Kindergarten Pep Talk

Anyone who knows me, knows that my least favorite group to teach at school has to be kindergarten. They are sticky, sometimes smelly, and get lost very easily. They like to sing and skip; two things that I am particularly not good at. On days I teach kindergarten classes I usually give my self a pep-talk.  It goes something like this...

"Come on, Traci. It is only 30 minutes. You can do anything for 30 minutes."

"They are small people. You have two small people at your house. You have never lost one of them."

"Just smile, breathe and read."

But every once in awhile the kinders surprise me. Take today for instance. 

Student: "Mrs. Chun, did you know that I am growing new skin?"

Me: "Excuse me?"

Student: "Yes! You heard me! I am growing new skin!"

Me: "Hmm... in a certain spot or just all over?" (Why did I ask this question??)

Student:  "Just here (pointing to elbow). Oh and my foot."

As he tried to pull up his sleeve to show me the "new skin," I politely told him I believed him one hundred percent and he didn't need to show me his elbow or foot or any other "new skin."  I was a little grossed out but it did make me giggle.

Then on the walk back to class, one girl told me I had on a pretty shirt.  When I said, "Thank you" the compliments started flowing.  That is the thing with kindergartners; once one does something, they usually all follow. One has to potty...they all have to potty. One strays from the line... they all stray from the line. You get the picture. Because of this I was told in no less than 2 minutes: I had pretty hair, my shirt was pretty, I was nice, I had pretty earrings, I was a good reader... you get the idea.  It was a fantastic walk back to kindergarten.

Maybe teaching kindergarten isn't so bad??  I have a new pep talk to go over in my head....

"Get one kid to give you a compliment and they all will say something nice about you!"

I did have to wash my hands upon dropping them off but I didn't lose a single student. I may just have to practice my skipping.    

Basketball, Oreos & Fits

It was an exciting weekend here at the Chun house. Cooper played great during his basketball game on Saturday. When I say "played great" this didn't mean he scored or even had an assist. It means he only fell on the floor thirteen times and fouled the other team twice.  His friend Gavin's dad refers to Cooper as the "Charles Barkley of kid basketball."  We lost the game 14 to 0 but my kid didn't get into any on-court fights or push anyone down so I will go ahead and call that a win.

Carter enjoyed his first ever Oreo cookie. He wasn't so sure about it at first but like all of us in the Chun family, he took to the cookies fairly quickly. I will probably be finding black bits of cookie for the next week in my kitchen. Okay, let's be honest.  The crumbs will still be around next month.

Carter meets Oreo.

I even had an exciting moment this weekend. No, it wasn't the trip to Fabric Depot or the Oscars (although they were both pretty great). My exciting moment happened when I demolished the front fender of my car. Have you ever seen someone with a huge dent in their front fender and wondered.. "How would someone possibly get a dent there?"  I will tell you.  You park in a parking spot with a yellow cement post nearby. You start backing up, look over your shoulder as you crank the wheel, and BAM! Yellow post meet Traci's fender. Was it embarrassing? Yes. Did I curse? You know it.  Did I cry? Maybe a little.

  

"Charles Barkley" rode home with David so I threw a mini-fit the whole way home. Nothing that a package of Oreo cookies and a used fender can't fix. 

3rd grade math

When you work as a librarian at an elementary school and a substitute teacher doesn't show up... they ask you. That is how I ended up teaching 3rd grade math today.  And even though I work in a school and am a certified teacher, I have not a clue how to teach 3rd grade math.

After turning on no less than 4 pieces of technology, reading 3 pages of single spaced notes, and drinking 2 large cups of coffee, I was ready.  Or so I thought.  Math is hard. 3rd graders can be harder.

Now keep in mind, I know these kids! I know each and everyone of them by name. I can tell you what reading level they read at and what books they enjoy. They KNOW I am a teacher.  Or so I thought.

"You are our SUB??"

"Are you sure the office knows you are the teacher?"

"Who asked you to be here?"

"Are you going to teach us or are we just doing library stuff?"

and my favorite...

"Mrs. Chun, have you ever taught like, um, real 3rd grade?"

Um, like, no.

We survived. They maybe even learned a little math.  

And as for my 3rd grade math.... I am still working on my rounding.

Well...here goes...

Welcome to Chuns of Fun. This is a place to check out if you want to see the madness that makes up my life.  It may not be glamorous or sophisticated, but it's my life. It's now or never. (Cue Bon Jovi song).  


As I type my first ever blog post, I have a 10 month old in a high chair wearing about 19 Cheerios and a 7 year old running round the family room in his underwear and mismatched socks.  I just realized that Cooper is wearing the same underwear for the second day in a row. Did I not wash 8 loads of laundry this weekend? Did he run out in 4 days? I thought the bad hygiene didn't kick in until middle school... maybe my boy is an overachiever?? 


Too bad it is 8:06 and already my bedtime. I need to try and get a bag packed for the baby tomorrow, a lunch packed for the big kid and get my kitchen somewhat cleaned up. Is it wrong that sauce from dinner two nights ago is still stuck to my stove?


Maybe tomorrow's post won't have as many questions.... maybe I will figure out how to post pictures.....maybe Cooper will put on clean underwear.... stay tuned.