How was your day?

Oh how I could have so many interesting answers to this questions. My natural response is, "Well, I survived and I am still standing". Of course I think, my feet hurt, I haven't had time to eat, I barely sat at all, I have a million (well 13 as of now) new personalities to learn, I have so many things to tell these kids, but most importantly, I made sure my kids made it home the right way." Now, there's always that call from the front office that goes:

Office: Mrs. Baker?
me: yes?
Office: Is Sasha (changed) still with you?
me: long pause because I'm thinking, "Oh God please help me remember how that kid got home. Calm down and just think. In panic I scan the room (knowing good and well that all my kiddos made it home safely. So I finally reply, "No, mom picked her up" (finally remembering!!).

Then there's this:

Office: Mrs. Baker?
Me: Yes?
Office: Did Michael get on the bus?
Me: Long pause again. Seriously? I'm panicking again! Finally, I reply with a proud yes.

Now you have to know me. You have to know that my main priority on the first day is to make sure my kids make it home (and in one piece I might add). Then the rest follows. I check a million times through the day. Maybe it's a little OCD? I guess I could look into that????

Did I mention that one of the other teacher's kids came into my class during dismissal today? She just happened to be one of the kids that cried ALL day long. Well, see, I have this crate in my room. It looks like this...



Okay, so do you see the smallest hole? Well, this girl (the girl who cried all day), stuck her little finger in it. All I hear is a scream and "I'm stuck!!!!" Then crying. Oh my, my! What to do? Here all the parents are waiting outside and I'm stuck in here with a lovely little girl (and about 30 other kids) and her finger is in a tiny hole and it is turning PURPLE!!! So we get soap all over her finger. She scratched it either going in the hole or trying to get it out. So any time she would barely move it, she would scream. Finally, after what seemed like an hour, we got it out. Of course I laugh now, but I kept thinking I was going to need somebody to get some kind of tool to cut up this bubble crate. But the good thing is...she got her finger out and it is still attached to the rest of her hand!!

I just forgot how much I have to teach. I forgot that I have to show them how to do every little thing from lining up, sitting down, washing hands, putting things away (20 times) and all the while show them patience and a very loving teacher. I always have to stop and think in a couple of weeks, this will all be worth it. I know it will be. I have some super sweet kids and many seem extremely bright. I'm anxious to find out more about these kiddos. I just wish I had an extra set of feet!!!!