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A Teeny Tiny Teacher

Full Moon

Happy Three Day Weekend!  I have two and a half more days.  Again, I’m not counting.  Just being informative.
I have to start off this post with a big, huge, enormous shout.
HALLELUJAH!  
MR. CLEAN MAGIC ERASER CLEANED MY TABLE!  IT’S BETTER THAN NEW!
I’m so happy.  (“THO HAPPY!” she said, as tears welled up in her eyes.)  One of my teammates had a magic eraser in her room . . . so she sent a kid over with it, and it was working like magic before it even entered my classroom.  I also got rid of some sharpie marks and a couple of unrecognizable somethings or others.  Thank you to everyone for all of your help!!!!  I feel much better about all things.  In general.  I am a happy person to be around at the moment so stick around.
My play is over!  Thank goodness!  Praise the Lord!  I am so relieved.  Although, it’s always so much fun to rehearse in the library (where we have a stage – the only good thing best part of the library!) with my partner every day.  We do the same play, but we have to do it separately because we can barely fit 32 kids on the stage, much less 64.  So my class will watch hers and vice versa.  And we help each other.  And we always crack up.  It’s a blast.  I would like to teach with her everyday.  We often talk about not having a wall between us.  Although, I think it was put there to ensure that we actually DO teach.
Our play is Three Nanny Goats Gruff.  Much like the Billy Goats Gruff, but this one has GIRL POWER.  Gotta love it.
It’s a musical.  My friend bought it at the teacher supply store.  Don’t be scared, but this is what it looks like.
I have changed the script over the years to fit my needs (and to create some comedy) . . . and to fit in all of these millions of characters.  The lady singing on the cd sounds like an opera singer.  She’s all “Nanneeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee. . . and Goooooooooooooooooats . . ” and I envision her mouth open super wide and she’s in a robe of some sort.  With a lot of makeup and some ringlets.  Can you tell I have never been to the opera?
I tell my kids we will not be singing opera style.  We need the glass in our classroom windows to keep the bugs out.  It also helps keep the kids from escaping.  So we sing in our regular voices and then we move up to the music-only songs.  We’re brave like that.
Many years ago, my partner and I spent a ton of money on large
t-shirts and baseball hats at a swap meet.  A scary swap meet.  An inside swap meet.  But we got a deal so that’s all that matters.  I just know now that I will never go to that swap meet by myself.  Or without a taller person next to me.
Then we asked for volunteers to take the t-shirts and hats home and create something.  It was fabulous.  SEVERAL parents helped.  And then two parents made our backdrop. 
And this is what it looks like . . . 
the stage in the library
(I forgot to say that I inherited that bridge from one of my very first partners.  She moved to a land far away called Missouri and the bridge wouldn’t fit in the Uhaul.  So I inherited it.  Our custodian stores it for us because he doesn’t know how to say no.  It’s his best quality.  The bridge is special and I miss my friend.)
the narrators

the goats

the rabbits

the butterflies

the bumblebees

the raccoons

the terrible trolls

We lysol the costumes each year.  And rinse a little.  But we can’t actually put them in the washing machine due to all of the fur, cotton, string, tails, etc.  They just put the costumes on over their regular clothes – hence, the larger size.  So far, no outbreaks of lice, either.  I’m sure it will happen now that I’ve typed that.  But it’s okay.  As the director, I do not wear a hat.  And it’s Memorial Day weekend so my kids have three days to take care of any shampooing needs that may come up.

My partner and I have to beg the librarian for the use of the stage every year.

I guess beg is the wrong word.  

I think a better word would be bribe.

We get her gift cards.

But she makes little comments every now and then about how she can’t get the songs out of her head or when is this thing going to be over.

We try to rehearse during her lunch hour.

Not because we’re afraid of her or anything silly like that . . . just so that we don’t bother her.  This year, she took the week off.  Hmmmm.   I wonder what that’s about?  I am positive she missed seeing the show.  And the rehearsals.  And the kids running around the library.  

Our rehearsals went great.  Just great.  With the exception of one day in which I had to pull two kids off the stage for goofing around.  Turns out I AM evil as one of my boys with special needs decided to call me when I took away his shoebox filled with a lego creation that he tried to sneak down to recess.  It’s really hard to sneak a shoebox, by the way.  I may be dumb, but I know a shoebox is not a snack.

The day of our play, though, was a different story.

One of my trolls fell down in the middle of it. 

I’d love to say he fell because of his shoelaces.  Or because another kid got too close to him.  Or because he’s clumsy and that’s what first graders do.

But I can’t.

We have our trolls stand on chairs behind the bridge so that they can be seen above everyone when we’re all singing.

And he fell off the chair.

I don’t know how it happened, but we heard a loud BANG! and then he disappeared from sight.  

It was actually a cool trick.  

But it wasn’t supposed to happen.

I heard a little giggling.

And then I heard crying.

A lot.  More than a lot.  He did the ugly cry and then he couldn’t stop.

And he had a solo and he couldn’t do it.  He came out from behind the bridge with the reddest face you’ve ever seen and the hiccup-sobbing-type of cry.

So my first troll got to go twice and he basically stole the show.

I had the fallen troll come sit next to my partner and I.  Down in front.

Well, his mom decided she should try to comfort him.  

Even though he was down on the carpet IN FRONT OF EVERYONE. 

So she came all the way to the front and then bent over to talk to him.

BENT OVER.

IN THE FRONT.

No squatting.  Or kneeling.  Or even bending a little.

I’m talking BENT OVER AND TOUCHED HER TOES BENT OVER.

And she’s . . . well, let’s just say . . . can I say?

Hmmmm.

Let me think.

Yes.

I’ll say it.

Baby Got Back.

One of my other parents told me that there is a full moon blocking her kids (she has twins in my class0 on her taping of the show for about five solid minutes.  And the play is only about 15 minutes total.

And our performance was in the morning so I’m not sure how that full moon got on there.  

But other than that . . . the play went off without a hitch.

If you’re interested in the play, you can check it out {HERE}.  And if you’re super interested (and if I get enough comments about it), I’ll post the scripts, programs, and other stuff I’ve created to go along with it.
As for now, I have to finish my slideshow.  The parents are coming to watch it on Tuesday morning so I don’t have a choice.  
Let’s just hope the full moon ends up on the cutting room floor . . . 

Comments

  2. Jill says

    I would love to see the play information. I love the costumes, so very cute.

    Oh, the full moon, it wouldn't be an activity without something like that. lol

    JIll bubbalulu.blogspot.com

  3. Fonda Jones says

    Oh my goodness!!! I can only imagine the full moon in the library!!! And the really funny thing is that ALL of us thought of the parent in our room that we could insert into your story! Thanks for the giggle!

    I love the idea of putting on a play at the end of school. Great idea! Thanks for sharing!

    Fonda

  4. Tara says

    HAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHA!!!! Full moon!!! That's priceless!!!! What was she thinking????? Come on….I really can't understand how selfish people are….not thinking of the roomful of people trying to watch the program around her behind!!!! That's terrible!

    Ok, magic eraser…..how is it magic. I have used one once before and it's mind boggling how clean it gets stuff….a little scary if ya think about it!!! Ha

    4th Grade Frolics

  7. Laurel Frazier says

    The idea of a play is awesome, but pulling it off is beyond me. Great work!

  8. diditeach says

    There's no business , like show business…….how brave you are to do this after your open house and in the final crazy days of school !!! Would love if you shared more details, enjoy your final days 🙂
    Congrats on the table !!

  9. Miss Squirrels says

    I love it when the booties come in for parties and it's all like "Wow, Look at my butt! Hold on, let me lean over- and then you can see directly down my shirt because I completely gave this wardrobe choice a lot of thought before I came to school today!
    We have one mom (who has a million kids) that we call BOOBS McGEE- she is like a HWoBH without the BH!Staci

    Go Nutty with ME!

    misssquirrels@yahoo.com

  11. Reagan Tunstall says

    I bet you were saying……Nailed it!! When little troll hit the floor and the crying began.

    Yup…Perfectly first grade. 🙂

    Your writing was riveting.
    I can't believe we aren't going to cross paths. I know you are going to have a BLAST celebrating said birthday and watching recitals and hanging with your one and only twin!
    Happy ALMOST Summer!!!!

  12. MOGrandmaH says

    Would love the details of the play. I understand about the booty call. I once had a parent/teacher conference with a cleavage that looked like a baby's bottom. Right there, right smack dab in front of me. What do you do?? I just kept hoping they weren't going to leap out of her shirt and bra. Then later I heard she bent over at the water fountain to get a drink and lost control of one and had a costume malfunction right there in the hallway! Glad I missed that part!! Thanks for the laugh and enjoy your last days of school!

  14. bluesasha says

    I would love to see more of the things you created! This is perfect! Wow on the 32 kids…

  15. Swersty says

    Your blog is hi-lar-i-ous! I bet you keep your teachers in stitches (except for maybe the librarian, which makes me THO SAD)!
    Swersty’s Swap Shop

  16. Miss Kindergarten says

    ahhahahah!! Full moon!! Seriously…I wonder sometimes. And I just read Reagan's comment. BEST NEWS EVER!!! There is a god!!! lol

  17. First Grade Fun says

    Glad your table is all better. The play looks precious. I have a parent who is very large with HUGE breasts and comes to school in tshirts with no bra. We're thinking of having a bake sale to buy her one. LOL!

  18. Traci says

    Totally awesome that you have a stage in the library. I CANNOT believe the librarian must be bribed. Uhm… doesn't the library belong to the school?!

    I love all the costuming. Maybe that mom felt the play needed a moon?

    Sounds cute and like loads of fun.
    ❤Dragonflies in First ❤

  19. Jill says

    My best teaching friend teaches next to me, and our coatrooms back up to each other. We have discussed MANY times how much easier it would be to just knock out the wall and have a mega coatroom. I mean, the convenience of just being able to yell if we need something would definitely offset the whole "40 kids all putting their coats on at the same time" thing, right?

    Marvelous Multiagers!

  20. Diana says

    LOVE the magic eraser! So happy for you and your table! Your librarian needs to go work in a law library or somewhere without kids. Shame shame shame on her. You are too nice, I wouldnt give her gift cards. You owe her nothing. And how can she take the whole week off?
    Happy Summer! We have school until June 22nd.

  21. Kim says

    Oh Kristin:
    I am all about those hats (and the Lysol). I kept scrolling up and down to decide which set I liked the best, and now I feel a little carsick.

    I've been having phantom anxiety attacks… I think it was your table… because I feel so much better now. I bet you can get Magic Erasers at CostCo in bulk. Shall I send you a carton?

    I loved this post–so colorful and organized and happy–and not a moon in sight…

    Happy N0-School Day!

    Kim
    Finding JOY in 6th Grade

  23. Heidi Butkus says

    I'm so glad that your table is all fixed!!!!
    It's funny, I did that Nanny Goats play too, years ago. That's when I decided to write my own plays, and I patterned them after the "operetta for children" style thing that they do for this one, plus the Three Piggy Opera, etc. In fact, I have a bridge that looks a lot like yours that we use for my Gingerbread Man play every year! Thanks for the trip down memory lane!
    🙂
    Heidi Butkus
    http://www.heidisongs.com

  24. Terri says

    I am so glad your table is fixed! Mr. Clean and I are going to have to get better acquainted! I am trying a program for the next to last day of school. Not a play, just songs we sing everyday in Kindergarten. I hope it comes off as well as yours.

    Laughing all the way to tomorrow. 4 more days!
    Terri Izatt
    tizatt@ecsdnv.net

  25. abby says

    I awarded you the One Lovely Blog Award (I'm sure you've been given it before), but come stop by my blog to see 🙂

    Abby
    msalleysclass.blogspot.com

  26. Jodi says

    I just want to come hang out in your classroom for a day. You have the best stories!!
    And, I am so glad that you were able to fix your table 🙂

    Jodi
    Fun In First

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