I couldn't run today because it was parent-teacher conference day at school, so I had to leave home early as my first parent arrived at 8.05am. It is really a pleasant day though because most of the parents who come are the ones who love art and whose children love art, so it is rather an ego-stroking fest, with the parents saying nice things about me and me saying nice things about their children. I felt so sad for one parent whose daughter I have taught for 5 years. She is Haitian and lost her brother in the earthquake, exactly a month ago. She said it took only 42 seconds for the quake to destroy more than 200 000 people. It is virtually incomprehensible.
I drew a self-portrait like this when the boys were very little, it was on a day when everyone had been very needy and I felt overwhelmed! Holding a boy in each arm, Jess standing on my feet, and Emma sitting on my head! And now they are all grown-up! And I am grown older, and we don't live in 16 Cross Street anymore. A little boy came into the art room when I was sitting there alone after lunch. He didn't see me as he looked around and said aloud, "Cool!". So I rolled backwards on my wheeled office chair and said "Hello". He smiled at me so I asked him his name. He peered at me carefully and then ran over to me and gave me a big hug! He said, "My name is William and I'm 5 years old." Funny how little children always show the number of fingers they are, but not really after they are 5. I asked him if he wanted to draw and he loved my huge box of markers, 100 different colours! He drew there quietly for a while until his mother, the school receptionist, came to find him. 
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