Simple Joys

Being a teacher, I daily get to appreciate the simple joys in life...or in the lives of my students...

This week...

Having a little boy come in with his hair slicked so tight to one side of his head...he was so proud he did it himself because it was so hard to do - "I had to put a towel around my neck and stick my head in the sink...then I used a lot gel so it stays that way...it still feels wet(as it is dripping down his neck)".

My students were so pumped to get a "Sweet roll and coffee" to celebrate Christmas just like in Sweden...it was really a day old cinnamon roll and root beer...easy to please.

A student coloring the halos near the heads of Mary and Joseph in a Nativity scene coloring sheet yellow..."I was thinking it might be the light of Christ"...how true it is.

Getting 1000 hugs a day...even when I don't deserve them.

Hearing 70 2nd graders singing Frosty the Snowman at the Christmas program last night...wearing hats and scarves...it brought me back to the Minnesota winter days.

Hearing 26 little voices singing along with This Little Light of Mine while working on a report about bats.

When asked how far Mexico is from Orange County, a student replied...very far, I think like 7 miles.

After receiving a present in his shoe from St. Nicholas in the hallway at school while studying Christmas in Germany a little boy yells "I'm doing this every night" and a little girl replies -"He won't find you...he knows your not German!"

It's the little things that make me smile...I have all those little joys everyday...and for that I am thankful!