I came home from work with the idea I'd jot down a little story from the classroom. Nothing heavy, just a smile from my day to share with all of you. When I opened to my blog, posts from some of my favorites sounded so good I thought I'd just sample a taste.

My heart's still racing from mah's post , I'm wiping tears from the tale Beth Mann told, mulling over the meaning of friendship after reading Dolly Baruch. Gracielou has me looking on the bright side, and Marcela brought a breath of Spring to my Fall evening. Floyd Elliot has me laughing, as usual, with his approach to dealing with politics, and I'm wishing Jodi Kasten was a Mom at my school. I haven't even gotten to Cartouche's yet - I'm saving it for last, like the last savory bit on my plate.

I'm full from the generous offerings at OS today. Masterful combinations of bitter and sweet, rich, flavorful  writing. Consider this a palate cleanser, a light sweet bit to melt in your mouth after the end of a wonderfully filling meal of literary fare. 

Orange You Glad I Didn't Say Banana?

Sitting around the snack table today, kids got to telling knock-knock jokes. For four-year olds this is a newly learned skill, and most haven't really mastered the formula yet. (When you're four, anything's a joke, especially if it's incongruous or absurd. We're talking about people who laugh because someone puts a bowl on their head like a hat.) The most popular joke today was when one kid said, "Knock-knock," and another kid replied, "Who's there?" "Poo-poo!" the first kid said. Gales of laughter, mouths full of crackers spewing across the table. Of course, anything with poop or underwear is a sure-fire hit, and it was hard to reign them in after that. 

It reminded me of my favorite joke-telling story from the classroom, which occured one summer day on a school bus. Strapped in for a field trip, two kids were passing the time talking. One kid, Tommy, had mastered the art of knock-knock jokes and had a repertoire of favorites. He was anxious to regale his seat mate, Henry, who was less tuned in to the art. So when Tommy said, "Knock-knock" to Henry, Henry stared at him blankly. "Knock-knock!" Tommy said again, louder and more insistently. Henry tucked his thumb into his mouth, and looked at Tommy in confusion and worry.  I thought I should help these guys out, so I leaned over and told Henry, "When Tommy says 'knock-knock', you say, 'Who's there?'. So Tommy tried again. "Knock-knock.." And Henry answered, "Tommy!" Well, it made me laugh, anyway.