Oh the Humor

One nice thing about being back at work is the front row seat I have to preschool humor. It's not that different from adolescent humor, or college humor, or even workplace humor. Mostly, it revolves around bodily functions.

I am constantly amazed that even my daughter, at 7 months, finds gas and burping funny. Of course she's always smiled at passing gas herself--people think it's because she's feeling relief. I'm beginning to think that it's because she thinks it's funny. She laughs now when I pass gas. How does she know that it's funny?? But I digress.

I have several rough and tumble boys this year, and they are all "learning" how to burp on command. And of course, they think they've got the get out of jail free card--they just say "excuse me" through the giggles and all is OK, right?

On the more demure side I have several girls who are writing about passing gas. They are using our moveable alphabets (little wooden letters they use to write words and stories) and writing some version of the following, phonetically of course:

I luv mi famlee. Mi dad pass gas. Mi mom drivs a van. Mi babee cris.

Basically, as they write about each member of the family, or even about a specific family outing, Daddy always passes gas in the story. They think it is HILARIOUS.

Who am I to tell them differently?!?!

How Many Days til Spring Break?!?

Ha! Only kidding. While I'm not looking forward to parent/teacher conferences, I'm not counting down the hours to Spring Break either. That's a bonus to starting work in the middle of March--you miss the winter doldrums. You do get the occassional freak snow storm (but no snow day!), and the occassional heat wave, but no SAD-disorder like problems.

So it's been two weeks, and things are good. Busy and exhausting, but good. I think I am learning that I wasn't such a bad teacher after all. Not that I thought that I scarred children or anything, just that maybe I wasn't giving 100% all of the time. Well, I've seen what a crappy teacher can do (or not do), and let me just say that a crappy teacher I am not.

I am learning that it's best to approach this profession as a marathon, not as a sprint. There have been years where I realized this, but lately I hadn't been.

I am learning that a little distance is a good thing, that a little sabbatical can bring new life into an otherwise stale situation.

Unlike the pyscho who was with the children in my absence, I actually teach the children. I actually listen to them. And the staff and the parents are already noticing a difference. Heck, the children are noticing the difference.

I am loving that the Babe is just down the hall, and I can get my fix as needed. And I am loving working "only" 4-5 hours a day. And I am loving that the Starbucks runs are frequent.

Breaking News

You read it here first--I'm going back to the school that I left on not-so-friendly terms in August. I 'm going on Tuesday. For what you ask? For the perfect part-time job. Turns out that my replacement was certifiably crazy--crazy enough to make a 4 year old (My Favorite 4-year old) clean up his own vomit. That, my friends, enough to get you fired.

So my boss and I reconciled--and we are setting forth together to right the horrible wrong that's been done to these precious children. And I'm O.K. with it. O.K., I could still probably dwell and be snarky and all, but that won't really accomplish much. So a hard working Pollyanna I will be. I got an acutal apology, I'm going in to this with the mindset that she and I need to have a much more proffessional/less personal relationship, and so we shall see.

So the deal is that I will teach 1/2 days, and more than likely the Babe and few other employees' children will be cared for in a FREE, ON-SITE facility. No, that's not a typo. I'm working 20-25 hours a week in the mornings, bringing the Babe with me and she'll be just a few doors down all morning. Then we can go home, eat lunch and take a nap!

SO, postings on this blog should be becoming more amusing as I start writing notes to parents and interacting with the wee ones on a daily basis. I'll be sure to check in often!

A Can of Wal-Mart Worms

I have just enough knowledge about some things to attempt to carry on an intelligent conversation. The world of Wal-Mart is one of those things. I have a smattering of info, some telling me to shop there guilt-free because it's capitalism at it's best. Some telling me to stay away, support the little guy, low prices aren't everything.

What I Know to be True and What I Have Read:
Some of the big news lately in Indiana is that Wal-Mart is the state's biggest employer. I've read articles about how Wal-Mart treats its workers like dirt, how their drive for low prices crushes competition, how smaller enterprises can't compete. That some of their groceries are sub-standard, like sub-par slamon that's causing the ocean to rot.

I've read articles saying that Wal-Mart offers flexible part-time schedules that lots of employess like. I know they give some back to their community--probably not enough considering the amount of money they bring in, but some. And now they've signed on as a national sponser for Relay for Life, a cause near and dear to my heart. So do I support them because they support a cause I am passionate about?

In a forum on adoption.com recently, someone asked if anyone had tried Wal-Mart formula and if they were pleased with it. Many people responded that their brand was just fine, and other people chimed in with other generics, and the fact that most generics are made by 1 particalur company and that they are all safe. But a few people politely chimed in & in not so many words said that they were boycotting Wal-Mart for different reasons.

Personally, I'm a bit torn on the issue. Bottom line is, usually, I go where things are cheapest, because we are on a BUDGET (note the capital letters here). Therefore, I'm dedicated to getting the most bang for my limited buck. That often leads me to Wal-Mart or Meijer or other Big Box stores for low-priced bargains. I think a lot of people are in the same boat--trying to get the most for your dollar.

Here's where it gets cyclical though--I buy things at Wal-Mart, supporting their empire. The empire grows, they continue to expand, continue to offer cheap things becuase people like me are buying it. Isn't that the point of business? GM wants you to buy cars for the same reason. So why is it accpetable to buy from some companies and not from others?

As far as jobs go, some argue that people employed by Wal-Mart may not have the skills to get a better job anywhere else. That they'd be stocking shelves or cashiering and so forth somewhere, may as well be Wal-Mart. Other people say that because Wal-Mart gives their workers so little, it forces other area stores to give their workers less to stay competitive. Because Wal-Mart prices are so low, suppliers are forced to pay their people less. And when people make less money, their budgets get tighter and where do they go to stretch their dollars? Wal-Mart, of course.

I'm am really curious about this whole Wal-Mart economics things, so I am asking for comments and view points and links to sources where I can find out more.