that crazy mrs. lipstick

it's been a long week. there isn't much more to say than that. all of the special ed meetings have had me wishing to run in any direction that doesn't involve sitting in a meeting with adults. (i don't know how you "real people" do it... working with adults all day. i love my coworkers individually, but, i wont lie, too many adults in my world starts to give me a headache).

today i was already tired and demoralized when i brought my bff and friends upstairs for writing workshop. my bff and i had actually already had a fabulous interactive-writing experience earlier in the day so he was already pretty worn out- and so was i. i was trying to get him and the two other girls to do their writing but my bff was pretty determined to pop out of his seat every other second. at one point he grabbed some puppets i used last year with one of my social groups. they have faces drawn by past first graders (who were working on their fine motor skills so they are kind of hard to tell they are people). there also happens to be a mrs. lipstick version in the stack.

my bff took two of the puppets to his seat and had them talking to each other when he began to get a bit loud and was distracting the other girls. so, being a full believer in 'if you can't win the battle don't lose the war' i put on the mrs. lipstick puppet and instructed his puppets to get to work writing.

his puppets paused for a moment, turned and looked at me, and then turned back toward each other.

"that mrs. lipstick is crazy!" one said to the other. "crazy mrs. lipstick!"
"she's not crazy, you! she just wants you to read and write!"
"no, she's crazy!"
"get to work! do i have to say it again?"
"i don't want to listen to the crazy lady"
"i said get to work"
and the puppets had a 'battle' that ended with my bff placing the puppet who believed i was crazy in his basket, picking up a pen with the puppet who defended me, and started writing.

*never in my life have i witnessed two puppets controlled by the same person argue about my sanity right in front of me. i had flashes of the musical avenue Q, along with the awkward feeling i was eavesdropping on a conversation i shouldn't have heard. who knew my bff had such conflicting thoughts fighting in his head.


*** *** ***
on the way downstairs the 'good' puppet clearly won out because my bff decided to follow my rules to the letter (something he has NEVER done before). he stayed behind the line leader (there are only three of them in the group but i try to keep them in line to prevent my bff from running off- which usually is what happens.) on the way back to class he practically hugged the girl in front of him to demonstrate to me he was "behind the line leader". suddenly he stopped and said to our line leader, "hey, you know friend, your hair smells. you need to shower."
i was horrified because this little one is coming off the worst month of her life. she took it well as i gave my bff a lecture on being nice. "oh!" he said, "but i wanted to be nice" he explained, implying he'd been doing a favor in recommending that she wash her hair. "but i want to be a nice friend, ok, now, i don't say that and now i pat your shoulder, ok friend?"

even if he does think i'm crazy i still love this kid.