if you care about what other people think of you, you'll become their prisoner.

well, i haven't written much lately, Amy's done a wonderful job wearing the pants of this tri-blog relationship. i thought i'd throw in a few words. i try to entertain 4th and 5th graders. so this is what i see.

Dante, Amante, Quinton, Adam, and Koby refuse to listen to anything expect rap. Adam, the only white kid in that list, will listen to rock music occasionally. The one requirement is that there is (amp)le screaming, and shouting, and blaring of noise.

Dante wants to know why Veronica, a white girl, wears a shirt that has the word P.E.A.C.E printed in glitter letters. Haven't white people had enough peace already? Why do they want more? Adrian likes to fight. it's the only thing he talks about. what did you do in school? got in a fist fight. why did you do that? because it's fun. it's fun to hurt people? yeah.

Austin wears a puffy jacket, puffs puffs puffs it up, and never looks a woman leader in the eye. You'll ask him to stop banging on the piano. He'll stop banging on the piano in an animated, resentful bluster, promising you that he'll never do what you tell him to do.

Jaylyn repeats the same question twenty times. can i have snack? can i have snack? can i have snack? can i have snack? can i have snack? can i have snack? can i have snack? can i have snack? can i have snack? jaylyn, i heard you. please stop asking me. snack is coming in a few minutes. a smile. can i have snack? can i have snack? can i have snack? can i have snack?

Dylan is angry. his venom cry is always everything is broken. everything is broken. Everyone hates him, no one wants to be his friend. people win at games to hurt him. He knows all the rules of four square. He even knows the secret rule of the cactus. He sang to me, There was an old man named Michael Finnigan, Who caught a cold and couldn't get well again.
Then he died, and had to begin again. Poor old Michael Finnigan. Begin again.

Jaylani is the strongest, largest kid present. She's not fat at all. well, she has a tummy, but that is all. she's smart too. she doesn't think so. she wants a rocket scientist to come in and speak about space, but she's afraid he'll just use smart words and be boring.

kaylynn always says she's going to throw up. then she tells you she just threw up blood. then she asks you for 'seconds', 'thirds', and 'fourths', on snacks. pink is her favorite color.

Myra will get a note from school saying that she did something wrong. she'll cry four an hour. literally. an entire hour she will sit and cry and refuse to utter a word.

they hate to read.