A RoCkY Eggy Day

What started as a cute gesture has become a ritual. I am now a proud owner of a pile of rocks delivered in person by none other that Abdulaziz at the beginning of each school day. And the crazy part is, I absolutely love them!

Then throughout the rest of the day, at every opportunity (during recess, or the many times he manages to escape from class) he'd barge into my room to check on his dear collection.
His visits are, well, unique. I don't think he's capable of standing still for more than half a second even if he tried (not that he ever does). Having him around is like living in Florida during the hurricane season. He's a destructive force of nature. He's literally always on top of something, under something or maneuvering full speed around something. Nothing and I mean NOTHING in class hasn't been touched, picked up, thrown, squeezed, shaken and ultimately tasted by him. He seems to base his opinion about almost everything in life by how they taste. And yes, I honestly mean everything. I have seen him put stuff in his mouth that would make you yell out in horror. I know I did.

I haven't been able to get him to pause for a second to explain how dangerous all this is, not for lack of trying. I have tried everything from standing authoritatively and sternly asking him to stop and come, to literally running after him, catching him and physically trying to pin him down and get eye contact.
In every attempt, I would slink back in defeat while I watch him sprint away yelling something weird I'm actually happy I don't get.

And yet it is during those two seconds when he gives me the rocks and tells me where he found them that we actually connect. We have the closest thing to a normal conversation. And that is why I treasure those moments. Then I'm hurriedly snapped out of it by him rolling on the floor, picking something of mine and running out of class with it. I pick up my abaya and sprint behind him!! (yeah that "standing authoritatively and asking him to return" thing blows:P)

I can't help but laugh as I remember the lyrics for the song "Maria" from The Sound of Music, just replace every Maria with Abdulaziz and you'll get an idea:)

"How do you solve a problem like Maria?
How do you catch a cloud and pin it down?
How do you find a word that means Maria?
A flibbertijibbet! A will-o'-the wisp! A clown!

Many a thing you know you'd like to tell her
Many a thing she ought to understand
But how do you make her stay
And listen to all you say
How do you keep a wave upon the sand
Oh, how do you solve a problem like Maria?
How do you hold a moonbeam in your hand?

When I'm with her I'm confused
Out of focus and bemused
And I never know exactly where I am
Unpredictable as weather
She's as flighty as a feather
She's a darling! She's a demon! She's a lamb!
She'd outpester any pest
Drive a hornet from its nest (I would bet my life on that:P)
She could throw a whirling dervish out of whirl

She is gentle! (maybe not) She is wild!
She's a riddle! She's a child!
She's a headache! She's an angel!
She's a girl!"

You know what makes me laugh, my sis used to say this song reminded her of me. And she used to sing it to me, conveniently replacing "Mariam" for "Maria".
Sis, if you think this song applies on me, you must've never met Abdulaziz!!:P

Now moving onto the eggy part of the post. I asked the kids to get boiled eggs today to help us study earth layers. It was fun. but now my classroom smells, well, LIKE EGGS. Hm, I should start thinking my plans through:P
At the end of the lesson they asked if they could eat their eggs, I told them to go ahead. I watched with amusement as some kids started to trade parts of the eggs. Some hated the yolks and would trade it for another white.
I tried to explain that the yolk has most of the nutrients and proteins, but no one really listened or cared.

Oh what the heck, I used to hate the yolks when I was a kid. And I grew up fine.

Hm. That's actually debatable:P