Another post about my students--get used to it--I live and breath school and sometimes for weeks at a time, nothing else.

Today I had noon recess duty.
A little girl who is in the 4th grade, not in my class, but I still know her well--she is a well known character, came up behind me and started rubbing my shoulders.
The kids this week have started offering me shoulder rubs and who am I to deny it? My back and neck hurt all the time, all I do is walk around, stand, sit on a wobbly stool, and apparently sleep in positions that really hurt my neck in the morning.

Amazing quote number 1 from shoulder rub experience:
Miss Pritz: "thanks, Lily"
Lily: "how did you know it was me?"
Miss Pritz: "I have eyes in the back of my head"
Lily: "that's right. All women do. I'll get mine one day when I am older."

Amazing quote number 2 from shoulder rub:
---Lily moves from rubbing my shoulders to my neck and then to my cheekbones for some reason............
Lily: "Does that feel good?"
Miss Pritz: Sure.
Lily: "I am not really sure what I am rubbing anymore."

Then my little friend begins to scamper off and as she runs away into the field I hear the beginnings of the tale she is beginning to tell to her brave companion....
Lily: "One time when I was in another country, and it was a chinese new year..........."

Oh to have a limitless imagination with no fear of what others think.

I teach 4th grade.
A very important part of my relationships with my students is affection. A lot of my students may not have anyone hug them all day. It is important to me that I can give them plenty of affection throughout the day in my classroom. I also want them to feel safe and comfortable with me and much more willing to embrace and share affection.
One way I ensure that we have some type of contact during the day is as they leave the classroom at the end of the day I stand in the doorway and say, "high five, hug, or handshake?" and the kids know to pick one. Some kids just immediately hug me and some prefer the high five, then there are some of my charmers who consistently do all three.

Now, I have been cautious to give my 4th grade boys side hugs, because let's face it, I am a young teacher and they know it. Some are so tall side hugs are only appropriate. Some are still so small I have to bend over to hug them and or they hug me around the waist.

Today one of my most entertaining, sweet, talkative, loving, and quite small male students was hugging me in the doorway. He was full on around my waist and said "I just love hugging you!", I said, "why?" and he said, "you're soooo soft". Hmmmmm. I need to get back to side hugs.

Autumn, what a wonderful word.

I realize I haven't posted in forever so it is a little bizarre of me to just randomly write instead of recap, but I don't care--recap involves way too much thinking for me today!

I have the day off of school and it is rainy and autumny outside and I love it!

Random Spur of the Moment Reasons I love Autumn:

1. Sweaters that tie or wrap

2. Boots and tights

3. Pashminas, Pashminas, Pashminas, with everything please.

4. Baking--Carol's homemade bread, pumpkin pie, cranberry-orange bread, etc.

5. Football games--believe it or not I love going to or watching high school and college football games! So fun and maybe one of the few competitive things I enjoy.

6. Tea--Nambarrie, the wonderful tea of Northern Ireland, that I still have stock of today even though the last time I was there was 3 years ago...I kind of want to run out so I can go again soon!

7. Orange--I love the color, it is a part of me (aka I have ginger hair), and it surrounds me in this Oklahoma fall

Back to tea--I am sitting in my nightgown and mukluks watching Project Runway drinking my splendid Irish Tea and feeling super homesick for Northern Ireland, maybe it is the rainy gloomy weather that seems so Irish today!

In honor of that here are some of my favorite shots of my travels on that enchanted Emerald Isle!