Clear Up CBGB

Three Events From the Last Two Days of School Last Week:

1. While sitting on the rug and reading a book to my class, Girl Who Likes to Daydream interrupted me in the middle of a discussion to inquire if she could touch my hair. Before I could respond she said, "It just looks so soft." I told her that it might be okay later but that it wasn't an appropriate time to ask. I told her she should ask me again at the end of the day. She forgot.

2. My class is still really into The Talking Heads, in particular "Life During Wartime." That song includes the lyric "This ain't no CBGB." On Friday, I overheard two boys talking about music. The Kid Who Thinks the Only Really Worthwhile Music Ever Made Was The Last U2 CD/Cheese Boy told Class Heartthrob that besides U2, he also liked The Beatles. Class Heartthrob clearly still thinking about the Talking Heads said "I really like the Beatles song that goes 'Clear up CBGB/ Oh what can it mean?'"

I started laughing and said, "Do you mean the Monkees song 'Daydream Believer' that goes 'Cheer Up Sleepy Jean?'" Class Heartthrob insisted that the line was about CBGB. I told him that the song was out a number of years before the club opened and then played the first 30 seconds on iTunes to him to prove it. Oh man, Clear Up CBGB, I love it.

3. On Tuesday, the rooftop playground was closed because of the tiny bit of snow from two days before. Lame. The kids need to run around! Wednesday, it rained. So again no outside time.

On Thursday, it was warm and sunny. But the rain and snow had left a humongous puddle in the poorly constructed play surface. Somehow all of the balls were in the middle of at least a six-inch deep puddle.

Mondale's class was out there when my class arrived. He had already banned his kids from wading into the puddle. A number of kids were trying to lasso the equipment with jump ropes. Mondale or I could have easily waded in. Or we could have let any of a number of willing kids jump into the abyss to get the balls. But, no. Mondale had a better idea! He'd take the available balls and, one by one, knock the stranded balls into the safe dry zone.

Mondale: Damn, I look good, huh? Everyone loves me!

Mondale: I'm the king of teachers!

Mondale: Worship me! Worship me!

While Mondale didn't knock all of them out, he did get a number of kids wet, make us all laugh, and give me a few funny pictures to further try to boost his legend in this space.