Lost in Translation

I love my students.
I have no doubts about their ability to hear me, despite the many times they choose not to. But sometimes things just get lost or changed or misheard. And that's when conversations like this happen...

Me: Yassir, can you get your whiteboard out?
Yassir: But if I take off my sweatshirt I have a GWA shirt on underneath.
Me: (totally confused) okay. And your whiteboard...

Me: What would the opposite of outside be?

Happy Holidays from Room 205!

Amine: OUTSIDE!
Me: the opposite of that....?
Amine: OH! Outside. I mean outside. I mean INside. (collapses dramatically onto the table)
Mondays are hard.

Nourhane: Miss, how you spell (quiet, mumbled word that started with an f)
Me: How do you spell... what word?
Nourhane: How do you spell (same mumbled word with an f)
Me: French? F-R-E-N-C-H
Nourhane: Like this?
Me: "I like to play games with my French."  Oh, you said friends didn't you?
*The kids don't struggle alone!

Our Egyptian Mummies

Me: Would you rather live in Ancient Egypt or Ancient China?
Amine: China! because pyramids are awesome!
Me: Ugh! I quit!
Other students: *giggles*

Sometimes, it's not the languages fault... it's their smarty-pant ways!

Our spelling words this week are all compound words. We talked about compound words being two words put together to make a new one.
Me: Number 8 is 'playground'
Hosam: Miss, How many words do we have?
Me: 16, just like every other week.
Hosam: so we're done!
Me: That was number 8. We're only halfway.
Hosam: But each word has two words in it. 8 + 8 =16. So we're done. (Closes his notebook and gives me his best smartass smarty-pant smile)

Home for the Holidays!

After spending last year in southern Spain for the holidays, I was really looking forward to celebrating Christmas again with my family. And I was really hoping for a snowy white Christmas... perhaps I wished too hard!

I flew into Grand Rapids shortly after the worst ice storm in years passed through. Thousands of people lost power, branches were down all over, and everything was covered in ice!! I used to say "hurricane Amanda" was coming to town when they visited from Colorado. I guess I am more of an ice storm! Mom was bummed that we didn't have power and she couldn't show off the lovely Christmas lights. But we had heat and lots of candles! I was also full of fun stories to share and with no TV, mom and dad were forced to listen! :) Not for long though, since we got home around 11:30pm which is 4:30am in Morocco! I was ready for bed!!

I cannot find the words how share amazing it was to be home! I loved loved loved it! Most people were sick of the ice and snow; I kept saying, "It's Beautiful!" Sadly, not really 'snow' to play in since there was a solid layer of ice over it. But still so beautiful!

I was able to see the whole family! With the exception of that big brother of mine! He wasn't willing to trade in his sun for the snow! I was able to see a few friends, including one currently living in Argentina!! I went to the movies twice and ate American food like it was my job! But the best part by far was becoming an aunt!!

 Looking back, there is no way I could have handled waiting for this cutie from far away country! Being there to hold his little fingers and kiss his squishy cheeks made a great trip even better!!


Spending the day with this little guy made the next day (the day I had to leave) easier to handle. After flying in with an ice storm, it only made since to fly out with a massive snowstorm!

After boarding a plane twice only to have that flight cancelled, landing a lucky spot on a later flight (there were 32 people on the stand-by list for that flight), finding my luggage which I am confident took an earlier flight than I did, taking a painfully slow bus to the other airport, and managing to snag a ticket (for free!) on the later flight out to Casa, I was so excited to see Morocco! I was only a few hours later than originally scheduled too! I still haven't stopped praising God for getting me back before school started again. Emailing in emergency sub plans is Not on my list of things to do!

Now school is back up again and the routine is returning. I am thankful I got a snow fix... but it is nice to be back in warm, sunny weather!