Kids say the darndest things

Since my return to the real world, I have not had any new tales from the great outdoors to share on my blog. With the exception of a fishing trip in the mountains, I have not really had the time to get out. I've spent most of my time catching up with my family and friends and of course I've been wrapped up in the back to school craziness. Things are beginning to slow down slightly for me and now I am beginning to miss terribly combing the beaches of the Pacific, the wild Montana skies, the ganduer of Yosemite Valley, the scenery and wildlife around Jackson Hole, Wyoming and most everything about Utah, especially the vibrant sunsets over the Great Salt Lake.

A friend of mine asked me when I came home, "Are you tired of being outdoors and traveling around?" I looked at him as if he had a horn growing from the center of his forehead and replied, "Are you kidding me? How could I ever be tired of seeing beautiful things and feeling that peace that I cannot find anywhere else?" He then looked at me as if I had a third horn growing from my forehead, shook off my comment, and said, "Well, good then. Let's plan a camping trip soon."

Though it is still incredibly hot and sticky, I know my favorite camping season is just around the corner, Fall! There is nothing like relaxing beside a rushing stream under the clear blue skies of a cool and colorful day. I love to hear wind through the trees and the leaves tapping the top of my tent, sounding much like raindrops. Needless to say, I am looking forward to planning that camping trip!

Just because I have not been outdoors much this month, doesn't mean that I haven't been having adventures. Most of this adventures have occurred in the classroom, however. These kids keep me so busy that I feel at least 10 years older. (And keep in mind that I am no wuss when it comes to endurance and completed a 20 mile hike in one day...yes, I had to brag on myself again!)

How would I describe my new class? They aren't particularly bad or extremely mischeivious. The only problem I am having with them is their limited ability to listen to and follow directions the first time given. That's not unexpected as this is only the third week of school. But they keep me on my toes because they are quite a bunch of characters. Here is a sample of some of the conversations from the classroom...

The "stupid" Conversation:
Two boys are having a discussion on why you shouldn't call someone else stupid.
Boy 1 says to Boy 2: "Well, it's not a bad word! And you are stupid!"

Boy 2 to Boy 1: "It is a bad word!"

Boy 2 looking to me for back up: "Ms. Outdoorsy Girl, Boy 1 said I am stupid! Is stupid a bad word?"

Me: "It is not a bad word, but it is not a nice thing to say to one of your friends. I think you should apologize to Boy 2."

Boy 1 insincerely mumbles: "Sorry."

Me to Boy 1: "That's better. You shouldn't ever call someone a hurtful name, whether you think it's a bad word or not."

Boy 1 announces to me: "Ms. Outdoorsy Girl, my dad says bad words all the time."

Me: "Oh no. Really?" (with a forced partially sad/partially disgusted look upon my face.)

Boy 1, sounding rather proud: "Yeah...You wanna hear 'em?"

Me (trying not laugh): "No, those words can't come to school."

Boy 2: "Well, I don't say bad words! My daddy said if I said bad words he'd beat my ass!"

The Grown Up Conversation
Girl makes a drawing in her journal after our science study of comparing watermelon seeds to apple seeds. Girl draws an apple tree and what appears to be a girl picking the apples.

Me: "That's a great drawing. I see you drew a girl picking the apples from the tree."

Girl speaking in exasperated voice: "That's not a girl! It's a woman. Can't you tell by the shape?!"

At this point, I noticed that it was not a third arm coming from her drawn girl/woman's chest but something else.

The Returning Conversation
After a nice break Friday with the absence of a student (due to illness) who likes to cause disruption and arguments, the student walks into the room this morning apparantly feeling much better. She immediately began to aggravate other students.

One of the aggravated students looked up from her book, sighs loudly and says: "Oh brother! Not you again. I wish you were still sick. I had such a good day on Friday."

Yes, it appears that this year will entertaining to say the least.