5 quick things:

I'm doing the city's middle school winter camp this week. On Friday, my co-teacher realized that she didn't tell me it was overnight for the adults, too. As I am taking care of a friend's pets while they are out of the country, it isn't overnight for me, but I get on a bus at 7:30 AM and another about 12 hours later. Am tired.

1. The winter camp is fun, but kind of like a petting zoo for foreigners. Only without the petting. Thank goodness. But it is still exhausting. Doesn't help that I have ANOTHER cold that is making me lose my voice, because nothing is better than waygook (foreigner)-on-parade with a crappy voice. I mean, while there are certain venues where this voice could help me make a few extra bucks (winkwink, nudgenudge) teaching middle school kids surely isn't it.

2. Kids are pretty awesome when other grown-ups aren't around.

3. I was thanked for my "enthusiasm for teaching our children" today. I wasn't sure if that was a compliment or a criticism.

4. Some of you may know the trick for getting permanent marker off a whiteboard (color over with a dry erase. Sometimes takes a second time over, but it works. There are others, but this is the easiest and my go-to.). The education supervisor for the city now thinks I know magic. The reality is that I'm a dingbat who couldn't stop reaching for the marks-a-lot in the chalk rail. And who left a marks-a-lot in the chalk rail. Anyway.

5. Dude, ferrets? 4? AND a rabbit? I mean, if it were just Little Bunny Foo-Foo (my name for her, not theirs. Last week I was calling her Bunnicula.), that would have been one thing, but what was I thinking? Eek.