You know you're a teacher when....

I've just spent 3 days on camp with our Year 3's and 4's.  Can I say, 8-10yo's are absolutely the best people on the planet?  Well...maybe except at 4am.  No child is lovely at 4am, I don't think.  No people are lovely at that time unless they are tucked in their bed and sound asleep!  Miss Niece, I'm looking at you!

I decided, this morning, that answering ten thousand questions before breakfast could be a form of actual torture.  Here are some questions I answered before 7.30 this morning:  MrsT, can I go to the toilet?(repeat x1000)  MrsT can I get a drink? (repeat x1000)  MrsT can I jump on the trampoline?  MrsT, can I go to the games room?  MrsT, what's for breakfast?  MrsT what is "GaGa Ball"?  MrsT, how many hours til I see my Mum again?  MrsT can I borrow your socks?  WHAT?

This was my actual conversation with one of my boys this morning:

Boy:  MrsT I only have one dry sock, all my other socks are wet.
Me:  Well, I can't really help you with that.
Boy:  Could I borrow one of your socks?
Me:  Hmmmm, ummm....nope.  That would be weird.  And what makes you think I want to share my socks with you?
Boy:  Oh well, that's mean (imagine a puppy dog-eyed stroppy face)
Me:  Yep.  I'm mean, you know that.

I don't know how he solved his problem, but I never heard about it afterwards.

Also on camp, one of our boys, who has had both his feet amputated.  He is an amazing, inspiring little fellow who participates in everything with incredible resilience.  But two prosthetic legs/feet makes for hilarious conversations that, out of context, are totally weird.  Things like "M's toes are breaking so we've duct taped them back together.  We'll give you some more tape just in case they break during camp."  And "Can I please take my legs off?" Then a funny story about his legs getting stuck and having to call Mum for instructions to remove them.  Apparently he was quite non-plussed, but his face suggested the adults in the room were distinctly unknowledgeable!

Camp is also about big wins.  Like my niece eating tomato, and one boy staying all the way through camp, and being brave enough to ask for something different when the food offered was not going to work, and having a go at games that looked confusing to start with, and hundreds of other things that our little people overcame.

One of my boys ended the camp saying "This felt like such a short camp!"  Three seconds short and ten years long all at once!

Now I'm going to sleep for a couple of days.  And not answer any questions.  None.