Impossible To Be Sad

With my bus number pinned to my left shoulder and my name and classroom on the fish hanging from my neck, I waited for the bus on my first day of school.

The scholars at Prince Elementary School have lanyards with the same information.  The more things change, the more they stay the same.

I spent the morning in another kindergarten classroom, this one with fewer students in attendance.  The range of abilities is tremendous.  One girl writes her name and copies the sight words (I, the, see, my, am) flawlessly.  One boy switches the pencil from hand to hand, neither side feeling just right.  Tracing the letters was a challenge; recreating them on his own just wasn't happening this morning.  Nope, not at all.   But there were the requisite number of unidentifiable squiggles vaguely representing the letters in the appropriate space on his paper, so that was a win.

Instead of a star with the smelly marker from the teacher, today the scholars received a silly sticker from Grandma Suzi.  Proud doesn't even begin to describe their faces.

And today they got to choose their own sticker - a rare and very special treat.  Why?  Because I was a little bit blue this morning and they put a giant smile on my face, just by being.  

Why did you say thank you to us when you were leaving?

Because you fill my heart and my head and my soul with love.

It's impossible to be sad when you are surrounded by 5 year olds.