best day muscles tell me

     I am so proud of  my kids!! ~ When they follow directions in class ~ When they do their brain gym exercises in an orderly manner ~ When they lead their classmates, counting up to twenty with their arms outstretched in front of them, as we do in "Superman" ~ When one gains new habits, starting his capital letters at the TOP and pulling the line DOWN. It is their "willingness to try" that pleases me. I see them as WRITERS, ENGINEERS, PROBLEM SOLVERS, and LEADERS. 

     His morning exercises completed, one crouches on top of an flattened cardboard box with FLAPS, reaching forward to grab the lid with both hands, busy in silence, going as far as this moment allows. He is affirmed for his effort, with this teacher's promise of another try on Monday.

    One stands occupied, studying the teacher sheets left out on the desktop, with her left foot crossed over her right foot, arms criss-crossed, hands entwined, still and focused, in a HOOK-UP. Her furtive eyes considering today's writing worksheet, pondering the meaning of TOP DOWN.
 
    Wednesday was the best day.********

There were music tracks from my "Chromosone" recording that released excitement. Sample: Dancing Medley 11:00 minutes  (Dancing With the Chromosone by Karl Marxhausen 2000, Cry of My Heart by Terry Butler 1991, I Could Sing by Martin Smith 1994) (Chromosone, Karl Marxhausen, 2000, vocals with guitar, 14 songs)The thrill of new material. video from which I learned that Mike Lyon is interested in the line work in his mammoth woodcuts. Submitted photos and videos from the KC Print Society gang have me all fired up, yee-oww!!

Affirmation from my brain gym supervisor at Field School gave me bearings.

Listening to Ms. Price read from Hatchet by Gary Paulsen took my mind back to a boat I made out of sticks and grass stems when I was 16 years old (above). In Hatchet, the main character was stripping a willow branch of bark to make a bow to get food for himself out in the woods, near the lake where the plane he was in crash landed. Just the kind of story the "boy-in-me" liked to imagine. 

After lunch it was all of us out on the asphalt shooting basketball hoops. Two fourth graders skirmishing against "this old dude." Taking the game lightly, in a goofy manner, swishing baskets in my mind, the boys hitting all their shots, the joy of getting along, taking turns, giving respect. And it was SO GOOD that my lower back started talking to me all about it when I was back in the classroom, after recess. My muscles talked to me for two days and then gave it up, Wednesday was that good.

By 3:30 pm, back in Carrollton, the energy was granted to pour THREE HOURS into Ms.Tilghman's presentation on east India wood block textiles.

++++++++++++++++++++++ nice !!!