It's only Tuesday, and already what a week!
So, Mon morning rolled around and I was just about ready to leave the apt when I almost forgot to grab Fritz. I opened his Sterilite/condo, and it was really unbelievably too bloody damn cute: he was ready, alert & awake -- waiting for me. His little head was popped up out of the aspen and he was looking around, as if waiting for me to get him! I put my hand in by him and he came right out to me...I just about melted, I was so charmed!
So, I popped him and some aspen into the container and usually, he just buries right down into it...this time, no way! He stayed up on top of the aspen through the walk out of my bldg, outside to my car, during the drive and into the school! He didn't burrow down into it until once inside my classroom for 20 mins! It was as if he'd been waiting for me and now that he was at school, he was able to get over his excitement and calm down, down enough to sleep...
Thus, in the midst of my morning musings (while walking to my car...), I imagined that Fritz just've told Maizie (my amel corn, about 4 months old, maybe female?, and really -- just as sweet and gentle as can be!), "Sssssssss...guess what?!"
Maizie: "Sss, what?"
Fritz: "My house is bigger than YOURssssss!"
Maizie: "No, it'ssssssss not! I can ssssee your condo, and it'ssssss smaller than mine!"
Fritz: "Not this condo, dummy! My house at SSSSSSSchool!"
Maizie: "Who're you callin' dummy?! And school? What do you know about school?"
Fritz: "I go to school now! And I have a HUGE houssssssse and lotsssssss of people who come to see me and I get to be with mom all during the day and no one to bother me at night -- no cats, no one!"
Maizie: "Hmmm, you may be on to something there...no cats, you sssay? Sssssounds good to me...and a bigger house? Wow, that definitely sounds good...although, I like the size of mine, but it'd be fun to explore."
Fritz: "Yeah, and now I'm an educated ssssssssnake, too."
(See what being a creative teacher will do to you, especially before the caffeine intake & on the way to school??? Bloody h-e-double-hockey sticks...
)
So! The kids were excited to see Fritz again...in fact, I forgot to mention: since the kids didn't have school on Fri, I only saw the kids of my mentor-lead-teacher when I student-taught and her kids -- I had her oldest two already -- were excited to see Fritz, too...I got photos of them holding him. And, when the kids came this morning, I pointed out something that made me happy: Fritz pooped! Usually it takes him what seems at least a week, and he ate 2 fuzzies on Fri night, so by Mon night -- 3 days later, poop! The kids were grossed out, but I may have to borrow back from my niece the book I gave her:
Everyone Poops (I gave it to her earlier this year and it became a favorite! Ava is 2 & I bought it more so that I could get a laugh out of my prim/proper mother reading it to her...
) If you don't know this book, buy it under the pretense of giving it as a gift to a young one in your life & you'll get a huge laugh out of it! (Another good one is
The Gas We Pass ...enjoy!)
And...the best thing yet? A student who has seemed to be completely unmotivated since the beginning of the year told me that he was at the library looking up books on corn snakes. I'm in awe...I need to figure out something to work out motivation-wise for this student so that he doesn't fail 2nd grade (he's already failing...), and I could really owe it all to Fritzi...*fingers crossed*
Time to sleep! Report cards tomorrow -- and Fritz has lots of parents to meet!