This entry is for my cousin M who keeps encouraging to blog more.  So here's to you M.  I have a couple of stories from teaching and a great weekend story to tell from Saturday.

First story:  This is a funny thing I saw while teaching music to the Catholic Kids.  I teach at that school in the Gym.  Nice sound system and big floor so kids can get up and moving around without running into each other and getting hurt.  The lower grades do alot of partner stuff to learn to work as a team and to get used to the idea of being partnered with someone from the opposite gender.  This one 2nd grader, A, (reminder I don't use names) was partnered up with a gal and they did the song fine. The song had hand claps and knee pats etc. I told them to quietly come back to their seats and sit down and this kid CRAB WALKS perfectly back to his seat and sits crisscrossed like it was something perfectly ordinary to do.  His belly was right side up and he was crab walking on his hands and feet like he belonged on the beach someplace.  He scurried just like a crab too. It was the funniest thing.  I couldn't stop laughing.  I wish I had his abs.

Second Story:  I work with the Afterschool program at the public school.  Its extra pay and one really gets to know the kids.  One student and I, C, have an ongoing rapport with each other.  He gets a bit out of control and I ask him "C do you need to come hold my hand until you can control yourself"  This is a fifth grader mind you...a Kindergartner would have come and wanted to hold my hand, C usually shrieks and yells "NO" and he gets the idea to calm down and focus.  One of his classmates "D" who like like to call Big D cause he is so tall heard me asked C if he wanted to hold my hand.  Big D goes on to say:

"Miss Buller you should go on match.com"

"Why?" I ask

"Because you must be desperate if you are asking a 5th grader to hold your hand"

I couldn't stop laughing.  I had to walk away to laugh.

Saturday (31st) Story:  I got to see "Wicked"  It was mom's idea back in August.  She paid for the tickets and lunch and ice cream afterward.  The entire musical with FABULOUS!!  It was better than going to the movies!  More expensive but just way better.  The music was great, costumes, lights, effects.  Just wow.  The bad thing about stage performances is that once the song is done, you can't rewind to see it again.   Oh how I wish the could have.  It was amazing.  I have never seen "The Wizard of Oz" but I know the general idea of the movie (duh how can I not, I'm from Kansas) so seen the witches' perspective was really neat.  What a great way to spend an afternoon.  Musical and Mom.

Hope you enjoyed the post M!  Hugs to you and A!

So, I have a small following of people who ask for pictures of my crochet projects.  I have been working on two different projects.  I cannot post pictures of one of them on my blog as the future recipient of the Blanket reads this blog.

However, I became bored with my normal crochet stitches and wanted to learn a new pattern.  So, I choose to try to figure out Granny Squares.  Now if you don't know, Granny Squares look like this:

They are pretty cool to crochet and are not that hard.  I made the ones in the picture.

So what is my "Sign of the Times"

I didn't learn how to make Granny Squares from my Mom, Grandma, Aunt, or other woman family member. The process of crocheting is usually a Pass to the Next Female Generation Skill. None of my women family members taught me how to crochet.  I learned to make some of the basic stitches in college while sitting around drinking cocktails with a bunch of TBSigma Sisters

I learned how to make Granny Squares....on YouTube.

So I started producing Granny Squares in droves and eventually got bored.  So I was interested in attaching together all the Granny Squares.  Once again, I didn't ask my Mom, Grandma or Aunt to show me.  I went to YouTube.  Here's what I have done so far:  I hope those who read this like the colors!

It's not perfect as it is my first try, but I think I'm getting the hang of Granny Squares. YouTube is a valuable tool for learning new things. I do wonder if there isn't something lost in learning to make Granny Squares (or any other Generational Skill) on the internet versus sitting near my Mom or Grandma(s) or Aunt(s) on the couch or kitchen table with macaroon cookies on a plate and a glass of iced tea nearby. 

A Sign of the Times.

So today and yesterday have been an interesting couple days.  The students are going crazy and their behavior has been mostly good, somewhat squirrley, and some "suspendable" behavior too.  Anyway today one of my 4th graders told me a joke/brain teaser.

Wanna Hear it?

You're gonna anyway...because it is my blog...so there...

Student: "A Cowboy rode into a town on Friday. Three days later he rode out of the town also on Friday.  How did he do this?"

Me--after contemplating the answer for about 30 seconds: "I don't know, how did he do it?"

Student: "His horse's name is Friday"

Pretty good huh?

Here's another funny teaching moment!

Today my 4th Grade were coloring in their Instrument Families Book and for some reason one class got on the subject of pets!  The kids were telling me about their dogs, cats, hamsters, pet calves shown for 4-H at the county fair,  (remember, Ike Town is rather ag orientated), and other animals.

The class was cleaning up to leave and the kids were trying to get in the final pet comments before exiting the Music Room when one student came up to me and said:

"Guess what Miss. Buller, my dog only has one nut."

My immediate reaction is:

"Ew, that's gross, go back to class"  (remember they were leaving anyway)

The rest of the class was laughing at my reaction and he was rather bewildered at my reaction and why other students were "ew-ing" too.  Matter of Fact for him, gross for everyone else.

I will say it again:  Kids are FUNNY!!!

Ok, since I have moved to Ike Town, I have been sort of keeping a list of weird, odd, and wild animals that I have seen in the city limits.  Small towns have their quarks, but some of these seemed far fetched.

Here is the list!

Skunk crossing K15 in the fall.  Please refer to an earlier blog entry regarding my astonishment.

Bat in the Schools.  Once again, and earlier blog entry will explain.

A Racoon waddling on the side of the road.

Bunnies in my back yard.  My headlights seem to spook them and *hop* *hop* *hop* they run away just to come back and poop in my back yard.

Finally, this weekend I was watching a DVD on my computer and I look out the window to the north and the tourist train was running again in preparation of the Easter Weekend Tourist Train thingy.  I was watching the train move from east to west and lo and behold two Wild Turkeys run through my back yard.  I went out to look at them closer and *POOF* I couldn't find them

I hope I didn't imagine them.