Yeah! It was awesome. The children decided to play a Happy Birthday party CD, and then one of my Kindergarten children was singing me happy birthday at the top of her lungs with fits of giggles in between every two words. (Even though it's only half way to my birthday)
Earlier on in the day, the children lined up and took turns as I picked a child up and waltzed around the room barefoot. Then again one does not simply 'waltz' so I began flinging and tossing the children around which had them all overly excited. This lead them to crowd around me squabbling over whose turn it was next, but there's always that ONE child who takes things too far. A little girl grabbed the back of my pants while a child was in my hands and then tried to pull them down, SO we had to have the talk about respecting each other's bodies and about appropriate ways to engage your teacher.
But I made sure to tell each child a reason I was proud of them and to encourage them in a certain area, like, I would literally get in their face, with my serious face, and tell them the wonderful areas I have seen them grow in and that it made me proud and my heart smile. ( I don't know if you'll believe me, but I hold myself very professionally at work, but there is always some point in the day where the 'real' me comes out, the whimsical side that I probably only really feel comfortably showing children)
Then we had sugary goods, and they went crazy. I was crazy because it was Friday, so we had an entire day without looking at anything related to literacy, numeracy, science or the lot. We basically played silly buggers all day. It was good.
And I just thought, we need to celebrate life and the small victories more often. I'm glad I can have that with 4-5 year olds, they are constantly teaching me what it means to live in the moment and to look on with wonder and curiosity, to live a life of honesty and purity. I know at the end of the year they're going to leave me, and I absolutely hate good byes. Good byes are my enemy. It honestly pricks my heart to know that after this I won't be a part of their lives anymore... but at least, at some point in their lives, I held them and we danced, and rejoiced and we grew together. That someone believed in them, even if it was a time when they were very young and probably a memory that would soon be forgotten.
I can never just say, 'I had a good day' and be simple about explaining something. I always go off in tangents. BLAST!
aww Bummer.
