There is a little space between the church and the ball field fence where we like to play one of our school’s favorite games, ultimate frisbee. Adjacent to this is a little curb where a few of the people who aren’t playing sit and watch. And drink water. And dump their water out. This made a little muddy place and the water ran down to where their feet were. Two of the younger students decided to build a dam to keep the water from running down. Then the third, fourth and fifth grade boys took over. They added canals, bridges, and islands. Then they put a hut on one of the islands, and the girls began making trees by the hut. Next ants began climbing over the bridges and onto the island. So, the students put food on the island by the hut for the ants to eat, which of course the ants did. They seemed to enjoy the cookie more than the grape, however.
Eventually, the inevitable happened. It was just too much mud. I didn’t mind my classroom being a little dirty, especially around the boys’ desks. I just swept it up and was a few minutes late to choir. But the parents weren’t too crazy about it, and we got “the phone call”. We knew it was coming, but it was still a little sad. Yes, it made a mess, but it was so creative. The canals and islands remain, but unfortunately the building project has come to an end.