Your Vision Doesn't Align with My Vision

Dear Friends,

     Today is Monday, September 19, 2011. The weather today is cloudy. I predict the weather tomorrow will be sunny.  The color today is green. The shape today is a diamond. The letter of the week is a Bb. This is a big B. This is a little b. Some words that begin with B are bear, baby, bumble bee, butterfly, and box.

                                                            Love, Miss Glass

It's incredible how throwing off the routine of a 3-year-old ruins an entire day. "Friends, today we are going on a special visit.  We are going to visit a lady who will look in our eyes to make sure that we can see well." I prepared them all day long. "After recess, instead of walking to our classroom to brush our teeth, we are going to go to a special room.  When we walk in, we will sit criss-cross applesauce, keep a bubble in our mouths, and you will show me your brain. Is it scary?" "NO." They were prepared. They knew what was coming- until the vision screening people didn't show up. First problem.  You tell a 3-year-old they're going on a special trip and they expect to go.

"Okay friends, it looks like our special lady is not here yet. Let's go back to the classroom." This was followed by chaos. The kids were lost, but I knew I could recover. So we walked back to the classroom (8 minutes behind schedule), and brushed our teeth.  We had a new friend join the classroom today. "A DOESN'T HAVE A TOOTHBRUSH. HOW CAN WE BRUSH OUR TEETH WHEN A DOESN'T HAVE A TOOTHBRUSH. WHAT DO WE DO?" As if this one child missing a toothbrush suddenly made everyone else's toothbrushes disappear. "Friends, it's okay, I have a toothbrush for A." Problem Solved.

After re-teaching how we brush our teeth (now 15 minutes behind schedule) and then actually brushing them, we sit down to read a story, and then get ready for nap time.  It's okay, they won't even notice they missed 15 minutes of nap time, it will be better, maybe now they won't be smack dab in the middle of REM sleep when it's time to wake up.

And then it happens. I get a call just as my last friend falls asleep. "Hello Miss Glass it's J from Kansas City Vision Whatever. We're all set up and ready for you to come down." Really? Obviously. Alright, it's okay let's get this over with. I play the Raffi tape I usually wake my friends up with, Rise and Shine, and wake up a room full tired, cranky and confused 3 and 4 year olds.  I can't even describe the chaos in the room at this point.  I was called 'Mommy' at least 6 times in 5 minutes (compared to my usual 5 times a day), 4 of my 17 big kids were hysterically crying, one friend wet himself while he was sleeping, 2 big kids were in an apparent coma (to the point where they were literally sleeping standing up), and my teaching assistant decides this would be a good time to take her break.

30 minutes later, we got through it with no broken bones, and just a couple soggy eyes.  Nothing a little Latin Dance can't fix.  Today, I made the good choice of staying for two Zumba classes.

Best Moment of the Day:

P: (special needs child who rarely talks) "Hey Glass, (holds up a banana) like a monkey!"

Funniest Moment of the Day:

Me: "Friends, raise your hand if you can tell me your favorite part of the story we just read."

M: "Well my favorite part was you reading it, because I just love hearing you talk Miss Glass."

Grossest Moment of the Day:

Me: "E you need to take smaller bites, that's too much food in your mouth".

E: (spits it into my lap) "There, Miss Glass now there's nothing in my mouth."

Goodbye Teachers and Friends,

Miss Glass