My First Blog

Last night I was listening to NPR as I fell asleep. They were interviewing a guy named Steven Pinker (or something like that), who has just published a new book. I said the name of the book over and over as I was falling asleep, because I wanted to remember it so I could order it today, but I was too cozy to get out of bed and write it down. I think it was called, "The Stuff of Thought". Mr. Pinker? Pinkley? Pinkerton? Pinkwater? was talking about newly-added words in mainstream english vocabulary, and mentioned, "blog". I started thinking about it...blogging, I mean. I have a few friends with these amazing blogs...endlessly interesting to read and full of the latest news about their families. I have always wanted to do the Doogie Howser thing and jot down a few concise lines at the end of each day...neatly sum up the lessons I've learned (because every day has a moral, doesn't it?). I think the blog concept has always freaked me out because I felt like I would have to write well all the time, as opposed to the mundane blah blah blah that would normally come out at the end of most days. I guess this could be a blahg...no pressure to write well, or to be super interesting all the time. The main thing I want to do is keep some notes of the kinds of things the kids are doing and saying, so that I won't forget it all. I already started to freak out a bit, though, when I had to think of a name for the blog. So I called it, "Stuff", and moved on. With that, I will move on from my explanation of how I came to be a blogger, and talk about the day before yesterday.

It was Saturday, and there was stuff to do. I had to work in my classroom, so I took the kids with me. I figured they would just putter around as they usually do when I schlep them to work, but this was a magical day. It started with a big cardboard tube that I had kicking around. They got markers and colored all over it. This was their rocket. Next, they got some strips of paper, and Clara wrote, "Rocket Stashun" on each one. They walked around the schoolyard, taping the strips of paper on walls here and there. Then, Clara used a strip of paper to make a seatbelt for Trevor, and she strapped him into one of the rolling office chairs in my classroom. They spent the next hour or so driving around in the roller chair, holding the rocket, and visiting all of the "Stashuns". From time to time they would come in and make something else to add to their game- a headband, a nametag, or another sign. At one point, they came in and Trevor said, "This is the funnest game EVER!", and Clara said, "Trevor and I are best friends." Magical. When it was finally time to leave, they wanted my assurance that they could come back the following day. "Of course! " I said, since I still had work to do, and they were clearly so thrilled with the idea. We went back the next day. It was colder. It was drizzling. The tape had come unstuck and the "stashun" signs had blown into the bushes. Trevor felt like making a cave of pillows instead of driving the rocket. Clara tried to convince him to be her student so she could play teacher. He resisted. They bickered. We all got grumpy and went home. I resigned myself to a day of putting out small fires and doing laundry. But then Trevor invented some sort of a game where his magnets were going into a carwash, and Clara snuggled in her loft bed reading a fairy book while the rain pounded on our windows. Later, Chad took them to the park to float leaf boats in the creek and rescue worms. I need to remember this stuff. So that's why I'm here.