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| Where is my line?! |
As nominated 'big kid' I got to go and fetch the ball when the goal-keeping team (3 less mobile kids, shall we say) hoofed the football out of the playground. I was very impressed the posse did not chase after it or me, but understood RULE 1 = "Do not chase a ball into the street!"
I spent today with the blue class, again a mix of older & younger children who again did a rotating classroom thing & completely confused me - who is my group? Important that, isn't it? Which kid do I need to follow/copy to get things right & not get lost & laughed at?
The sports day practice a case in point. We kept marching places in lines, beeping whistles punctuating mysterious moves & changes of direction. Imaginary lines as well as some chalk ones in the yard. I used to be in the cadets but this was way harder (knees up & micro steps!).Who do I follow?! Arranged by height - I can handle that but I just lost the kid who seemed to know which way to go - now I've got an unidentified dribbly girl holding my hand like she'll never let go!
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| Granny & Grandpa portraits |
Do I need to practice rolling in the gravel, sensei? I've got a hospital appointment at 4 then classes til 10...don't look at me like that! Oh dear, kid standing by puddle felt obliged to lie down & roll in it - pretty funny & reminds me of a Club Med incident in Noumea...now that was a cool job, drifts off for a moment.
Lunch and selected to be a 'Toban". Don't know what the words are when we have to chant whatever - smile :) Deliver food to hungry mites and get quite a lot of thank you's. Could do this quicker guys? Sweet chicken curry - not my fave but I'm famished. Cucumber in vinegar? Bring it on. At least I did not have to do the pillion position for 45 minutes, waiting, open-mouthed...
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| Paint it Black |
Grandparents: couldn't really contribute to this well-run teacher-led chat (as mine are not going to be visiting next month for open day). My roomies offered up ideas for presents they could give gran & gramps for coming, negotiating towards making portraits of them after discarding some rather cute ideas along the way. Crayons ready: go! I mingled & monitored, this activity had my mates very engaged (mostly), and all schools of art represented. Ohh! Watercolours too? Again, remarkable lack of carnage or catastrophe - as well some hefty self-restraint I think on behalf of les artistes!
Again, this activity was brief & results collected by teacher for work later...drying on the piano. "Can you sing us a song?" No. But, I found a cable to plug my iPod into your CD player - wanna try?
Super Simple Songs' "Walking Walking" got its first outing...killer success, starting quietly and demands for a replay :) Ask nicely, perhaps? Never done this with 36 kids before...No problems - we've got that school show in Feb covered already!
So I could make my way come gravel-free. Ah, but I got sunburnt instead? Ow, my neck!
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| Storytime - I want to try! |
Still windy & getting more & more wintry; my bronchitis now developing nicely into a proper rasping upper chest infection. The football crowd mostly hiding indoors in the warm, and 'Steve' soon joined them as I unfortunately pinged him in the head with a lovely left-foot stunner of a shot that swerved just into where he thought he might be safe. Nearly took his eyebrows off, poor lad. For a moment I was Peter Lorimer - next, a nasty competitive old hack footballer!
