Day 4 - the first week

I was locked in the stall with a seven year old. A seven year old male child. In-the-boy's-bathroom.  He didn't want to come out, so he locked himself in. He opened the door a crack to see me and I let myself in. well rather pushed myself in. Safer or so I thought. now you must remember ...stall...locked... tight... close...very close...claustrophobia anyone?.

Me: I'm tired, I'm going to sit.
Male Child: you can't sit on the toilet unless you pull your pants down.
Me: I'm tired I'm sitting.
Male Child: Pull your pants down. you have to pull your pants down before you sit on the toilet."
Me: okay then, I have magic. it's not a toilet its a chair! "
and then I sat. and then he was quiet. Stunned actually.
Male Child: you're sitting on the toilet with your pants on.
Me: I'm sitting in a chair. this is a chair now. My pants are on it must be a chair.
(his face registered "logical"...I think).

We were in there for some time. So much time that my issues with the smell, the lack of space, the strangeness of it all disappeared. It was just this young man and me - trying to come to some agreement about how and when we were getting out of this stall.

me - magic, creativity, set of the pants,
him - amazement, boredom, connection
results - out of the stall and into the classroom -  priceless

August, 2011 

Mother's Day 2011

Dear Son and Dear Daughter with me on Mother's Day 2011

On Mother's Day 2011, I had ALL of my children--my children, my children's spouses, my children's children--with me. I was quite happy.

Audio Books 2010

JAMES BALDWIN
The Fire Next Time
CHANG-RAE LEE
The Surrendered
ANITA DIAMANT
The Last Days of Dogtown
GERALDINE BROOKS
Year of Wonders®
People of the Book®
AUDREY NIFFENEGGER
The time traveller's wife
BEBE MOORE CAMPBELL
What you owe me ®
72 Hour Hold
JENNIFER CHIAVERINI
The Master Quilter
The Lost Quilter
The Winding Way Quilt
JOHN GRISHAM
Skipping Christmas
Playing for Pizza
The King of Torts
The Appeal
The Broker
ROBERT LUDLUM
The Bourne Betrayal
the Bourne Deception
The Bourne Legacy
The Bancroft Strategy
PHILIP MARGOLER
The Fugitive
NEVADA BARR
Blind Descent
Hunting Season
OCTAVIA E. BUTLER
Kindred-®
RON CARLSON
The Signal
KRIS RADISH
Searching for Paradise in Parker, PA
JHUMPA LAHIRI
The Namesake
DONNA LEON
Through a glass darkly (#15) - A Guido Brunetti book -20 in the series
Blood from a Stone (#14) - A Guido Brunetti book -20 in the series
CHIMAMANDA NGOZI ADICHIE
Half of a Yellow Sun®