AFTER THE FLOOD ALL THE COLORS CAME OUT

Dress: Wilfred, Top: Gap, Shoes: Camper, Sunglasses: Ray Ban, Bag: Coach

A visit to the Parliment Buildings of Québec today. By far enjoyed the stained glass windows the most. A few funny shots from a school project, a sort of comic done with photos and captions added later (that aren't included here). Nous nous amusons bien ici! Only three more nights until I move on to Toronto...

AND ALL THE KIDS THEY DANCE

And teachers too, we're all dancing. Last days of school and you sorta forget whatever difficulties you had and realize you've only got one day left with these guys. Many goodbye cards, funny what some kids write and how much attention they paid in class. One grade one wrote to me, "my teacher Miss Deitcher likes every colour except pink and she likes shoes and she likes jewelry with diamonds and she likes art". Awesome. J

Also got some flowers and appropriate teacher ornaments..

This adorable jewelry holder and those even cuter skull earrings..

And a new Stella & Dot wrap bracelet. Boy do those kids know me well.

OUR DREAMS, AND THEY ARE MADE OUT OF REAL THINGS

Shirt: Gap, Skirt: Talula, Belt: Fossil, Necklace & Earrings: American Eagle, Rings: Stella & Dot, Bag: Coach

Funny how you learn the most from people you don't expect to. My little grade ones have taught me so much this school year, sometimes I feel like they're the teachers instead of myself. My last day with them tomorrow, all I have planned is time where we can play building blocks and colour and run around outside and read stories together, time spent in the best way possible in the best company.

YOUR LOVE NOT TO GROW COLD

Sweater: French Connection, Slip: Club Monaco

Definitely warming up in Vancouver, so I'll take whatever chance I can get to wear this oversized sweater I recently got. Have been buying things a few sizes bigger than what I am, just for the sake of that casual grab-whatever-is-laying-around look, almost like I've stolen my boyfriends' clothes. Actually think it might be a perfect camping sweater, easy to throw over a long dress or a swimsuit. Should be paired with boots at some point too...

Earrings: Kate Spade, Watch: Fossil, Bracelets: Blue Ruby, vintage, and made by me

Just have to share what happened in class today with my grade ones. My kids write almost every day (writing and reading are a big deal in grade one), usually about a story they've just read. One student came to me with her entry: "All the dacks were at the pond. Mama dack and Dad dack and baby dack, met all the other dacks. Mama dack and baby dack got food, and went back to Dad dack. Mama dack and baby dack were eating their food with the other dacks." I read this back to her, to see if she'd catch her mistake. Ended up with us laughing hysterically, along with the rest of the students who were listening in. The remainder of the day resulted in "dack" jokes. Sounded to me like they all had funny Southern accents. Awesome.

LET'S NOT TRY TO FIGURE OUT EVERYTHING AT ONCE

When I was at Sasquatch, I brought all materials with me to make friendship bracelets, but I hadn't made one in a few years and I couldn't, for the life of me, remember how to do it. Craft fail bigtime. Then a few nights ago I decided to try again and it all came back to me.. (so much so that now I stay up late to weave friendship bracelets in bed). Today with my grade fours we had a bit of downtime, and with extra bits of yarn I found in the art cabinet I taught some of the girls how to make simple bracelets. One student said to me, "you know Miss Deitcher, no other teacher sits down and does stuff like this with us. They're always working at their desks or something".

IT'S WHERE YOU CAME FROM

The best part about teaching grade one is the times when I take a step back from my teacher-self and act like a six-year-old. How to write, how to read, learning about the different seasons and addition versus subtraction and how to find Canada on a map... valid things to know in life for sure. But when I sit down on the carpet and look at a picture book with my kids, or when I color a picture with them, or when we play pattern blocks together, these are the best times. The most real times. The most honest times. The most fun times.

And really, isn't that what it's all about?

I really did play pattern blocks today with my kids. Can you tell which one I made?

When my kids are done all their work, they get to color this (drawn by yours truly).

Go Canucks!

WHEN IT'S COLD OUTSIDE, I'VE GOT THE MONTH OF MAY

And that's exactly what it was, cold outside and very rainy. May Day = rain or shine, grade fours dance dances around a May Pole, grade threes dance dances in circles, other grades come to watch. It's something you don't ever forget if you're a true New Westminster-ite. When I danced the May Pole way back when, my partner held the rope above my head on Double's Weave so that I couldn't reach it. Never forget it I'll tell you.

THERE'S KIDS PLAYING GAMES ON THE PAVEMENT DRAWING WAVES ON THE PAVEMENT

Shorts: Old Navy, Shirt: Calvin Klein, Scarf: Club Monaco, Shades: Ray Ban, Ring: Aldo

Yesterday was so gorgeous out that I took my grade ones to the playground twice. Sometimes it is just too hard to get work done indoors when you know the sun is shining.

SHOW ME A GARDEN THAT'S BURSTING INTO LIFE

Blazer: Talula, Skirt: Jacob, Scarf: Club Monaco, Shoes: Nine West

A perfect day for floral, animal print, and bare legs. And sunglasses. Tried this new kind of 'crackle' nail polish and have never had so many compliments on my nails before. My grade ones, especially, were infatuated: "I like your giraffe nails Miss Deitcher" "Did you paint them to look like a cheetah Miss Deitcher?" "Your nails look like little cookies Miss Deitcher!"

I'M BOUND TO FALL, BOUND TO FALL FOR YOU

Shirt & Jeans: Gap

Pastel art project in grade four today. I put on Brazil by deadmau5 during class which totally calmed them down. But then I realized that some students were taking forever with their projects, so I put on Tighten Up by The Black Keys and soon I had students turning in completed projects left right and center. Amazing the effects of music on people. And then (best part), throughout the day, I would catch a kid humming the guitar riff from that song. Awesome.

This trend of 'color blocking' is so in right now, so I tried 'fabric blocking' instead. I only wish I had thought to wear my jean jacket as well with my jean shirt and jeans today. How cool would that have been.