They're heeerrrreeee.........

The babies have arrived! Thankfully, only 20 of the 30+ kids on my list showed up. Trust me, it was plenty. I had one baby show up around 10:45, while we were taking a bathroom break on the way to lunch, who was crying. That turned in to screaming when his mother tried to get him to use the bathroom with us. I just kept doing my thing, as I had 20 other babies to worry about. When we arrived at the lunch room, I realized I didn't hear any screaming. He was gone! I assumed his mother took him home. I guess I'll find out tomorrow, huh?

For the most part, the day was pretty good. The biggest downside was that we are not getting preps this week, AND we were asked to stay with our kids during lunch for the first day. That means we had NO BREAK for the entire day. I don't understand the "no preps" thing this week. What the hell are the prep teachers doing all freakin' week?! They certainly aren't helping us out in any way. It must be nice to have an entire week to do nothing! Ok, take a deep breath, let it go....

There definitely was a whole new vibe going on at the Hell-Hole today. It was actually quiet practically the entire day. That's not something we're used to around there. Most of the kids were in uniform, and wow, what a visual impact that had! When I went out on the playground to get my kids in the morning, I was blown away by all the kids dressed in their blue and white. And, on top of that, the whole staff was "in uniform." It was kinda cool, I gotta admit.

Being out on the playground in the morning was actually kind of nice, since I got to see all my "old" babies. They look like they've actually grown in the short 6 weeks we were off! Plus, I got to see ALL of my former babies, since the whole school was out on the playground.

I ended up staying until about 5:15, since I had some things I wanted to do during the day, but you know, the whole no break thing... I also got a chance to talk to New Principal for about a half hour about some things I've been wondering/worrying about. I got 3 of the "big" things squared away - graduation, rest time, and snack time. I was afraid she was going to make me start doing graduation again, but after talking it out, she decided we were NOT going to do it. As far as rest time and snack time, she said I could keep them both. Oh, happy day!! She was actually excited to hear that I usually take the babies outside, on the front steps, to eat their snack (because I try to avoid the mess in my classroom). I asked if I could take them out to read to them, which made her even more excited. She then commented on her informal observations from the day. She said, "I really like the way you talk to the babies. I've been listening to you today. I like how you let them know that you are like their mommy while their here, and that you are in charge. You are the queen." I laughed out loud because I said that very thing to my babies today. I tell my babies every year that my classroom is my "castle" and that I am "The Queen." They, in turn, are all my princes and princesses. I wonder if she actually overheard me say that to them, or if we just enjoy using the same analogies.

So, it would seem that I'm starting off on the right foot with New Principal. (I hope that by the end of the week, I can come up with an appropriate nickname for her!) However, I technically am already behind on some things, such as lesson plans. I didn't turn any in on Monday, like she asked us to. There are a few other things that she wants by this Friday (time distribution sheets, class lists, and such) so I'm going to try hard to get them done in time. I'd like to stay on her good side, for sure!

Seeing how I didn't walk in my door til after 7:30, I'm completely exhausted. I'm sure a lot of that has to do with the fact that my room is about 110 degrees. You would think I'd be able to lose a pound of two with as much as I was sweating today! I know, ewwww! It's time to hit the sack. Let's hope tomorrow goes as well as today did!