Frogs!

"Mom, Ms. Higley wants you to come in to help."

I thought back to when I was a teacher. I really, REALLY, only liked having parents being in my class on certain occasions. It's not that I didn't like my students' parents, but they were a distraction, and I know they never intended to be. The kids always acted differently, little stinkers.  It didn't matter what they were doing, even the best kids became a little more chatty, or distracted by the other ADULT in the room.

However, I always welcomed with open arms and warm friendly smiles, parents to my classroom when it was time for a holiday party (I hated the cleanup, sugar everywhere, and the constant asking of can I have another...?) AND the most important time to have parents in your room... when the Fellers were at your school.

Who are the Fellers? They are the sweetest little older couple. This  husband and wife pair travel all over the nation, leaving the peace of their home of Spokane, Washington to teach kids how to make amazing masks and create special songs on the spot. They love all the kids they meet and the crazier the input for a song lyric, the better in their opinion.

The kids at my school LOVED the Fellers and the animal masks they would make whenever they came by. They loved the songs and creative masks, but they were indeed very intricate. For 2nd graders, they (I) needed those extra adult hands in the classroom to help them (me) construct their masks, ever so perfectly. Did I mention that I needed them TOO? :)

When I found out that the Fellers were coming to Afton's school, and this was why Ms. Higley needed help, I knew it was important that I find a way to be there. (It was tough with second grade... but in kindergarten? Had to be torture!)

Thanks to my sister in law Stephanie, I was able to help. And it turned out not to be torture at all. Not even a little bit.

The kids did great and were really creative. I had fun asking them about lines of symmetry and horizontal/vertical folds. One little dude assured me that symmetry was NOT a word, and another kid said "That's a hot dog fold, not a horilontal fold, or WHATEVER you just said." I smiled, and then I got sad. (Man do I miss teaching!)

But then I smiled again because I was so thankful that I got to be in my girl's classroom helping her TEACHER out. I get to be there experiencing her special classroom and will get to for many years to come.

It was a lot of fun hearing the song these kindergarteners made up about frogs. It was cute to see them holding their masks up high as they sang, "Frogs over a rainbow, Frogs over a rainbow, Frogs over a rainbow, ALL day long (yes), ALL day long!" (All 5 lyrics of this song were awesome, but this was my favorite.)

After it was over, I stayed and had lunch with my girl. It was Burrito day. Yeaaaaah! I LOVED burrito day. So does my girl. It's the only day she gets to have hot lunch, and the only one worth eating. They had a Dance session in the classroom too. It was so cute to see them all get down!

We had fun. My girl had soooo much fun, that the next morning she wanted to make more masks. She was showing Jack what to do. She even said "lines of symmetry." My smart girl knows what she's talking about, and my smart boy does too.