“Which one is yours?”

“The boy–there’s only one boy in those shots.”

“Is he yours, or is he adopted?”

Wide-eyed stares snap from the Great Wall ‘O Jackson Love to E., new kid in the room.

“He’s mine AND he’s adopted…just because he’s adopted doesn’t make him any less mine, you know.”

And then I begin to wonder:  would it make sense to go off the track and give a little mini-lesson on adoption every semester just so that could avoid some of the questions?  Probably.  Should I?  Not unless I can find a short story that we can use to learn about symbolism or hyperbole or something.  I certainly wouldn’t want to be accused of not teaching to the standards.

Any suggestions?

…to get around the rules, kids download ringtones that they know you can’t hear because you’re too old. Want to verify how much hearing you’ve lost? Try this: http://www.ultrasonic-ringtones.com/