Classical Conversations

Yesterday was our first day of Classical Conversations, and I am happy to announce that it went very well! I think my (tutoring) kids all enjoyed it, and we'll see how much they remember from our memory work next week. I have an autistic boy in my class. His mom is my special helper, and I think it will be good for all the kids. Each class has a special needs person in it, ranging from Down's syndrome to Aspergers to the full-fledged autism of the child in my class. Peter seemed to be having a good time, and he even participated some in some of the timeline movements! He can read well, so for presentations, where we introduced each other, he read a little thing about himself. I think he will read his presentations each time. His mom is so nice, so I am glad to have her always in the class.

Anna pitched a little fit about going into the nursery--darn that CC practicum!--but she eventually settled down and had a good time. Faith even fell asleep on the floor for a little nap! My directer is teaching the art section for each class to give the tutors a break. This is wonderful for me. We do art at 10:30, and that is when I nurse Faith and give her a bit of solid food. I had been wondering how the whole nursing thing would work, and this is great!

After we were done, we all ate lunch behind the church. The church is actually in a strip mall-type thing, but behind it is a nice strip of grass, some trees, and a little stage with benches around it. It makes for a surprisingly nice picnic area! We had brought a football, so after eating the boys all played football. I took Anna back in to go potty, and when I came back, the boys were all milling around, looking up at the roof. Someone had punted, and the ball got stuck on the roof! It was a flat roof, but it was still pretty high. The boys had some suggestions, but I told them that frankly it would be easier and cheaper to just got to Walmart and buy a new ball, rather than have Daddy come back at night with a ladder to rescue the ball and possibly get arrested! After awhile, Janna, one of the other moms, an Air Force wife who is also in our other co-op, decided she would deal with situation. She found this enourmously long stick (branch, really, LOL), and she hefted it towards the roof and started trying to sweep the ball down. Her (6th grade) son moved a picnic table over for her to stand on, and with him guiding her, she managed to knock down the ball! What a hero! We all decided that THIS is what all the kids would remember from their first day at Classical Conversations!