benefits

when i taught 2nd grade, i was getting health insurance benefits. it was great.

now that i'm teaching preschool, two states away, luckily i'm still getting benefits.

sing "it's august, it's august" to the tune of "a tisket, a tasket" to yourself. now sing it again. now sing it again. and again. and again. and about 352 more times. good. now you're starting to benefit from my benefits... : ) that line of a song, and several others have been stuck in my head for a while! that's right, i get the benefit of singing myself preschool songs all day long. i usually spare will...

i also get the benefit of hearing the cute and funny things they say. well, let's clear up one thing right now: 2nd graders are funnier than preschoolers... BY FAR : ) i didn't say 3 and 4 year olds can't be funny... just not as readily or often. i did get the benefit of hearing this yesterday, though:

while i'm working on painting someone's foot for their "about me" book, the other kids are playing. a little girl playing with doctor toys had found two spring-loaded toys (for "shots"?). she had one in each fist and was pounding them on my back, alternating. i was enjoying my little massage and, just looking to amuse myself i said something like, "thank you kylie, that's just what the doctor ordered." as i said it i was thinking to myself that it was maybe silly to have said anything because i didn't think she'd hear me (facing the other way and above all the other noise). well i don't think she understood my comment, but did hear and understand the "thank you." i know she did because then i hear "don't mention it, partner." i laughed out loud. coming from a 4 year old, it was pretty funny. i'm about to ask her if that's what she really said, and i hear, "haha, i just called miss ashley 'partner'... haha." she was cracking herself up over it... so i laughed out loud again.

there are a few other benefits, too...

preschool benefits aside, i miss 2nd grade. i miss amelia earhart. on monday i went to help clean the house of a family who is moving from the ward. i met one or two new people there. one of them didn't ask me if i had kids, she asked me how many kids i had. the first thing that came to mind to say was "zero," so i did. later, back at home i wished that instead i had told her, "24, and they're all starting 3rd grade today!" that afternoon at 2:30 (3:30 utah) i realized they were all getting out of their first day back at school. i was pretty sad. i also wore my school tshirt earlier this week... : ) i miss my little kiddies.

i learned so much in that one year and i wish i could have had another chance at it all. after a year i knew things that i loved and would do again, and i knew things that i would never do again. i'm a little jealous that ali gets that chance. maybe someday....

i went to get a zucchini from my friend the other day and saw her daughter's school papers. i saw a "book" (one sheet folded in half) called "counting with the ducks." i know that book! her daughter is in 2nd grade. that's the first book/corresponds with the first unit of the exact same math program amelia started (k-3) last year... : ) i'd recognize it anywhere. so i told her and she said, oh yeah, they have these colored papers that she brings home. i know.... : ) she was trying to find it in the stack, and i could easily spot it only seeing the corner. i found myself even missing envisions math!! : ) so as soon as all this silly subbing/credentials stuff is sorted out i'm going to make sure i can sub at banta so i can do more envisions math.... : ) woohoo

yes, we went to discovery kingdom (formerly known as marine world africa usa) last saturday. yes, we celebrated our 3rd anniversary on tuesday. and yes, we currently have a long-term scrabble game going on (free app : ) .................. so I KNOW that we need to "catch up" and post some more.. maybe even put up some pictures?! (woah, i know... : )

ps.. i ran 5.3 miles on monday, then have been prevented from running this week since (boo : ( (thanks a lot water maintenance and car woes..... and preschool? : ) well, it's really mainly because i dont' want to run when it's 90 degrees. there goes my half marathon down the drain..... just joking... hopefully back on that a sap.