The Thirteenth

Yesterday we went outside with our iPads.  After talking about First Nations in Indiana, we went out to photograph the resources out there that we would use if we were living out there, in the playground wilderness.  Their photos were terrific.  There was some squabbling, but in the end, we all had a good time.

While we were outside, a friend's class was catching minnows in the creek, so we watched them for awhile.  Most of the minnows out there are called chubs.  They can get quite large.  They're going to free the chubs later.

This same friend's class found a wolf spider in their classroom earlier in the week.  They put it in a jar and named it Webby.  Their plan was to release it later in the week when the weather warmed up.  I offered Webby one of our crickets from Harriet's tank.  Friend Teacher popped it into the jar and Webby jumped on that cricket in a heartbeat, sucking out its inner organs like a pro.  Thankfully, my friend got a great photo of the meal in progress.

One Thirdlander who is normally quite cheerful was cranky when we got back to class.  He wanted to go to the health office because he said he was sick to his stomach.  After awhile he returned, still glum.  As I was reading to the class, he walked up with a post it that said, "Read at home" on one side.  I immediately turned it over to read the back.  It said, "My iPad cracked.  I dropped it outside.  I'm sorry.  It still works though."  I looked over at him and whispered, "It's fine.  Don't worry about that any more."  He perked up after that.  I wish kids would tell me stuff when they're freaking out. I can make many things better when it comes right down to it.

The power went off at 1:20, in the entire school yesterday afternoon.   A tree had fallen outside somewhere, cutting off our power.  I told the kids about Friday the 13th.  Some of them had never heard of the legend of unluckiness surrounding this day.  A Thirdlander asked,  "Is it all the Friday the thirteenths or just the ones in April?"

After we cleared that up,  I convinced the Thirdlanders that we could still get work done in a darkened room.  Our room is super dark because our windows face the atrium, and not the outside world, so this took some doing, but we all got to it and I didn't mind the lack of light so much. After some reading workshop, we decided to get out the knitting looms and just work on our knitting projects.  We talked about our weekend plans.  It got pretty loud with all the cross talk, but that's how it goes sometimes.

The weekend arrived at last, and off I drove to Irish Lion.  I sat outside with Sandra and we ate some Blarney Puff Balls.  Take that, Friday the 13th.  You tried to bring us down, and yet you failed.  Better luck next time. See you in July.