Ants in My Pants!

Today was the first day I can recall where I truly had "ants in my pants." Deciding to take advantage of the beautiful weather, and knowing that it was time to get science started for the school year, I took my 4th graders outside to the school garden to observe and sketch. There were no requirements except to stay in a particular area and choose something to draw that caught their eye- after all, all scientists OBSERVE! I will thank Katy for guessing the correct ending to that statement even though she was the first person I called on. (Yes, I have a very bright group of children this year!) Once we were outside and I finished re-giving the directions to my students who didn't listen the first time (you know who you are), I sat down on the cool grass among them to create a sketch of my own.

Typically I focus on happy things, but oddly, my attention was drawn to the droopy sunflowers today. So, I began drawing a sad looking sunflower. As I worked, I felt a bug land on my lower back. Yes, I was drawing on my knees, exposing my lower back just a tad. I rushed my hand to the spot where I had noticed the "tickle," felt a bit of a squish, and continued with my drawing, ignoring my instinct of "there might be ants around." I felt a second and third something in that same area and decided it was time to take action and find out what was creeping down my pants.

I set down my clipboard with my partially drawn sad sunflower, and reached back to immediately feel something worth grabbing- AN ANT! It had, indeed, been smashed, but I knew it wasn't the only one. I preceded to QUICKLY go back to the same spot on my lower back- yes, down my pants, and pulled out another squished ant! It was TIME TO MOVE! As I stood up and looked down at where I had been kneeling, I saw that I had settled myself down on an ant hill. Lovely, just lovely. My apologies to Charlie who was behind me as I was digging to get out those little, black, ants in my pants!

Happy Tuesday!