1. Brylan doesn't get his way. He cries. His mom lets him come. Very sneaky, young man. You know how to play this game.
2. The kids all take the elevator and I take the steps. All of them look petrified when they get off the elevator. Brylan had hit all of the elevator buttons, including the emergency button. Apparently, 911 comes on the line and they all freak out and hush each other up. Looks like I, too, will be taking the elevator next time.
3. Brylan decides he is hungry and cries because I won't let him leave the library (because we JUST got there). He completely forgets he is hungry and instead INSISTS he reads me I Can Read With My Eyes Shut. He knew the whole first and last page by heart. However, he has to ask "what's that word?" for almost EVERY word throughout the rest of the book. Sometimes he would try to guess a word (usually the hardest word on the page, like wonderful or Mississippi), but his only guess would be "Dr. Suess?"
4. Brylan seemingly knows the words to every hip hop song and mumbles along in the car. We get in to Kroger and he sings "Put it down on YOUUU" (okay, maybe not ALL the words). Everyone in sight looks over at us. The girls and I double over laughing at the goof-ball. Thank goodness other people laugh too.
5. Brylan insists on getting chocolate syrup. Comes back to the cart with Strawberry Syrup. Gets angry at me when I tell him its not chocolate.
6. We get to my apartment and he (having been here before) runs right to my keyboard, turns on one of the automatic songs and starts dancing like he's straight out of a hip hop video.
7. After the girls discover my 5lb hand weights and start to do some goofy exercises, Brylan gets upset with them and tells the to stop. He says "Girls don't exercise!! Only boys get strong!"
8. Before leaving, Brylan managed to spill ice cream, pizza and a popsicle on my floor, and spit up juice on the table cloth. (Don't judge me for having given so much sugar to a 6-year-old right before I take him home!!)
Today I LEARNED that kids can make you laugh in a way that no one else does. They don't mean to make you laugh and they sometimes get mad at you when you do laugh.
And sure, I laughed quite a bit today, but I also had a few important teaching moments. The girls asked me about my opinion on "relationships" before marriage and having babies without being married. We talked about college and what they want to be when they grow up. I was able to turn Brylan's "only boys get strong" comment into a discussion on violence against women and girls. And I mean a discussion, not a lecture. These kids are amazing. The more we get to know each other, the more we learn from each other.
The first time any of the girls have come to my apartment, each of them have said "I wish you were my mom" when they are alone with me. It breaks my heart. I LEARNED that kids make you tear up just as much as they make you laugh. They are open, enthusiastic and sincere and they inspire me to stay that way too.
No comments:
Post a Comment