Thank goodness October is now just a hazy memory of H1N1, fevers, pneumonia, pleurisy, ER and doctor visits, chest x-rays and heavy duty antibiotics. 

Remember that full-on sneeze I was a recipient of?  It brought H1N1 into my house.  The H1N1 gave my otherwise very healthy 11 year old daughter a nasty case of pneumonia.

Obviously I have not had much time to spend blogging.

October is best forgotten anyway, I think.

How has November begun?

One word:  CHAOS

Halloween, time change, full moon and preschool are not a good mix.

I have conferences starting next week.

I have 40 “report cards” to fill out this weekend.

I may have to brush up on my teacher code if the chaos in what was once a rather orderly classroom does not subside.

Help…

Mrs. V

… Who sneeze into their elbows.  Their teachers will love them forever.

I have definitive evidence as to why sneezes need to be covered.

Last week Wednesday I was the recipient of a full blown uncovered sneeze by a child with an obvious cold.  Gross, ewwww, blech… **shudder**

This child also sneezed on about half of the children in the classroom periodically during our class time together. 

Student: “Sneezy sneezed on me!”

Teacher: “I know, I’m sorry.”  What else could I say?

No matter how many times I asked “Sneezy” to sneeze into his/her elbow, the sneezes continued to blow through our classroom.  This child would look right at me after the sneezes and just shrug.   Of course, these weren’t little sneezes; these were full force, spit flying, snot-bearing sneezes, and not a single one was covered.  Sneezy just did not seem to get it.

Guess who now has a cold?

Me. 

Several of Sneezy’s classmates have the cold now too.

Lovely.

Please cover your sneeze.  Please.

**sniffle**

Mrs. V

P. S.  My sister is having a contest!  Stop on over and check it out.

That lately I’m more like a 4 or 5 year old than a 40 year old.

Why is that you ask?

I turn 40 next week, on October 7th.

I’m not at all depressed about it. 

In fact, I’m throwing myself a party tomorrow. 

A huge party.

And I’m so excited I haven’t really slept in days.

I’m so hyper I’m making everyone nutty.

I have a party dress. 

I will decorate with pink streamers, pink tablecloths and obscene amounts of balloons.

I’ve picked out my party music on my iPod.

My family and friends will be bringing me presents.

Have I told you how excited I am about this bash?

I’ve been jumping around asking everyone if they know what tomorrow is.

Yes, I’m obnoxious.

I’m 4 x’s 10.  Not 40.

Working with preschoolers has it’s benefits.

A youthful love of big birthdays is one of them.

Happy Birthday to me!

Mrs. V

…that preschoolers thought of this game first?

When we have our large motor play equipment out in our big room, such as our climber, balance beam or  bouncy bridge, the floor beneath the equipment becomes lava. 

Every year I watch preschoolers play this game, and  every year I am quite amused by their imagination. 

Where do they learn these things?  Did someone teach them this game?  Did they hear it and see it on a playground?  Did they figure it out for themselves?  The questions remain unanswered.

It just takes one child to mention it, and several will follow that child’s lead.

The lava is already flowing in our classroom. 

I better watch my feet.

Mrs. V

It’s a new school year, and I’m trying to get to know all the new faces and personalities.  Some students are more verbal than others, and provide more insight to who they really are.

I have an example for you.

I was reprimanding a child who wasn’t following the end of day safety rules, and this child’s response was “Stop talking to me!  I’m visual.”   This was said as a little hand came up to my face in the “talk to the hand” position.  What?!?  Did I hear this right?  Did this child just tell me “I’m visual”?

I think someone is paying very close attention to parental conversations.

My response?   ”I’ll stop talking when you follow the rules.”

Mrs. V

Maybe I need to start carrying a stop sign in my back pocket for the visual people in my life.