Near-Perfect Day

So the kid came to my school today and was treated like royalty. As a result, she is being a class A dunderhead at the moment.

She spent the first part of the afternoon in Mrs. S's room, where she made a lovely paper-bag robin and participated in a variety of bean-planting activities. Then it was off to the Charlotte Diamond concert which, by all accounts, was great. She was picked to go onstage to be the back part of a "walking bus" (Mrs. S was the front of it), and for that privilege received a signed thank-you card from Charlotte Diamond.

After the concert was over, she was escorted out to my portable by several of my students. Some of them ran ahead to tell me, "She doesn't want to come."

"Oh," I said, surprised. "Well, she doesn't have to. If she wants to stay with the grade ones, that's okay."

"She won't leave the doorway."

"Really? Why not?"

"She's telling everyone, 'I made a picture, and then I got to go on the stage, and....'"

"Ah," I said. "She's too busy talking. I see. I think she'll come in a minute."

Sure enough, the remainder of my student emissaries arrived shortly thereafter with Spilly in tow. She made a grand entrance and then made a beeline for one of my students, Jamal, who is her favourite (he is very funny to her, but also an enigma because he does not like chocolate ice cream and she cannot understand how anyone cannot like chocolate ice cream). She sat beside him, and he fed her sour candies.

We were in the middle of a rehearsal for our class show (we've written our own musical version of Anne of Green Gables). She sang along with gusto, despite knowing none of the words. Whenever Jamal sang or stood, she did too. And she deeply enjoyed the accolades from all sides (grade six girls are very fond of tiny people).

Then it was back to Mrs. S's room after school for a debrief about it all. We hung out doing experiments for a bit (it is cool to watch air bubbles come up through soil, when you pour water on top of it) and listening to Charlotte Diamond's latest song on the CD player. While we were busy with these activities, the classroom phone rang. Charlotte Diamond was just leaving and wanted to say good bye. So the three of us trooped down to the foyer, and I got a chance to meet Charlotte Diamond! Very cool. She embraced Mrs. S (Mrs. S has this effect on people), and we all chatted for a few moments. I got to tell her that she has been a really big part of our family. Then off she went, and off we went.

Once we were home, we were convinced that we needed a walk in the glorious sunshine. So we took ourselves off to the convenience store that's about twenty-five minutes away, and Spilly got to choose an ice-cream treat!

Now she's in the bath, warbling away. I don't expect her to stay there for long though, as she's already gotten out twice to come and see what I am doing. This is utterly against the rules, but I have a feeling she thinks this is a day on which rules are suspended. Sigh.