Friday, January 15, 2010

Today I put the complete date on the post title. I think if I don't do that every now and then, I'll forget exactly when things happened. After all, you might be an 'outlyer' and I could be writing this blog for years! So, so much for the snappy titles.

You are starting to feel the side effects of 'getting' to take the IV chemo again. You are sleeping and have the runs. What's the euphemism for diarrhea, anyway? Speaking of that, my Kevin came to school today after having been out yesterday. He had the same thing, and today had what our nurse's office would call an 'incomplete recovery'. But it was the first time I'd ever seen a kid with the poop on the outside of his pants. His mom came and picked him up, and when the secretary told me, I raised my arms and said, "Praise God!" Then the custodian and I tried to rid my room of any evidence of it. I finally told him to take Kevin's chair away; I'd never be able to feel it was 'poop-free'.

As for my other little friend, Kenneth, he still is clueless about the rules being for him, too. He is off the yard at both recess and lunch until he can assure me he will do exactly what the grown-ups tell him to do. That goes for free choice in the classroom as well. I rewarded him with an alphabet cookie for getting in line and standing straight after lunch. Even though I had put him in the line, he didn't make that connection and I think the cookie had a big impact on him. I might see Kenneth in that line more often now. Andrew has been kicking Edward in the nuts and there is a certain thread of fear running through the class now towards Andrew. I will have to have a meeting with his parents, since I had already had the discreet and polite meeting with Andrew a couple of days ago. And here's the interesting part: Edward didn't want his mother to tell me because he didn't want to get Andrew in trouble. When Laura and Kyle gave me the rundown on their take on my students, they said Andrew was the one I really had to look out for, the scariest one in the class because he's so sneaky. And they weren't just whistling 'Dixie' either!

You are asleep, and I expect you to stay that way most of this three-day weekend. You wanted to go see 'Avatar' sometime. I want to see it too, and I've been told it's great in 3D. I will take one of my euphoric bike rides in the morning tomorrow and, if I'm lucky and it doesn't rain, again on Monday. There is a possibility I can take another one on Sunday but I will have to wait until after church and, most importantly, I will have to do it before 2:00 in the afternoon when the sun crests mid-sky and could be shining in my eyes if I try to ride. What is happening to you, I see, is an instance of the 'unwanted aloneness' my group leader spoke of on Wednesday evening. I would like to do things with friends when you are unavailable, but I never am sure when it is you won't be able to do something with me. I understand you feel alone, too, but in a different way, and what is happening to you is much more powerful and isolating than what I go through.