Sometimes I just have to roll my eyes.

I've said it before, but there is no such thing as a typical day at work.
Some things are similar every day... everyone comes in at the end of their school day and they're bouncing off the walls.

Jockeying for position to get a basket for their possessions, running to dive into the Bionicles or the LEGO or the blocks. Wanting to get to the art supplies before everyone else. The noise level is in the upper registers. No one is being purposely obnoxious, but most of them could be considered so.

I give them a few minutes to find something to do before I ask them to lower the noise a bit. Sometimes I don't have to, they manage to calm down a little on their own.

Tuesday afternoon, they were pretty noisy.
They played. We had a snack break. Ritz and string cheese and those who wanted one had an apple, too.

I washed the tables, swept the floor. Answered a phone call from the office, they're setting up an epi pen training and wanted to know if I had any kids with medical need for one.
(No.)

Kaysie's mom had texted me (even though I have asked parents not to, our phones are basic brick phones... old fashioned flip phone, NOT good for texting, made to be dropped and abused and dropped. I guess that happens at some of our programs, but not mine) and she asked if I could somehow manage to come up with supplies for Kaysie to make her box for the Valentine party in her classroom Wednesday. I found a Cheez-it box in the snack cupboard and a roll of bright red holographic gift wrap left over from Christmas. Pulled out the tape dispenser. Added a few stickers to the pile and let her go for it.

James and Will have been at odds off and on forever. They call each other names, they use language that, "Isn't appropriate for our group, guys," and argue all the time over everything. You'd think they wouldn't want to spend all that time together since they are constantly aggravating one another, but you'd be wrong. They're like brothers. They can't stay away from each other. The only time they do is when I force the issue.

"Okay, I've had enough of the arguing and being mean to each other today,you two need to find separate activities."

They don't like it when I tell them that,either.
They still want to be together. To argue, disagree, argue some more.
Call each other names.
Say shit and hell and damn and make poop jokes.
Oh, and the latest... when they collide in the gym or in our little space, one of them or the other bellows out, "OH my NUTS!!!"

I had a talk with James and Hayden's mom about it this morning as a matter of fact. James has told her that Will uses inappropriate language. This is true. He does. But there's just as much inappropriate language coming from James on any given day. He just left that part out. Most kids do. They're great at blaming but not so good at taking blame. Understandable.

I sent her an email this morning to let her know that a schedule change she was concerned about wasn't going to be an issue. She answered with an email about how, 'James says that Will is name-calling, I thought you should know.'

I answered her with,

I have talked to both boys (and a couple others) about calling each other names. It's almost a daily conversation.

We've talked about what we can do instead of calling each other names, but neither one of them seem concerned about what I think. And although I sometimes get the right response from them (we can come tell you, we can play separately, we can agree to be nice) neither one of them seems to remember that in the heat of the moment.

I've also talked with them about the inappropriate language that most of them think they're sneaking past me. How, "There's a time and a place, guys, and this isn't it."

One of them frequently rolls his eyes at me and turns his back.

The other one looks like he's listening and then doesn't do what I've asked, which is treat everyone around us with respect. And we talk some more.

I'll let you guess which one is which. :-D

Yesterday, James was in the chill corner getting a stuffed animal. Kaysie was seated at the table next to the bin of little animals. He leaned down and stood up with an impish look and announced loudly, "Your big butt STINKS!!"

Her feelings were hurt. And it was rather rude of James. I talked with him, he said, "It was funny! Will laughed!"

"It isn't funny to be rude to other people, though, James. Kaysie didn't like it. I didn't like it, either. If your mom were standing there, would that have come out of your mouth? I want you to be polite to the other people who are here, and that isn't polite at all. Please keep your words respectful."

He wasn't sorry, of course. He and Will were laughing about it off and on during cleanup.

So after we (finally!!) managed to get to the gym, Will's dad came to get him. James ran over to tell Will's dad, "Will says inappropriate things ALL THE TIME here!!"

I saw/heard him, but was dealing with poor little Sophie, her little face had a collision with Juan's head while they were running around. I broke out an ice pack, sat her down and handed her a tissue. I was putting everything back into our suitcase when Will's dad came to ask me about what James had said.

"Well, if I had to be honest, yes, Will does use inappropriate language here on occasion. So do most of the other kids. Including James. It's very much normal for the age group, and I take care not to tell them they've said a 'bad' word, only that it's not okay for our group. That language like that doesn't belong here. It's a lecture I have to repeat at least four times a week. Doesn't really worry me, it's a kid thing."

Sort of funny, though.
James up on his high horse.
Haha.

I told his mom what he'd said to Kaysie.
"We addressed it, and I am hoping he doesn't say anything like that again, but it's just, you know, an FYI for ya."

She's not an oblivious mom, either. She knows her guys are sometimes inappropriate and obnoxious. That's what kids do. It's also normal for kids to do troublesome things and try to deflect the blame so they're not being looked at so closely.

The trick just doesn't work very well on me.