Overheard.

"Miss Kelle, you're the only girl in here! Don't worry! Us boys will protect you from ANY danger that comes through that door!….. Unless it's a tarantula or a brown recluse. I don't do spiders."

"Don't touch my beauty…." (referring to his lincoln log creation)

"So… did Weston have to break into your house and sneak into your room one night while you were sleeping and then put that ring on your finger without waking you up?"
"No! He asked me if I would marry him and I said yes."
"Oh… Because the ring is so sparkly, right?"

"I'm CRYING because my HEAD is TOO ITCHY!"

"I lost a tooth this morning! I hope the tooth fairy brings me a cardboard box instead of money."

"What do you want to be when you grow up?"
"An ambulance!"
"Like, a person who drives the ambulance?"
"No! The ambulance! I like making this sound with my mouth - weeee woooo weee woooo"

"I found you a wedding dress yesterday when I was looking in a magazine for my piano recital.. It's purple with flowers and butterflies on the top. What size are you?"

"How was your nap?"
"It was infinity congratulations!"

"You can't come to my birthday party because it's going to be in California and you live all the way in America."

"Miss Kelle, who is that?"
"That's Martin Luther King Jr."
"Mmmmm.. chicken nuggets…."
"….What?"
"I love his chicken nuggets!"
"…Whose?"
"Martin Luther Carl's Jr.'s!"

"Wait… So when you marry Weston it's like… He's going to be the author and you're going to be the illustrator?"

"Miss Kelle O! I'm a miner! I'm going to find 100 diamonds in this sandbox and I will share 50 of them with you!"
:: one day later::
me : "How's the mining coming along today? Did you find a diamond for me yet?"
him : "You know what, Miss Kelle… Just buy your own diamond on your phone or something. I'm busy."

This was a school year of insane growth and learning for all of us.

To be honest, at the start of this year I didn't know how I was going to make it all the way through. There were some big challenges and difficult situations that I was quite overwhelmed by at first, but I am coming out of this year a much more confident, experienced teacher, so I'm thankful for every frustrating day and tearful drive home during those first few months. Once we got into the swing of things, I enjoyed this year and this class so much! We made so many memories together that I know I won't forget and I hope they won't either!

 christmas caroling around the school. all of their adorable wedding suggestions. our nature walks. eating "dirt" at the end of our plant life cycle unit. a giant "yellow paper dress" hanging on our window for my birthday. the first time our student with sensory processing disorder bravely flushed the toilet without plugging his ears. celebrating our 100th day of school with an ice cream party. Weston performing their favorite songs for them on a toy piano. making cookies during christmas week. how often they'd request "The Book With No 'Pages'" during story time. when one of my babies had a terrifying seizure in the middle of our classroom. celebrating chinese new year and letting them teach me all about their traditions! 
their cry of "Miss Kelle O!" every time I walked through the door. 

So proud of my soon-to-be kindergarteners!