Whinging Wednesday

A few days ago I posted on Facebook that I used to think Spring was one of my favorite seasons, but now I know that it is most definitely NOT. (For the record, the order is 1) Fall 2)Summer 3)Winter 4)Spring).

Yes, the renewal of the earth is lovely and the cool mornings and mild afternoons are nice. But the renewal of the earth brings a metric ton of pollen, and the cool mornings and mild afternoons last few about two weeks (sometime between Valentine's Day and St. Patrick's Day) before the stiffling heat and humidity make their triumphant debut.

And there's always SO MUCH TO DO. Weeding the flower beds, mowing the lawn, getting the garden ready, changing out the bed linens and clothes from winter stuff to summer stuff, spring cleaning; the chores go ON and ON and ON FOR-EV-ERRRRRRRRRR. I just want to curl up with a book. (But I must take advantage of the two weeks of beautifulness outside! Or else I feel guilty! And I hate feeling guilty!)

And then there's preschool. I hate spring at preschool because
1) everyone (including the kiddies) has spring fever and Spring Break never gets here fast enough, nor does it last long enough
2) graduation is looming (and that's a LOT of work too!) and
3) T-BALL.

****DISCLAIMER*****
This is WHINGING WEDNESDAY, a time when I can hyperbolically complain about whatever has my knickers in a twist on that given day. It is not a judgment about you. (Okay, maybe a *leetle*.) But seriously, take everything I say with a grain of salt.
*****END DISCALIMER*****

Let me tell you the evils of T-Ball as it pertains to children between the ages of 4 and 8. For some reason, "ball" practice seems to happen 3-4 nights a week. It's been my experience that these practices are later in the evening. And you know how soccer and football games are typically played on Saturday mornings? Not ball. They have weeknight games, and usually more than one a week! Kids who are playing ball get home late, eat dinner late, get to bed late, wake up grouchy and still tired and invariably come to school in the most rotten of moods and their behavio shows it.

With eight years of teaching experience under my belt I can raise my hand to the heavens and SWEAR this doesn't happen in the fall with soccer and football. It doesn't happen in the winter with basketball. It doesn't happen in the spring with soccer or swimming. IT ONLY HAPPENS IN THE SPRING WITH KIDS WHO PLAY BALL.

One year, most of my class was on the smae T-Ball team. Their practices and/or games (and sometimes they had BOTH on one day!) were on Tuesdays and Thursdays. On Wednesdays and Fridays, February-April, we had at least ONE kid fall asleep in class on those days after practice/games. Sometimes it was more than one. It was awful.

I think a lot of it has to do with the structure of ball. Yes, you play with a team, but there is so much pressure on the kid as an individual. Throwing and catching and hitting are great skills, but I have tons of hitting and throwing behavior problems at school and almost NO kicking problems. And lets face it, compared to soccer and football kids running up and down a field, ball kids aren't getting quite as much exercise. There's a lot of standing around and waiting, you know what I mean? So these kids are all pumped up and there's very little *physical* way of releasing it. Hence, tired kids and behavior problems galore at school the next day.

Don't get me wrong- I *LOVE* baseball as a sport. (Go Braves!) But I'm telling you- younger kids aren't getting much out of it at all. I want to plead with my parents sometimes, "Please wait until your little darling is older! They will enjoy it more, and so will you, and you won't have to have these little chats with me each afternoon about the bad choices your child made today!" I am alsways happy when ball is over and done with (only two more weeks! I can make it!).

And I hate spring because the sun is still shining when I need to go to bed. BOO DAYLIGHT SAVINGS TIME!!!!

In conclusion, Le Sacre du Printemps and Vivaldi aside, Spring holds no particular charms for me.

Although, I am looking forward to the return of gardenias.