Ups, downs, and painting in Kindergarten

   Yesterday and today have been difficult days at school. With EOG's (end of grade tests) going on in 3rd, 4th, and 5th grade classes I and my kinders have been going a bit stir crazy due to being unable to go outside for recess, no music, art, media, or PE, and the fact that my sweet assistant is even gone all week helping proctor the tests. I love my students, but I'm a bit tired of them and I know they've got to be tired of me. The fighting over erasers, pencils, crayons, papers, and "who goes first" is making me a bit crazy and the constant "Mrs. Johnson, Mrs. Johnson, Mrs. Joooooohnson" is getting a bit old. "Do you really need to stop what you're doing, get up, come over here, and interrupt me testing another student just to let me know you brought chips to eat for lunch which we won't be going to for another three hours?" This is the first week I've felt this way so I believe its just due to all 22 of us being confined to a small space. With my assistant gone, I  also really, really miss using the bathroom.
   This week is nearly over though and I have to admit, when my little ones hug me and tell me they love me (how can they sometimes?) and as I test them and see how they've grown and watch them read, write, and count their little hearts out, I really just have to laugh at the ridiculousness of some of their arguments and needs and remind myself how special they are and that in 16 days....gosh I'll miss them.
   I wanted  break up the monotony of this week a bit so I figured some art would be great. On Monday the kids all went outside and chose four things (sticks, flowers, leaves, rocks, etc.) to use for painting today. The sweet, sweet, teacher across the hall (I dunno what I would have done without her) let me borrow some fantastic paint a parent gave her. I was seriously jealous of this stuff.

They enjoyed using the sticks, leaves, and other stuff for a little while. Then they realized they could use their hands to paint. 

The little girl making the two big brown circles informed me that she was making a "brown booty." I gave her "the look" and she added some hearts and decided to go in a more appropriate direction with her picture. 

   The kids did a great job on their paintings and I'll be hanging them in the hallway of our building tomorrow. Thank the Lord for creative outlets like this. Tomorrow's another day and though I'm tired, and my students are showing the signs of Spring Fever, I am so thankful I get to go into my crazy, fun, exciting, exhausting, sometimes messing, very full classroom every day and love on some of God's precious children.