La Petite Pamplemousse: The Fall

Ho ho ho! The countdown until Christmas has begun. That being said, I have to give you a quick glimpse at what we've accomplished (my 14 three year olds and I) so far this school year. Voilà!

In my classroom, the students have remarked at least 154 times over the past week that there is a stuffed Santa Claus hanging from our window (see last year's blog for France's bizarre suicide Santa decoration). They also love to remind me each and every day whether or not they stay for after care, whether or not they took a big poo earlier that morning, and that they will listen today because they want their frog moved up on the behavior chart (teacher's pets start early in private schools).

With the occasional potty accidents, pushing, and crying, I can say that my children are really growing on me. I have so much more patience now, especially when my children whine that they want their mommy/daddy ( since I feel the same way this fall. ) What amazes me the most is watching them develop their little habits. I'm often taken back to being little while watching my children try to put on their shoes , or try to re-button their pants, or wash their hands. i remember being such a nut about my socks. If the lines weren't perfectly lined up to the front of my toes, I'd flip out. Or worse yet, the tags on my shirts. I had to have my Mom cut them all off because they were so itchy that my little self couldn't handle it; it ruined my world. So while this job may not be the most stimulating for my brain, it definitely has provided me with an even further example of paying attention to the small things in life and appreciating the world day by day. For little children, time is so abstract. As soon as we clean up after free play, they think it's time to go eat at the cafeteria. Every little cut, push, painting activity, recess, toilet run, and minute of sleep during naptime makes a difference. But above all, the main question always seems to be: "Est-ce que t'es mon copain/ma copine?" (Are you my friend?)