A Toast From Aardie

Here's a toast from Aardie to the gang from Good Shepherd Lutheran School! T-2's adventures won Ste. Em another Aardie!

This morning the gang was lined up outside the classroom, ready to go to the bathroom, wash up, snack up, and then outside for a rousing game of kickball. All of a sudden, T-1 made a quick stab with his pencil at T-2's eyes.

"Just what did I see?" I asked.

"I dunno," he said.

This kid just finished reading "Little House in the Big Woods" all by himself. He can recount the details like my Second Graders of another year failed to. He's in First Grade and can already rattle off what sank the Titanic, and what the captains should have done to save her.

T-2, who usually claimed he was his "bestest friend," immediately ratted him out.

"You did that?" I asked the question knowing the answer anyway, but hoping for a confession.

Instead of honesty T-1 did the Adam thing: he pled ignorance.

"I dunno." That's it. Ignorance with big, sad, puppy-dog eyes. That'll get you off!

Hah!

I made him an offer instead.

"C'mon, kid. Let's you and me go back into the classroom and I'll show you what happens to people who have pencils poked into their eyes. Right now, bud. Move it."

Instantly T-2's attitude changed. No longer was he the offended one. Now he was the defender.

"Don't go! I promise you. You don't want to see it. Trust me," said T-2. He was once more T-1's ever-true friend, standing by him through peril and pain. The had his hands around T-1, as if to shield him. "Look at me. Don't go with her. Listen! I know what I'm talking about."

For all his size and toughness physically, T-1 is just a plain ole huggable bear of a softy. When something sinks in, it goes WHUMP!

It WWHHUUMMPPed!

"Nooooo, Deaconess, I don't want to. Please don't make me. I don't want to see it."

"Hey, I'll go. Can we come, too?" asked the older boys. They were getting a real kick out of this. This was their big chance. (The goofs!) I ignored them.

T-1 apologized to T-2, who forgave him.

I instructed T-1 to put up his pencil and reminded him what was awaited him if he pulled that stunt again. I didn't give him disciplinary sentences. He'd had enough consequences for his actions. With him anticipation is an effective deterent. We went out and had a great time playing kickball - his first time at it. With six we played "move-up." He never scored a run, but jiminey did he have a great time at it.