Pure Joy

It's the only emotion I see in these preschoolers when they're truly happy and I think this is the best form of therapy to de-stress. It's only been 3 weeks and I am positive that I want to work around these 'big boys and girls' in the future. I've been around people my age or older for so long I forgot what it means to be a kid. Their lives are so simple. Their emotions vary from complete glee to jealously issues based on the most basic things. When you look at them and interact with them, there emotions are on their sleeve, you won't find a hidden agenda (unless they want something). Most kids don't know what psychological games are, they're too young to realize that they're capable of. For the most part, they're the ideal stage of a human being before the scary world molds them into adults.

I can't exactly say I envy their lifestyle because you can only get so far with your "please" and "thanks yous". Their emotions are easily changed by simple bargaining and negotiation. My internship work is finally kicking in. A kid would suddenly scream because a fellow preschooler happened to be playing on the same mat as him. I would simply come in, tell the second kid to move and the first kid would happily play by himself. No grudge and all is well. Yes the screaming does make them sound like a pain but you get used to it. It's the only way they really communicate. I also noticed that kids at this age tend to play with toys by themselves. It makes me question when the "sharing stage" starts. I sure hope it's kindergarten!

My favorite moments so far:

• When Eric, who is super shy, started to babble to himself out loud (not mumble) about shapes when we played with clay; he started to recite other shapes such as pentagons and octagons.
• The twins singing about grammar rules; "When you read a comma, pause! When you read a period, wait a little!"
• Selena stopped crying when I put a bandage on her scraped knee, she hung around me for the rest of recess and wouldn't let go of my hands. I'm a human swing set.
• Ashton hiding in the classroom because he couldn't give his baby brother a cupcake. We lured him out with a purple ball that he carried around in his arms.
• Alvaro jabbering about Wall-E and Finding Nemo endlessly for 3 hours.
• Tyler bringing in his "permission slips" to class for us to sign when they're just coloring pages of Sesame Street.
  
• Eric gets pushed around on the playground and the bully is getting a time out. The bully comes back with a teacher to apologize, Eric takes one look and calls the kid "evil" and walks away.
• Fixing traffic jams on the "car track" outside when the bikes and wagons get stuck. The kids love "Red Light, Green Light.
  
• David C. screaming with delight at the sight of popped popcorn and bubbles. It's also a sight to see him after snack time, his face is always covered in yogurt or pudding.
• Having long silly conversations with Tyler because he's the only one that can hold a semi-coherent one for more than two sentences. He's fairly intelligent. I was Captain Pickle today.
  
• Learning that Katie will make up gibberish when she can't explain herself.
• Adrianna is in love with chasing after bubbles, even if she falls in the process (she just gets up and keeps on going).
• The kids obsess over the idea of camping but no one's actually gone camping.
• They call me Miss Anne or Teacher Anne...10% of the time, but the fact that I get that title sounds so official.
  

I love these kids to death and I'm afraid I'm too attached. They make my day even if I have to be up early to work with them. I'm thinking of something I can do or make for them as a goodbye present for the last week. For the teachers, too! I've just been surrounded by a great group of people and I'm glad I made that first phone call in June.