My Very Special Lady Bug

     When I think about lady bugs (the inchie word for this week), I think of Susie (not her real name).  Because we "loop" I have had this group of children for almost 2 years.  You get very attached.  Or at least I do.  Susie has some very severe emotional problems.  On a normal day she is one of my best students - smiling and so very loving.  Then there are the other days.  Something or someone stresses her and she changes drastically.  If we are lucky she shuts down and just will not communicate, pulling herself into her hooded coat and totally leaving us behind.  If we are not lucky, well that is a very different story.  She throws chairs.  She fights physically if you touch her.  She destroys whatever she can get her hands on - worksheets, crayons, her own clothes.  Once she threw herself into the floor and began to draw over about 2/3 of my classroom floor with crayons.  It looked somewhat like Jackson Pollack had been my student!  Since Christmas of this year, she has had what I term as "mini-melts".  She is controlling it so much better and recovers quicker.  There have been times I simply went home in tears.  During it all, she and I have had a very special relationship; we love each other.  I took to calling her my "lady bug".  So my inchie this week is for Susie, my very special lady bug and one of those I will really, really miss next year.  Wish I could share her picture - just picture curly black hair and huge brown eyes and a super smile, when she connects with you!

    Made by Joey's letter was P.  I used pea-fea, pea-nuckle, and piza.  I decided not to color the whole tile because I couldn't figure out the best way to color the background and not lose the letter.

     Diva's challenge was to use a stain or spill as part of the string.  I don't drink coffee or tea so I went to the paints to get my liquid.  I used my water pen/paintbrush and splattered some blue paint on the student sized tile.  Then I took some tissue and blotted it to sort of spread it a bit.  I also outlined my splatters.  The rest is just tangling.  I think I got my shading a bit dark, but not terribly I guess.

     I am looking forward to a "normal" week at school.  Last week we did our state testing which - may I on record of saying - is ridiculous.  The stress it puts on all involved is awful.  The fact that I have a group of kiddos who have made tremendous progress but it will not show because we are not on grade level is frustrating.  My classroom is built around a smaller model and meant to teach at their lower level.  However state tests do not appreciate that.  Either way, I am just so glad it is over.  I pray my class does well, but in all honesty I just don't know.
     I hope you are having a great week.  My mantra is "twenty days" - but who's counting?!