Random comments from 8-year olds

Yesterday was the day for strange comments in our class. I'm not sure if it's because we've been testing all week or what.

* The smartest girl in my class came up to me and asked "Does this shirt make me look pregnant?" I simply responded with the clever "Uh, no." She continued "I look like I'm about five months along." She pondered this for a while before asking the million dollar question "Mr. Ritchason, how do you get pregnant?" Tempted to say that that's what happens after too many margaritas with Kevin Federline, I said that she'd have to ask her parents about that one. Needless to say, on Monday I won't be asking what everyone did this weekend. I can hear it now. "Well Mr. Ritchason I learned about human fertilization."

* After our reading test the students were drawing some pictures so I hooked up my iPod, set it to shuffle, and streamed music in the classroom. At various times there was some serious air guitar going on with Lenny Kravitz, some movement which I'm not sure I'd classify as dancing to Rihanna, and some quizzicle looks when the Beatles popped up. Shortly before lunch Sugarland came on with their song "Settlin." A girl that sits right next to my desk beamed "This used to be my grandma's favorite song!" Thinking that granny must have since moved on to a Kenny Chesney song or a Taylor Swift track I just nodded and said "Oh cool." She followed this up by saying something that caught both me and my intern Heather off guard. "Ya she used to love this song...until she died." I said a stunned "Oh, I'm so sorry to hear that" and pushed next on the iPod. All problems can be healed with a listen to "I Want It That Way." (Yes, I'm ashamed to admit that I do have the Backstreet Boys on my iPod.) The worst part about this whole thing is that "Settlin" is Heather's ringtone. Now every time someone calls her she'll always picture this girl's deceased grandmother.