Really, I am.

I'm surviving. Really.

Yesterday was the first day of Kindergarten. Today was the second. I didn't realize that they wouldn't know how to stand (or walk) in a line together. I did a lot of mental adjusting yesterday. Today was better.

I promised that I'd share student stories as they came. Here's one of my first:

After recess, we came inside and I had all 25 kiddos huddled around me in my rocking chair on the carpet. Little Enas- a short, compact person from Iraq who speaks very little English, and whose first and last names I'd love to tell you because that's what I shout when he pretends he doesn't understand -or hear- my instructions....he came up to me in the middle of a "Little Quack" book with a panged look in his eyes, "teacher?"
"Yes, Enas?"
"My feet...."
"Your feet?"
"Yes....my feet"
"What's wrong with your feet?"
"They're broken"
"Your feet are broken?"
"Yes. My feet are broken."

It occurred to me that we had been out for recess in the gravel and many of the other students had been emptying their shoes out in the trash. Poor little Enas' feet hurt from the rocks in his shoes, and the best way he knew how to tell me was to say that his feet were broken. It was so sweet.

I also had a little boy come up and wrap his arms around my knees after open house on monday and say, "I'm so glad you're my teacher, Miss Ice Cream." I guess it's close enough to Eigsti... :)

They may not know how to line up, and they may be really naughty right now as they learn to follow school rules....but I think I'm falling in love with 25 small people..... :)