"Sit down, stop talking, and complete your spelling work"

Dear readers and cats, excuse the absence. My feet have been swollen for the last two weeks. My voice horse. I have never slept better in my life.

The last two weeks I have been getting up at dawn to go to school to teach second grade. Did my poor teachers wake up so early? Some of my colleagues are there at 7 AM. Waking up before 6 should be illegal in my humble opinion.

The adventures with a class of 17 little people are more than interesting. So many dramas, tears, joys and rages occur in the span of a day where I haven't encountered them in the last ten years. I forgot how magical seven-year olds can be. How their imagination is as big as giants, their emotions vulnerable like volcanoes and their forgiveness easy like McDonalds Happy Meals. I forgot how raw feelings are in children, how they don't hold back. Jealousy is dealt with by stealing the desired toy car or pulling the pretty curly hair. Anger is dealt with sincere screams of rage (with those who don't have parents teaching them otherwise). And little boys of 7 start to show traits of little men: hiding their fever, having little egos, showing off to girls, and getting utterly confused with the smell of pizza.

I have enjoyed leading the little ones as they learn. The most stubborn students are my favorite. I feel most satisfaction when the terrible listener finally listens and understands how to subtract. I feel some sort of joy when the reluctant reader finally realizes the difference between "there, their and they're" and nothing beats the happiness when the little one who is the "bad kid" comes to tell on himself rather than repeating the offense they love to commit.

My feet have never hurt more in my life. Being a teacher definitely isn't for me, but while it lasts I will try to teach the little kids something good and enjoy remembering what it was like when I was 7.

For now, I will prop my swollen feet on the couch, and try to relax, maybe do some online "window shopping". Good things I will never buy but relax me are as follows:

Yes and yes. Thank you very much.

I will never forget to feed the Fat Cat if my morning coffee cup has this.

What every vet should own.

Pearls and cats. Life doesn't get much better than this!