Little boys will discourage me from breeding yet...
[Door opens]
Ahmed: MISS!!! My pants wet! From the toilet.
Me: It's fine, Ahmed. Only water. It will dry. It's ok. Now go back to your seat.
Ahmed: No, Miss. Not water.
Me: ....What.
Ahmed: In the toilet...there is naughty boy! He take his [points to his below the belt area] and make like this [puts his finger right at his crotch and makes spraying motion].
*Sigh*
Or even worse....
[Door bangs open] MIIIISSSSS!!!!! In the toilet....there is a boy, very naughty! In his hands he take CA-CA! and he make like this [throws his hands in the air as another human might sprinkle confetti.]
WHAT is it with little boys and the toilet. I might start forbidding them to go.
Another one picks his nose and eats it...and now I know exactly when he's doing it because I will suddenly hear a chorus of five girls, "MISS! Mohammed, again he put his finger in his nose..and in his mouth!! Disgusting, Miss!" And Thursday afternoon, I looked over at Abdulrahman, quietly resting his head on his wheely backpack...and *double take* licking the wheel to make it turn.
Getting used to the difference between first and second grade might take some practice, too. I've discovered that Grade 2 students are certainly far more mature. Like yesterday, when I caught Kareem writing a love note to Fatima after their spelling test. I had told them to take out their books and read while the last few were finishing and out of the corner of my eye I see Kareem doodling at his desk.
I went over to take his scribbling away and put it in the trash and see "I LOVE YOU FATIMA" on a page torn out of his notebook. Could not even open my mouth to give out to him. I had to glide past and go erase the board so no one would see me laughing. Kareem is goofy and never stops talking while Fatima is the quietest, best behaved girl in the class. Watching him look at her slyly over his shoulder for the rest of the day almost made up for his abysmal spelling results.
Other than school news, life is going well in Sand-Land. There's still not much to do in Doha (last weekend I saw four of my students in the shopping mall). It's still sweltering, but the humidity is beginning to die down a little bit. And last weekend Blaine and I went out for our anniversary (eee) - one year. I can't believe it's been so long, especially considering none of my 'dating' experiences with the eligible non-brain-dead male population at BC ever progressed past a second date. Guess I finally got interesting. So we went to the restaurant we went to for our first date and had to refuse a fine bottle of an exclusive vintage water (it's not in a hotel so water is what you get, not wine). And then after our dinner, the manager gave us a free dessert! It was like they knew. Or like they remembered the awkward, clumsy, secretly elderly couple from last October and were impressed we can finally coordinate conversation and eating. All out, a very nice night topped off by ice cream (yes, after a piece of chocolate cake...but since Blaine doesn't like chocolate or cake- freak, I know- and I never say no to ice cream..) at Haagen-Daaz. So all's well for now.
Miss Batty
