Early To Rise

It is 5:30 Saturday morning and I cannot sleep. A Pacific Northwest lullaby; the consistent drumming of raindrops on the roof and at the windowpanes, is unable to work it's magic with me today. I stayed up relatively late last night too (11:00) so I am not sure 'what gives' with my sleepless state. I DO know I am on cloud nine to have put report cards behind me because that leaves this weekend pretty much unfettered. Also the cold that struck me like a ton of bricks on Tuesday, is now easing up and I can breathe through my nose most of the time.
Yesterday I brought my worm bin to school for the kids to see. They have just finished looking at nightcrawlers and redworms in our classroom Science program and I thought they would enjoy seeing redworms enmass making rich black soil. I also brough in my kitchen waste can to show them what the worms eat. Alot of "OH YUCK!" greeted that exposure. They were incredulized and I don't think they really belived that the worms MAKE the dirt and to tell you the truth I find the whole process pretty amazing myself. I dumped worm-made soil onto a blue tarp and the kids sifted through it with plastic spoons squealing and calling out to each other as they found worm eggs and pillbugs and at least one tiny slug along with lots of worms. While half of the class examined the worms the other half tore up newspaper for the worm bin bedding. I showed them four pounds of newspaper and explained the worms needed a place to escape from all the food and waste and that was the function of the shredded newspaper bedding. As they tore and tore and tore that newspaper, one wide eyed little girl asked, "Do you do this EVERYDAY Mrs. G?" I had an inside chuckle at that one. I could just imagine her thinking of me at home every night, tearing up newspaper as I sit in my living room. Another enthusiastic paper tearer said, "Maybe the worms don't sleep in the newspaper, maybe they read it!" Everyone laughed at that one.
I always like it when a Friday flows smoothly and I look at my kindergartners and I realize how much they have grown together as a class, and I am struck with how much I love teaching.

The 3:05 bell rings and they are still sitting there, listening and looking closely at the book Spring Is Here by Taro Gomi trying to figure out just how does that author/illustrator blend that calf into the landscape? Then off I send them: 6 to buses, 6 to our childcare, and the remaining dozen give me hugs or high fives and are out the front door into the arms of waiting moms and dads.