The Next Best Thing

So we live in a house. Since we moved in it has precipitated quite a bit. We have had rain and snow, and the snow melted, and we got mud. Lots of mud. Ideally, for us, there would be a paved driveway. But we are not demanding people. And I was extremely pleased to find my drive/yard covered in rock yesterday when I got home from the preschool. It is great, but with our luck the rain and snow and ice are gone. However, if it should rain or snow, there should not be the nasty mud like there used to be!

Preschool Talk

Yesterday I was at the preschool, here are some highlights.

Girl T, 3yrs called after Girl EJ, 4yrs: EJ do not walk away from me! (For some reason I sense a pattern for future relationships…)

Boy LM, 3yrs playing in the gym (well bellow freezing could not take kids outside) was trying to use the Little Tykes Fire Truck. He is only three, but is the size of a five year old, in any case, too big. So as he is “driving” it around the room, his head is sticking out the windshield opening.

I feel bad because one of the little girls wasn’t watching where she was going and ran into the door as we were leaving the gym.

Same Boy L was coloring during nap time because he refused to sleep, he got up and put papers in his cubby. I asked if he was done coloring, he said yes, I told him that he needs to stay at the table because other kids are still sleeping. He told me, “I’m full.” I told him that was ok, but that he still needs to sit at the table.

While I was there, I was asked to come in four more days. Today was one of them, here are today’s notes:

*Back story, Mr S went on a cruise for Christmas Break. On said cruise they stopped on many islands. He brought back a treasure map, and was showing the kids during morning meeting. He asked, “What does ‘loot’ mean?”

Boy J, age 4: It’s a fff-lute

Boy Y, age 4: Mr S, can I come to your house one time?

Mr S: Maybe. (translation: not unless your parents pay me to let them stop by, because while I love kids at work, home is my free time.)

They all sit in a “circle” for morning meeting. Girl S, 4 yrs, for some reason had her boots off, I think she was playing dress up wiht other shoes. Girl A, 3 yrs, was sitting there smelling the boots. During free play she was coloring with rolling markers, and kept smelling them. I asked her why she was smelling them, and she said it is “because they stink.” OK then.

At the end of morning meeting Mr S asks the kids to answer a question before they can get up, and they answer in the order their names are drawn. Today’s question (answers are as given):

Mr S: What did you do on vacation?

Boy D, age 4: I got a haircut

Girl M, age 4: Swimmed in a pool (in Mexico!)

Girl A: My daddy put me under the water (I hope they were swimming, but I didn’t get a back story on this)

Boy S, 4 yrs: Put my clothes on (no, he of course couldn’t tell about his trip to Florida’s Disney World where he saw Peter Pan!)

Boy LB, 4 yrs: Went to Disney Land

Girl T, 3 yrs: I went to Myrtle Beach

Boy N, 4yrs: I didn’t have vacation (he had the same break the rest of the kids had, and he got new glasses)

Mr S brought back a small steel drum. It is pretty cool, and has the notes written on it so you can play, it has 8 notes. I sat with one of the children who was playing it and the kid got bored and went to play something else. So, I tried it out. It is pretty cool. Girl A came over and told me that it isn’t for me to play with , only her. Mr S heard that and gave the 5 or so kids around us a lecture about how he brought it for the school and everybody can use it. All the other children seemed to understand the concept. She was devastated that it wasn’t for her alone. She sat there and played for a few more minutes and then was just holding the sticks so I asked if I could play her a song. She said, “It’s not for you.” I said, “Excuse you, what did Mr S say?” She shrugged her sholders and then said that I am too big. Girl R, 5yrs, told her, “It is for every body.” A said, “Yeah, they would say, ‘Share A, share.’ And they say my hair has to be pretty.”

Because it is too stinking cold outside, we took the kids to the gym again.  Three little boys had different balls trying to play basketball.  Boy A, 5yrs (and who dressed as Cinderella everyday last year) had a dodge ball, Boy L, age 4 had a volley ball, and Boy J, 5 yrs had a soccer ball.  The soccer ball was the first to make a basket.  For the next 10 minutes the three of them fought over who gets to use the soccer ball.

During gym time, Girl A came up to me on the bench, and asked if she can sit with me.  I told her she may.   She hopped off the trike she was riding and said, “No one can use this.”  My reply, “If you are not using it, then other people can.”  She got right back on and rode off.

As we were lining kids up to go back to the classroom, Boy S asked if I would Be his walking partner.  I told him I would and then he told me that I am his best friend.  He proceeded to make me play Ring-around-the rosies.

While they were all sitting on the floor singing songs till we let them go to the lunch tables, Mr S asked for a body part for the song:

Boy LM: Shelf

Mr S: Is that a body part?

LM:   A book shelf

S:   Is that a part of my body?

LM:  Ok, underwear (Mr S decided not to argue that one)

While sitting at my table for lunch waiting for the kids to fill it up, Girl EH, 4 years)  said, “My dad is an electrician.  Sometimes he works late, he has meetings.”  There was no talk of parents or work, so I am not sure why she said this, especially when we know that her dad is a farmer.

After lunch we read books with the kids before they take a nap.  Today I wass introduced to a great book.  Maisy’s Pool by Lucy Cousins.   The Maisy books are pretty entertaining.  However I find this one in particular, funny on multiple levels.  “Maisy and Tallulah are feeling hot.”  But, don’t take my word for it!

Quiz 41

This is a piece of a bigger picture. I welcome one and all to guess at what it is. In one week I’ll give the answer, and post a new one. Good luck and may the guessing begin.

Esta es una parte de la foto grande. Hay que adivinar lo que es. En una semana regreso con la respuesta y otra foto. ¡Suerte!

Time, There Is Never Enough Time

There was an episode of Saved By the Bell where Jessie was on speed and that was her “melt-down” line. I am not sure why, but that is one of the random facts stuck in my brain.

As part of my new calling, I get to clean out the Primary closet. This is a great way to exercise my obsessive-compulsive abilities. In doing this, I am finding some great stuff, and then there is stuff from the early 1980s. Why on Earth is there stuff from 1981 in that closet? OCD to the rescue. 1981 to the dumpster!

Don’t get me wrong it was a decent year. The musical Cats began its 8949 performance run on London’s West End. Simon and Garfunkel performed a free reunion concert in New York City’s Central Park attended by over 500,000 fans (http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=1981_in_music&oldid=184211809).  Sandra Day O’Connor was sworn in as the first female judge on the Supreme Court. (http://www.multied.com/dates/1980.html#Anchor-35829)

However, garbage from 1981, that does nothing for me.

Happiness Is Homemade

Today is the day we put Rick and Ginny’s wedding announcements together. They are cute. She is glad though that we only get married one time! Too much work. For one day, perhaps I am projecting my latent Wedding preparation stress onto her. If she is lucky that is all there is to it. I don’t know, Ginny, is it stressful?

Also, I made the tart things again, I think they are good, but I will never loose weight if I keep making yummy foods. Ronda made cookies and Gavyn made brownies. We discovered that G2 and G3 are allergic to peanut butter cookies. A bit of Benedryl and the hives and rash go away. At least Gavyn can still have peanut butter.

Pictures coming if I get some from Ronda, I forgot my camera.

How Shocking

Tonight we had the missionaries over for dinner and we invited our friend John over who we haven’t seen in over a year. It was nice to have him over and visit.

Jacob made fettuccine from scratch and Alfredo sauce too. I made white chocolate mousse tarts with strawberries for dessert. (The same kind from New Years, only a different shell) Sadly enough, no pictures, again.

After we ate, the missionaries shared a message and left. We then went and picked up Emily and the four of us went bowling. It was a lot of fun, even if that alley hates me! we got ice cream and went back to out house and played life. I believe I won (notice I didn’t mention my score in bowling-again, that alley hates me).

However the best part of the evening had to be John’s zapper thing. Which he used many times to shock Emily.

Planes, Trains & Automobiles

Today we drove to St Louis to take Erin back to the airport.  We will miss her and hope she has a great semester.  After we dropped her off we went to find the Panera Bread Company and The Viking Store that we found on our honeymoon.  So we took Karen to see the cool store and while there found The Container Store, the ultimate OCD enabler.  And amazingly enough the weather was pretty good.

Also, yesterday our friend Evan did a photo shoot for us (Jacob’s family).

Quiz 40

This is a piece of a bigger picture. I welcome one and all to guess at what it is. In one week I’ll give the answer, and post a new one. Good luck and may the guessing begin.

Esta es una parte de la foto grande. Hay que adivinar lo que es. En una semana regreso con la respuesta y otra foto. ¡Suerte!