As most of you know I teach school.  Middle school.  Seventh grade.  Hormones with feet.

So I spend most of my day trying to honor requests.  Requests to go to the bathroom.  To the nurse.  To lockers.  To home.  Request for more time.  Less homework.  Easier assignments.

Lots of times, I can’t honor these requests, so I as a result, I spend a lot of my day saying things like, “No, you can’t wear your rebel flag hat with a fish hook on it in the building during school.” Or, “No, you can’t do your math homework while I’m trying to teach you about theme in literature.”

But Madelynne made a request today I think I can honor.  And hopefully it will be fulfilled someday soon. 

As most of you also know, we’re in the hunt for a new house.  The only flaw in this is we have to sell our charming little ranch first.  Madelynne is very into voicing her opinions on the kind of house we choose.  From the beginning, she has wanted stairs.  And today she clarified that request.

“Mommy, I want a house with stairs.  Stairs that go up.”

Finally, a request I can make happen, no problem!

My Madelynne has been quite the expert on all things recently.  I definitely wish the world was as easy to run as she believes, or even that I have as much power as she thinks I do.

On the way home from school Friday she informed me that if I would just send all my kids to the principal’s office when they “move their clip to red-plus” I would have “a lot more fun at school.”  Ah, if only it were that easy.  If only they hadn’t stopped moving clips in about third grade maybe they would remember how to behave.

On Saturday night we ventured over to a local Corn Maze that she had received a free ticket for at school.  Unfortunately, Saturday nights are haunted at this particular field, and it is “super scary” according to the chick selling tickets who was a recent student of one of my colleagues, I’m sure.  When I asked for clarification on “super scary” and was told about the chainsaws that chase people, we turned around to head back home.  Needless to say we had two disappointed little girls and a disinterested infant.  In the parking lot (loose term for next field over), we ran into several other families we know who had also turned back at the mention of scare tactics that should not be used on anyone but especially six year olds.  While the adults discussed how the folks should really do a better job of advertising the haunted aspect, Madelynne tried to talk everyone into letting her go back.  She must have overheard my discussion with one of the ladies who teaches with me, because she informed me that if “that maze was full of your kids, Mommy, then you should be able to tell them to leave us alone!”  Apparently she doesn’t realize how much teenagers would relish the idea of scaring their teacher to death.

She’s just full of wisdom…and sass.  She had to move her clip to yellow the other day.  According to her it’s because “Mrs. Washington never notices me being good!”  Well, Madelynne baby, I don’t know if I believe that because you’re pretty hard to miss.