.post-42131445817089311632014-03-10T17:08:00.002-07:002014-03-10T17:08:58.837-07:00Ask a silly question...<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">"Mrs. Y, look! I filled my pockets with rocks!"</span><div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">"Why?" (Reasonable question, right?)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">"Because I wanted to." (Reasonable answer)</span></div>
Lindahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02759433544294852212noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2086773073145566261.post-17331817365964029472014-03-07T18:45:00.000-08:002014-03-07T18:45:20.055-08:00Flippin' the bird<span style="font-size: large;">Today I overheard two first grade girls discussing "the finger". One was telling the other "remember, you can NEVER, EVER point that finger at someone. It's bad and very rude. Remember NEVER point it. At ANYONE!" The first girl, who was soaking it all in, flipped her middle finger straight up and said "OK - I'll just point it at the sky".</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">#stillalottolearn</span>Lindahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02759433544294852212noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2086773073145566261.post-17554659354778873642014-03-04T16:13:00.000-08:002014-03-04T16:13:47.791-08:00What's in a name?<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">A kindergarten boy (we'll call Bobby) came up crying, very upset that his friend had called him a name. As I went through the usual suspects in my mind (stupid, something to do with poop, something that ends in "head", ) you can imagine my surprise when I found out he hadn't been called any of those. He had been called ... "Steve".</span><div>
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Lindahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02759433544294852212noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2086773073145566261.post-39699801054618372022014-02-24T23:02:00.001-08:002014-02-24T23:02:42.897-08:00Oh my - I really don't need to know that...<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Sitting with a group of first graders, this was the conversation:</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">A. "When I get married,I am NOT kissing my husband on the mouth. That's gross."</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">B. "I saw my parents do that in the shower."</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">C. "My dad doesn't wear anything when he sleeps."</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">D. "Mine either!"</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">E. "I have an X Box and a Wii U."</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">A, B, C, D all chime in about their gaming systems and E emerges as my hero of the day.</span>Lindahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02759433544294852212noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2086773073145566261.post-91042842317713423262014-02-14T15:32:00.002-08:002014-02-14T15:32:44.249-08:00He said, he saidToday at recess, I saw one 2nd grade boy pin another to the ground. As I walked over, they jumped up and both started talking at once - "we were just playing" and "he tried to kill me" was what I made out. <br />
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My conclusion: the truth lied somewhere in the middle.Lindahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02759433544294852212noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2086773073145566261.post-13483963649929751552014-02-05T15:16:00.002-08:002014-02-05T15:16:22.074-08:00Seattle Seahawks - Super Bowl Champs!<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">It's only 3 days after the Super Bowl and the day of the victory parade, so I can't say I blame him, but I had to laugh when I reminded a first grader to slow down while he practiced his handwriting and his response was "I can't! I'm in Beast Mode!"</span>Lindahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02759433544294852212noreply@blogger.com0