21 [remaining] (or fifteen [since starting blog-commitment].): Punctuated. ! ? , "

(the explanation of the numbers in the title is a shout-out to one M. McD. You know who you are...)

A quote from today... My M. whispered in my ear while I led an animal-clue-game center at free time... with no real context, no warning, just a sudden approach and whisper, "You know, you can be nice to the monster. [pause] They have feelings too." Shared as a profound piece of discovered information, not really as relevant-to-the-moment advice.
"That's true! Hey, where did you hear that?" I reply, quite delighted.
Shrugs. "I just knew it."
This child makes me very happy.

Decided to try a punctuation lesson today. Went better than expected. A little more advanced content than standard for Kindergarten. But I tend to go with my instincts as to what they will be capable of, and what's important in our classroom probably doesn't always match up to the 'standards of standards' standards. As evidenced by a question on the standardized testing we took today: "Which of these things is valuable because it is hard to find? Silver, grass, or sand? Mark under the picture of something that is valuable because it is hard to find."
Half of my kids marked grass. And I was very, very proud of them. (and a little saddened by the rarity of grass in their lives. But mostly proud. Valuable is often in the heart of the beholder...)

As for punctuation, I read them a bit of our latest readaloud, 'The Great Glass Elevator,' as if it were totally unpunctuated, and with no expression. Then read it properly. They enjoyed this. Wanted me to keep doing it. This made me glad. I think they get the point of punctuation now. They went on (as 'Quentin Questioner,' 'Emily Exclaimer,' and 'Pamela/Peter Period') to try out the expressive effects of different punctuation marks at the end of some sample sentences.
J-girl called an exclamation point an "excited point" this afternoon. Hurrah!

Also got to tell the story of the time I found a snake in my bedroom (in Texas) three times over. They like this story.

and yes, I am still, disciplinarily, losing my mind.
But I think I'm blessed these days with more of an ability to keep the mind-losing in a different compartment from the love-ing, and from the being-happy-to-be-alive, parts of my emotions and actions.
Every blessing you pour out
I'll turn back to praise.