Today I’m excited about these soft and squishy treasures.
I ordered two sets, one for the Peace Corner in my classroom and the other for a counseling colleague who’s coming to TX for ASCA next week. I’m already planning a few activities using these softball-sized Feelings Friends, the perfect addition to our Social and Emotional Skills learning space; let me know if you’d like Olivia to crochet a set for you.
When he asked if I’d be okay with him massaging through the knots before the doctor’s adjustment, he told me that he couldn’t believe his elementary school counselor would remember him. He said that of course he’d remember me (because he only had one counselor), but that I must have had thousands of kids over the years. I told him that it brought me great joy getting to know my students and their stories.
When I asked about his family, he shared the trauma from his freshman year, when a car accident of his own led to a cancer diagnosis for his mom. He then detailed their painful journey through chemo, multiple surgeries and a mild stroke while he stimulated the scar tissue in my neck and upper back. He told me that the more my muscles dance, the more ready they’ll be for that adjustment. Gratitude again filled my heart as I listened to his story, held his heart, felt his hardship, and hurt with him.
It wasn’t lost on me that, much like those muscles being manipulated by the Tens Unit, we’d both done a lot of emotional dancing through the tough times these last few years.
With that, let’s bounce into today’s book rec.
Due out next week on the 5th of July, If I had a kangaroo finds the child who dreamed of owning a unicorn back in 2020 surmising how outrageously amazing it’d be to now have a kangaroo of her own to bounce around in. Brilliantly illustrated by Alex Barrow, this delightful tale invites us to imagine exploring life with this impractical but super-fun pet.
So many nutty nuggets in this newcomer,
but this is the page that bounced into my heart.
Whatever kind of weather,
how my kangaroo would prance …
In sunshine, rain or hurricane
there’s always time to dance.
To dance. Like the muscles in my back.
And like the emotions in our heart.
Through all sorts of weather.
Inside and out.
Sigh.
Looks like there are already five exciting exotics
in this series: Sleepy sloth, unicorn, dinosaur, octopus
and now kangaroo. Invite your young scientists
to hypothesize which animal might be next.
Then ask them to try their hand at writing
a few verses to share their “If I had … “
sensational story with the world.
Grizzly Bear? Salamander? Ostrich? Aardvark?
Happy imagining, dear reader.
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