happy soul

Today I woke up. My hair was still purple. I washed it, it stayed that way. J. came over this evening at about 7 and he stuck around for a while. He asked me if I was happy with it. Somehow I'm thinking he's not delighted with the hair. He wasn't mean about it or anything, he smiled. But it's sooooo purple. What about Medium Chestnut Brown means purple to anyone?

The boys weren't fighting (much) and life seemed pretty good. L. came in and asked to play FishVille on Facebook, which was fine. Then I asked him to hand me the book my sister gave me when I move to Iowa, Simple Abundance, which I sometimes read like a horrorscope. And on the page for today was a quote from Mary Kay the lady who invented Mary Kay.

You can do anything you tell yourself you can do. 

I personally can clumsily paraphrase famous quotes 

with alarmingly large typeface.

So I decided to find and wash (so they're white) and match all the socks up today. I also wanted to sew. Those were the goals for today. .Is that enough? Sometimes I worry I'm not doing enough to justify my existence. I get all these messages from children's programing, about being a really useful engine, believing I can build it, yes I can, expanding my vocabulary, fighting crime with my huge vocabulary... plus I have anxiety because I'll never be as awesome a moonlighting lounge singer as Teacher Suzy. (It bugs me that they call her by her first name)

I tailored a shirt I bought last year at Target. It is one of these shiny silky numbers in sort of a nice shape, and way too big. I bought it anyway too big because it was cheap and I liked the print and I knew I could make it fit or use it for something else. It's an ugly print but I still think it's cool. I sewed the shirt down smaller. I took about an inch out of the side seams, rolled the hem up twice and sewed it all the way around so it reaches about mid-hip.... folded down the top button/buttonhole down and sewed around the neckline to make it wider, and in the process got an interesting gathery look at the front where some pleats were. The tulip sleeves bugged me. I narrowed the shoulders by making a seam in the top of the sleeve. Then I started playing with folding the fabric in front and making pin-tucks. I did that about five times, then I put another seam or three in the sleeve to de-puff the sleeve a little. Now I'm coffee-dying some tulle and I'm going to make it some flowers which may or may not make the cut. I've been wanting to make these flowers the stores have safety pinned to all the little tee shirts lately. I might put them on the shirt. Not sure. Yet.

Oh also I took a pair of size 4 Buzz Lightyear Underoos and sewed them smaller to fit L's frog. Poor Mr. Froggy. Today when the neighbor kids were lured in by Mr. C. on the hunt for more ammo, assorted army hats and submachinestyrofoamshooters, L. totally disowned Mr. Froggy.

"Don't touch my bed. That's not my frog! I'm just watching him for a friend!" said L. very loudly when he percieved one of the kids was eyeing his baby frog. I think this was brought on by the anxiety of having to sit on a pile of covers and pillows he had pulled down on top of a pile of night-time pullups that nobody can know about, which he often will reveal to adults when he feels comfortablel. I peeked in to see what was going on and he mouthed "DON'T TELL THEM."

L. has gathered up every bit of frog quality clothing, all the possible ensembles have been arranged, folded, stacked. There are two purple Halloween candy buckets at the end of his bed, one is labeled washer one is labeled dryer. He puts all the animal clothes in these things and says he is doing the laundry for his child.

Uh uh, not my frog.

Oh, and Aint Bee I found your carrot. 

I still need to write my thesis statement. And an outline and bibliography. For Tuesday at noon. The bibliography is there. I have enough sources.


I either want to write

Classroom management works better when teachers get to know their students.
or
Establishing rapport with students is important to building a positive classroom climate.

?

Clearly I've got rapport with my "students." I found this graffiti scrawled on the side of the little boys' dresser when I was on the search and destroy sock matching mission. Good thing it says they love me and I'm nise. If it said Mom I hatea yuh guts I'd probably be mad.