Here come the googly eyes

This post is not what I had planned to post about today, but instead it is one of those unexpected moments that just put a genuine smile on your face. My day started off awful. In fact, I wanted to just go back home and curl up under the covers and try again tomorrow. Come on, we all have those days. And when my day starts like that, it ends up setting the tone for my entire day. (Add to it some training during PLC first thing in the morning and you have the recipe for sheer miserableness from this teacher.) But I put on the happy face and went on with my day.

This story starts after lunch... we were heading back outside to our classroom when my boy R (who holds the door always- it is his unofficial job permanently) waited for everyone to get outside and said Mrs Sz. R2 told everyone that I like J. To which I replied "ah just ignore it don't let it bother you, everyone will forget in an hour." He said ok and on we went with our day. (Seriously I think it is the cutest little thing when the crushes start...at least in 3rd grade they are innocent. Now when they get older and they aren't so innocent, that isn't cute...but even I had a little boyfriend in 3rd grade.)

So later in the day J says to me "Mrs. Sz he is trying to hit me!" I said J honey there are a lot of "hes" in this room, which HE are we talking about here? "R!".... here is how the rest of the day played out (it was dismissal time)...

Me: "R come over here let me tell you a HUGE secret!"
R:- comes over really close
Me: People are going to think you like J because when you play like that and pretend to hit her, that is what little boys do that like girls.
R: NOOOOO
Me; Yea R I have been there I know all about how little kids act. Do you have just a little crush on J
R: NOOOOO
Me: Are you sure? Not even the tiniest crush?
R: NOOOOO (mind you he is looking at the floor and laughing)
Me: Are you sure, because you are giving me the look that Payton gives when she is lying.
R: - continues laughing at the floor
Me: Look at you! You can't even look me in the face!
R- looks at me and continues laughing
Me: It's ok it is our little secret
R: NO! I don't though!

I sent him back to his desk after telling him that I was just messing with him and we had a good laugh. He is one of those kids that you can mess with like that and he gets it. He had a good laugh over it and wasn't upset (some kids I would NEVER joke with like that because they don't grasp it).

But because of that little goof around moment at dismissal, I came home in a much better mood than I started my day in.

And for that, I thank my kids. Because I go to work each day trying to teach them everything the test says they need to know, but at the same time they don't realize that they are teaching me a lot of things along the way, and sure know how to cheer me up, even if they don't know that I am in need of cheering up. 

And now a question for you- do your students develop little crushes? If so, what grade do you teach? I have to wonder when this starts for others. For me it has ALWAYS started after winter break. I always say something happens winter break of 3rd grade year....