September 29, 2010

Not the same immune system I used to know and love…..

I guess it was inevitable -- different continent; new and different viruses.  I caught some sort of bug about 10 days ago that really knocked me for a loop. I haven’t had a GI bug in decades. I had almost forgotten how awful they are. Both the professor and I got sick but he had a much easier time of it than me and luckily didn’t miss any of his classes. I, on the other hand, missed an entire week with the pre-schoolers who learned 5 (five!) new sight words while I was gone last week. The little tykes were just bursting to read their new words to me when I got back to school today.

Over my ten days or so of illness (my immune system really let me down this time), my own children – former preschoolers themselves—were able to rush me a generous stack of Dr. Seuss books to share with the kids. The shiny hardbacks arrived today, so tomorrow when I go back to the preschool, it’s time for:

“I would not, could not, in a box.
I could not, would not, with a fox.
I will not eat them with a mouse.
I will not eat them in a house.
I will not eat them here or there.
I will not eat them anywhere.
I do not eat green eggs and ham.
I do not like them, Sam-I-am.”

That should bring me up to about the 8,892,780th time I have read this book aloud. But you know how it is with Green Eggs and Ham. I’m probably in for at least another 200 times or more until I help get these kids graduated to Grade 1 in a couple of months.

For all the commotion about no one liking to eat Green Eggs and Ham, there sure is a dedicated following of youngsters who cannot get enough of hearing that no one likes them anywhere, not with a mouse, not on a house, not in a room, not on the moon.....

So tomorrow, at reading time, let the giggling begin!

You all remember how long that takes to stop, right?

Yes, that's right: it never really stops.  It just slows down long enough for a little voice to call out..."Teacher, read it again!"