Brain Work

Since I arrived up here in Buffalo, I have been feeling anxious about keeping up with my schoolwork and responsibilities; it's not an easy thing for a teacher to be away for a week and a half, no matter what the situation.

They say that dreaming is a tool that the brain uses to regulate emotions, address fears, and consolidate memories. Whether or not that's true, my subconscious is working overtime up here.

Last night I dreamed I was on a field trip, but it was strange in the way that dreams are. Things were lost, I got my feet all wet when I stepped into a bog, and kids turned into kittens who wanted to run away. After I woke up and cleared my head, the second half of the night I dreamed of prefixes and test questions, un- means not, mis- means wrong, dis- means do not, super- means over and above.

It was unrestful, disconcerting, misdirected, and super-stressful. 

And those kittens!

Darkness Savings Time

It's easy to lose track of days and time when there is a death in the family. All week long we've been asking each other what day it is.

"Think about it," I said to Heidi who knows what day, "the last "normal" day was Tuesday, and that was Halloween, which is not very normal at all."

But when I opened my computer just a while ago and got that calendar reminder that Daylight Savings Time ends early tomorrow morning, I was floored to realize I had completely forgotten one of my favorite days of the year, the one with 25 hours.

Edit Yourself

As word gets out about Gary’s death, messages of condolences are coming in. Most are lovely, along the lines of this one: Oh what a loss! My heart is broken. Love to you and your family.

But then there are the ones you have to scratch your head over, like this one: Wow! What a shocker. Condolences on your loss, but he was very sedentary.

When We Come to It

It's not in my nature to fret about the future. I'm of the mind that worrying can't prevent misfortune, but it can cause unnecessary stress. And so, although I wasn't surprised by the news early yesterday morning that Heidi's dad had passed away suddenly, I was temporarily at a loss as to what comes next. Oh, there are some must-dos, but so many more could-dos or might-dos as we approach the future without him. 

In the near term? We got Heidi up to Buffalo by noon yesterday, arranged for coverage of commitments and care for our cats, and Lucy and I am off to join the family in a little while. 

I got a deck of animal spirit oracle cards for my birthday, and it's helpful sometimes to draw one of them and lean into the guidance it offers. Today I pulled Brown Bear Spirit and the advice it gives is to take a moment before acting or making any big decisions. As the bear hibernates to prepare for a new year, so this is a time to sit back in contemplation of all that could unfold and leave action for another day.

Right, Mate

I was giving a kid the blues about drinking soda in class today. She thought I wouldn't notice because it was a clear beverage in a clear bottle, but the hiss and the bubbles gave her away. 

"Why do we have that rule?" another student wanted to know.

"We're a water-only school," I explained. "We care about your health!"

"What about tea?" he asked. "That can be healthy."

"Nope," I shook my head. "'Fraid not."

"But you can't be a gentleman if you don't drink tea," he told me.

And for that comment? I had no rejoinder.

Merry Man Boy

"Are you Robin Hood?"I asked a colleague as I passed him on the way into school. He stood with a dapper hat and feather, a sage green shirt with. crisscross tied opening at the throat, and brown pants. There was no bow and arrow, but weapons aren't allowed as part of any costume.

"Peter Pan," he told me. "I'm surprised," he laughed. "You're the first one who hasn't recognized me!"

"Well, where are your tights?" I asked, skeptically.

"I'm grown up Peter," he answered.

"Well, Pete," I said, "You're a dead ringer for Robin Hood."

The Sugar Bugs

A couple of colleagues who are dads of young children stopped by my room during planning time. After we exchanged information about upcoming meetings and field trips, the conversation turned to child-rearing and this new generation we are teaching. 

"I'm not going to say if it's good or bad," one of them stated, "but these kids are different, and it's going to show. Things are going to be different in the next 20 years."

"How so?" I asked him. 

"For one thing, they've never heard the phrase or I'll give you something to cry about," he said. "Now when there's a tantrum we say, Use your words." 

I nodded. "That's a loss. What a great turn of phrase! And kids will never know that gasping choking feeling of trying to stop crying so you wouldn't get spanked." I joked.

"And the word No?" he continued. "They don't know it. It's never No you can't have another gummy. Instead, we say, You don't want the sugar bugs to get you. Too many sugar bugs and you won't grow up big and healthy."

"Sugar bugs?" I laughed. "That's a new one to me.

"Oh, it's everywhere," he said. "These kids are the sugar bug generation."

"I like it!" I replied.  "It's catchy, and I think we can make it stick!"