Mr. Haller, the schoolyard bully

Friday was a rough day at recess. I was playing kickball with my class, as I do every day at recess, and one student was running back to first base. Normally I don't play my hardest, but for some reason I was in the mood to get some kids out who try to steal the bases. As I see this student running back to first base, my desire got the best of me and I hurled the rubber kickball at the student. What would have hit any other student in the torso, this shorter student received a ball square in the side of his face. To make matters worse, he was wearing glasses. The ball caused his glasses to fly off his face, him to fly forward and trip over first base, and land in the very red dirt of North Carolina. The whole motion was priceless in my memory (and to the other students watching), but I felt awful, especially since his glasses were bent almost to the point of being unwearable! Even after I made sure he was okay (he was) and that he realized it was an accident, I still feel like a schoolyard bully. Thankfully, he is a good sport and laughed about it later. That was one out NOT worth making.

Also, my kids have said some pretty funny things, like any innocent 4th grader would. Here's a sampling:
-"Mr. Haller, your nose is pointy...like a reindeer."
-"That's why I like you, Mr. Haller...you're young, and you understand us."
-"You and Mrs. Haller look like twins!"
-"Do you and Mrs. Haller hug and kiss and stuff?"
-(to Jenny when she visited and was helping us read a play about Langston Hughes): "you know if it was the wife, she would be the same as the maid. No offense." Haha!
-"Do you and Mr. Richardson (my friend from college who teaches 5th grade) love each other...as friends?"

I will keep everyone posted with more funny stories and sayings as they happen!