03.08.2003 | 9:20 pm

Friday in the nut tree was calm and almost sedate. The squirrels studied for spelling and took a test, then played outside in the beautiful blue skied desert. We weren�t able to have our special, PE, because the PE teacher was busy doing field day with Kindergarten and second grade. I took the little people out to another part of the playground and they played and played. It was truly a shame that we had to go in for lunch. The PM was uneventful as they made a Chinese New Years Wreath. Here is a great web site for oodles of craft ideas for primary aged children. They e-mail me once a month with updates. I have used many of their ideas for craft projects. The neat thing about this site is that it is run by a �mom & pop� team. They create crafts that don�t require tons of expensive do-dads from Michael�s or the local craft store. It is great for a teacher on no budget!

Target sucked me in last night, as hubby was on a Scout hike and I had some shopping to do. My niece and a colleague from school are both getting married next Saturday. I printed out their wish lists and set to work, trying to decide what to get each bride. I found a very functional food processor which my niece wanted, and a big 19 piece OXO Good Grip set for my teacher friend. Then I wandered over to the spring-time/bunny/candy isle. Oh dear�I am now the proud protector for three life-like bunnies, which will bring a smile to the squirrels as they enter the classroom each day. I also found the cutest metal basket, brightly decorated with spring time colors, to keep the rabbits company on the cubby shelf with pens and the roll card. Ahh spring�a good reason to splurge and redecorate!

James and I stayed up late last night looking for pictures of �Baby,� our best, dumbest cat ever. On Friday I read the story of �Mrs. Katz and Tush� by Patricia Polacco. It is the story of a young black boy who befriends an older Jewish woman from Poland. Mrs. Katz has no family and is quite lonely. As they become acquainted, she tells Larnel, the boy, about many Jewish traditions and holidays. He becomes very interested in her way of life and history. One day Larnel brings Mrs. Katz a new friend. She is a little runt kitten with no tail. My kitty Baby, was also a little runt kitten with no tail. The pictures that Patricia Polacco drew for this story are almost a mirror image of my cat. As I read through the story, I stopped to interject details about my kitty with no tail, and how similar the two cats were. I had not read this book for at least a year and certainly not since my own cat had become sick and died. I had a bit of a hard time getting through the story. As I let the children know that Baby had indeed, died, I looked down to see Katie brushing tears away from her eyes. How sweet is that? I told her I was sad when Baby died, but that I was fine now. I told Katie, �Sometimes I just miss Baby so much because he needed me so much��I was loved. Everyone needs that feeling in their life.

catsnapples~ in first grade and at life

OUCH!! Reality check hurts!
Take the What High School Stereotype Are You? quiz, by Angel.

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