Testing Teacher Limits

Dear Portland,
There is this 7 year old girl who is in my Monday class(switched to Tuesday this week because of Memorial Day) who I am worried about. I mean, worried about her ability to finish her first project. She has really a weird living situation switching between her parents and her grandmother but her knitting can only go certain places with her which makes her forget it and not get any work done at home. It sucks. She also has a very short attention span and the hour long classes are difficult after about 35 minutes. Which is completely reasonable for a 7 year old but her grandmother didn't tell us she was 7. The other girls are 10 and 11 and this little, goofy, smart mouthed, girl is becoming a distraction for not only the other students but for me as well. Hopefully next week we will have a book to read so she can STOP TALKING and be forced to be focused on nothing but her work. Hopefully.

There was a parade down Main St. yesterday morning. I did not see but I definitely heard it. It felt like they were right outside my window when in fact they were three blocks away. I saw some pictures today that are already in shop windows and it looked cute. Very small and very short but cute just the same. I also heard some fireworks last night. Not much, but something.

I think here in the valley they take holidays very seriously. Everyone seems to work so hard all the time that any break they can get is abundantly welcome.
I like that. I like that a lot.