"HIDDEN"

This week has been a real surprise as far as teaching goes. I have found 'hidden' talents in several children.
One little boy (not in my grade but working with me in a double class activity) comes from a family where intellectual disability is rife, Mum and Dad can't get him to school so he is often picked up by teachers and he is obviously disadvantaged financially. He is a very quiet boy, softly spoken but very pleasant. The other day he instantly solved a difficult number problem in his head and then clearly verbalised his thought processes. His written work is apparently displaying above average tendencies and he is gaining more and more confidence. Regular attendance is clearly suiting him down to the ground.
One of my little Grade 2 girls has been diagnosed with Autism Spectrum disorder and memory problems. You think she is 'away with the fairies' when all of a sudden she will join in with a money activity by telling the class that if we need nine 10 cent coins to make 90cents, then we can also use eighteen 5cent coins. I wish these 'hidden' talents would come out of hiding a bit more often!
Another little boy with very irregular attendance has had me fooled. His 'hidden' talent lies in the fact that he has lead me to believe that butter wouldn't melt in his mouth...until now!!
The other day he told me that he wouldn't be at school the next day as he had a dental appointment at 9.00. I then suggested that he could come back to school after that but he said that Mum had made an appointment to have his haircut after the dentist. But when talking to his Mum later that day she knew nothing about either of those appointments! I have since caught him out in several more lies.
And I thought I could pick them!!!

"CARD"

The last one!

"DOWN"

Our little house is 'down' in a valley. It's a lovely little house with a good 'feel' about it! The only 'down' side is that telephone reception can be a bit poor at times.
Three times a week Sian drives 'down' to Berwick to attend her uni classes. She seems to be enjoying her course and the fact that uni is a part-time affair. She works hard though, and is often found in a 'head down, bottom up' pose in the study!
I'm finding it a bit harder to be 'down' on the floor with the kids at school these days! I can do it but my knee doesn't like it and my body groans and lets me know how unfit I am!! My own fault!!
I love that John now works just 'down' the street. He is close to home and I often nick 'down' to see him on my days off!
Get 'down'!!!

"CLOCK"

When Sian and Jake were little they used to hide the electric clocks in their bedrooms on Christmas Eve. Their theory was that if there was no time then Christmas was bound to come quicker. I didn't know about this until recently but I think it was a clever plan. Not only did it appear to them that Christmas came quicker but they couldn't suffer the interminable sleeplessness that comes from clock-watching!
When Jake was 2 or 3 we taught him to tell the time. He didn't ever seem to need much sleep and would wake at 5.30 or 6.00 every morning. This was a little early for us...especially after he had probably kept us awake half the night...so we taught him to recognise 7.30am. on the analogue clock. He was not allowed to come out of his room until that time. He could play quietly in his room but was not to come out. This worked really well!!
I couldn't ever believe that he was such a poor sleeper through the night, would wake early in the
morning AND did not have a daytime sleep!!

"TAP"

Lately I can turn the tears on and off like a tap.
I hate it! It's not me!! I've never been a sook and I have always hated losing control!
(That's the Primary school teacher coming out in me...we are all a little bit controlling!)
Some days the tap seems to drip. It's hard to turn off and it doesn't take much to pour uncontrollably.
But, there are a lot of days when the tap doesn't drip, it doesn't even turn on. The tap runs dry!
Those are the days when we all cope better.
One dripping tap in this household seems to let loose a barrage of dripping taps. It's not pleasant and we sometimes seem to be tiptoeing around each others' emotions.
I wish it wasn't that way but I can understand why it is! I sometimes think it would be just easier to let the emotions pour out and we would all learn to deal with it!! But, it's not that easy! No-one likes to see those we love hurting so its natural to try to appease the pain of those close to us!
We are doing well most days and all of us have become sponges ready to soak up the mess after the tap drips yet again!

"DREAM"

When I was much younger some of my dreams would come true.
I remember when my Mum was pregnant with her tenth child. I already had seven sisters and one brother but I had a dream that this new sibling would be a boy and that he would be born ten days after his due date. My dream came true but it was out by ten minutes. Sean was born ten minutes after midnight on the eleventh day past his due date!! Not bad.
I also had a dream about my Papa's death. He had been sick in hospital for quite a while but I still remember dreaming that he would pass away the following day...and he did!! It was probably expected but I recall feeling a little guilty that I had actually dreamed it.
My dreams are unwanted these days!
They are often quite vivid and bring back memories of a moment in my life that I never want to go through again!
Other people tell me about seeing Jake in their dreams and how great it is to see him.
I wish I could have those dreams!!

"FRESH"

Mmmmm...'fresh' soup for dinner with warm dinner rolls.
Sometimes quick and easy is just as good
... and really yummy!