Free Armpit

When students enter my classroom on the first day of school I tell them that I am the strictest, but funniest teacher they will ever have.  It is true.  The minus chart comes out first thing in the morning when checking homework.  As the day progresses I lighten up a little... until reading or Bible.  Today I was caught in my own humor and it just wouldn't stop.

Walls classroom rules and "unspokens:"

1.  Don't tell me to wait.

2.  You may "ding" if you hear a simile or a vocabulary word read out loud.

3.  If you say something at the same time... instead of "jinx" you may say "Nancy Drew" (don't ask), or now it is "Bob Barker".

4.  That rule doesn't apply during Bible.

5.  When you raise your hand really fast I can call "free armpit" and someone near you may poke your armpit if they dare.

6. If you forget your name on your paper you have to do 5 "fairy jumps."

7.  10 pushups if you didn't write in cursive.

8.  I am allowed to wear my jail socks as many times as I want.

I have dug my own hole!  Every rule was in use at the same time today!

I literally had to say "stop dinging"  which brought on a whole new realm of laughter.

I have had the same  students for almost 2 years.  The days seem endless.  We laugh a lot... lately, though, if you add in the hormones and the jr. high attitudes.... well, now you know why I'm crazy!

Maturation

Today proved to be another fabulous MOM moment in Walls family history.  My second child began her 5th grade maturation unit at school.  This is my second year in a row as a 5th grade mom.  There is a lot of homework, dreaded testing, and the UNIT to look forward to.   Because I knew this was coming, and because I knew my daughter, I sat my girls down last summer and spilled the beans about everything through the help of James Dobson's books....  they were both amazed... shocked... as we all were when we first heard that boys are different.  I was thrilled the deed was done, and life was still okay.
As #2 arrived home today she proceeded to blame me and the world for having to "hear those words" with boys in the room.  Yes,  no one is allowed to giggle and yes, there is a movie on Friday.  My daughter then began to use every word possible to describe what she learned.... while giggling... loudly.  It was like I had not told her a thing.  She went to bed still giggling with her older sister... their younger brother trying to figure out what was so funny.  (I can only imagine what her will be like in 5th grade.... )
The goofy mom listened and prayed.  Why do they have to learn it so early... and with boys... and by teachers who don't explain it with grace and truth.
So, I explained to DAD about all the giggling.  He said #2 was so much like her mother...  and then proceeded to tell me when he heard the whole story in 7th grade.  "I was the worst of all.!"  "I had to be taken out in the hall because I couldn't stop giggling."  And that, my friends, is where I draw the line with the blaming that I am always so goofy... I was actually trying to be serious with the matter.