Flexible and Rigid

"Some people don't do well with lots of change to their routine," I told my homeroom this morning as I went over the testing schedule for the next few weeks. "I know, because I'm one of them."

They nodded sympathetically. "You look cranky already!" one of them said, but I knew he meant well."

Only To Be Expected

The room was small, and the odor was strong. The laughter was loud.

"You don't have to be so mean!" complained the gassy kid to his overly amused classmates.

"Neither do you!" Heidi pointed out. "It is expected behavior to excuse yourself if you feel like you have to pass gas."

"I'm sorry," apologized one of the other students insincerely, "but I will laugh whenever someone farts."

Heidi opened the door to let in a little air and eyed the four 8th grade boys crossly. "You would never know that this was a social skills class!" she said.

New Old-fashioned Way

Beyond pulling all the weeds? I really had no plans for the garden this weekend. With a little, okay a lot of! help from Treat and Heidi, I figured we would clear it out and plant it as usual next weekend with several rows made up of a variety of tomatoes, peppers, okra, and eggplant.

But yesterday afternoon I opened an email from a seed company and clicked on a video link for "three sisters" planting. Sure, I had heard of the Indian approach to growing corn, beans, and squash, but I had never considered it before. 5 minutes later? I was sold!

And so the blazing 2pm sun of the first 90 degree day this year found the three of us constructing a mound in the middle of the cleared-out garden. There, in the center, we planted the "peaches and cream" corn seedlings that I hurried out to get yesterday. Around them, a circle of cowpeas, that will add nitrogen to the soil, and use the corn stalks to support them as they grow. Next weekend, a ring of squash will complete the arrangement, which was inspired by the Wampanoag tradition. The squash will use the nitrogen and shade the soil they all are growing in, keeping it moist.

We may add a fourth or fifth sister to the inner circle-- our sources say that sunflowers and amaranth distract the birds from the corn, but the rest of the garden will be planted concentrically, in circles circling the mound. Those tomatoes, peppers, okra, and eggplant will be growing in a totally new configuration, and I for one?

Am excited!

Double Trouble

We went out with some friends from the neighborhood the other night. It makes us giggle when Tracey and Tracie, Heidi and Heidi, and Lauren and Lauren get together. The six of us checked out the rooftop bar at a new restaurant in our neighborhood. There, T-squared took on Heidi and Lauren in cornhole, while the other Heidi and Lauren grabbed a picnic table and ordered some appetizers and beers. We had the attention of many of our fellow patrons, which is something I usually avoid, but not then. Maybe because I was with my posse!

Your Reservation is Ready

You know you have a tough group when you hear the following conversation in the main office on May 17:

"I think the sixth graders are checking out already," an administrator sighed to a teacher.

The teacher laughed shortly. "I wasn't aware they ever checked in."

Making It Up

"How do you spell magistical?" a student asked me this morning.

"I don't know that word," I said. "Do you mean magical or mystical?"

"Yes," she said.

Complimentary, My Dear Child

The Jolly Rancher Challenge today was one of the questions on the generic starter list that students used to prepare for their first interviews-- What is the best compliment you have ever received?

For such a simple question, the results were a bit of a disheartening social science experiment I did not intend.

"When my dad told me I was the sweetest child he ever knew," one of the smartest girls I ever knew reported.

"My friend said I'm a really good friend!" the next girl said.

"Someone told me I have good eyebrows," said the next girl.

I couldn't stay silent. "That's the best compliment you ever got? You're so smart and hard-working! You write every day!"

She shrugged and held out her hand for the candy.

A boy was in line behind her. "I like it when my friends say I'm good at basketball," he said.

"I was happy when someone said I was pretty!" the next girl told me.

"What about your personality?" I said. "What do people say about that?"

"That I'm nice?" she asked, waiting for her Jolly Rancher.

"I'm reliable," said the next boy.

"I'm smart," said his friend.

"I'm funny," said another guy.

"We have the same one," said the next girl, standing next to her friend.

"People always tell us we have beautiful eyes!"

"You do," I said, "but you didn't exactly earn those. What else do people say?"

They sighed. "Sometimes my friends tell me I should be a counselor, because I'm so understanding," suggested one.

"Great!" I said handing her the candy.

"People think I'm really good at soccer," said the other one.

"Yes!" I cheered and tossed her a piece of candy.

And as the day wore on, the trend continued. Most of the girls valued appearance compliments, and most of the boys selected behavior compliments.