Ms. Crystal's Dixie Cup Greenhouse

Two weeks ago, I had the kids plant grass seeds in Dixie cups to grow and take home. At the end of the first week, there were no signs of sprouting in any of the over 70 cups. Meanwhile, the kids asked every time they saw me: "Ms. Crystal, have our flowers sprouted yet?" (I don't think they really grasped the concept that grass seeds don't grow into flowers).

So, last Saturday, in desperation, I planted (by hand) birdseed in all of the cups, hoping that it would sprout.
On Monday, I noticed that the grass was sprouting. By Thursday, it was getting tall, and the sunflower seeds were sprouting as well. I have to water over 70 Dixie cups every day now. I feel like I'm running a greenhouse out of my classroom.

Joke's on Me

I thought it would be fun, on April Fools day, to prank Frank's room. I put colored sticky-notes with random messages all over his room. I even put them on his mirrors and in his drawers. He left them up - for almost a week. I told him that defeated the purpose of the prank. He said: "They make me smile when I wake up in the morning and see them." He's so cute.

Never Hug a Cactus

I had quite a lovely time visiting with Grandma and Grandpa in Arizona - it was great to visit, play cards, see some of the local sites, explore a cave, and catch some sunbeams (it was in the 70's and 80's for much of my trip). I must say, though, that I think I've seen enough of the gameshow Jeopardy to last me about 10 years.

I must also note that tree huggers and cacti don't mix well, for obvious reasons. Actually, to be honest, cacti are succulents, not trees. Of course there are also palm trees in Arizona, but I've never really been a fan of them. However, baby palm trees are pretty darn cute - they look like giant pineapples. It's a good thing I don't carry a machete with me, or I might have been tempted to take a slice out of one in a neighboring yard. Of course, there are also lots of other good reasons I don't carry machete's on me.

Now the much awaited list:

You Know You are in Arizona When:

• The "greenery" comes in four shades: olive, khaki, dusty red, and brown.
• The flow of traffic goes 35 mph when the speed limit is 45. (It's not congested, it's just retirement age).
• A resident remarks: "You're lucky you missed our cold spell in early March [temperatures were in the 50's]."
• Your grandmother says: "It's just been so dry here this spring - I'm not sure the poor cacti will make it."
• You pass a deer crossing sign with a bullet hole through it where the deer's heart would be.
• The Chinese restaurant is located in a Mexican-style adobe building (it was painted pink).