What lives in a hole?

I am so happy spring has sprung. Alex, 3 and Charlie, 2 have given me so much joy in the past two weeks. They come to Nana's home preschool on Tuesdays and Thursdays. They are having fun learning, and they think they are just playing. 

I surprised each of them with a homemade pop up bunny. I tied a knot in the thumb, middle finger and pinkie of a surgical glove, inverted it, and drew on a face. Stretched the bunny over a cup, added a tiny hole to insert a straw, and taped the hole so no air escaped. I poked the bunny down in the center of the cup and asked what might live in a hole in the ground. We are learning about the many critters that live  underground. (If you make one of these, tape it to the rim of the cup.)

I encouraged Alex to blow on the straw to discover what comes out of its burrow. When he blew, the bunny inflated slowly, but he kept blowing, and the bunny flew up in the air and landed on his head. He giggled and giggled. Poor Charlie wanted no part of it. "No! I scared. get it away!" 

He needs more time. We went outdoors and looked under large rocks to see if we could find insects and worms waking up. They are enjoying themselves, and so am I.

They loved water play. We predicted which things would sink or float. When they weren't looking I slipped some seashells and decorative turquoise, blue, and green beach themed stones in the pan. Gave them a big spoon and let them go "fishing." Charlie kept saying, "Oh, Nanny this is so shiny!"

Then we fished for magnetic number fishies. Hands on learning, the only way!

Hope you are enjoying the reawakening. Our grass is green overnight! Daffodils are sprouting. I love spring! How about you?
 

I've been having palpitations

To say I have been in a panic or on a tangent for a few days would be putting it mildly.

I thought I lost access to my blog. Someone in this house signed onto the computer and watched You Tube videos, because that someone is a gadget guy who watches tutorials before he makes purchases. 

Somehow a password got changed, and I wanted to crawl into a ball and cry. I couldn't figure it out, and although my honey offered, he was unable to recover my blog page.

Today I tried something simple, and it simply worked. Now if I can get it to work again! 

My honey is outside happily smoking a whole chicken, because he is proficient at using his new gadget. And I am happy to be back on Blogger because he watched the tutorial. 

We have both had our first Covid-19 vaccine and feel somewhat protected. Hopeful anyway.

Daffodils have blossomed in our backyard. So much fun helping three-year-old Alex discover signs of spring. he has been turning over rocks in search of worms and bugs that are waking up. He is excited.

 I used to teach my students to recite, "Thank  you, Jesus for my eyes, so I can see the flowers and the butterflies." Now Alex is reciting it. I love having my little guys back on Tuesdays and Thursdays. Charlie had a tummy bug, so he hasn't discovered the worms/bugs yet. Happy spring to you!

Aw! You know what I mean.

 Bill and I have been together for 32 years. Every single day he makes me laugh.

Today I was taking a shower when he opened the bathroom door and asked, "Are you saving tooters?"

"Tooters? Taters?"

"Tooters!"

I don't know what you're talking about. I'll be out in a minute."

"Are you saving DIRTERS?" he shouted.

"Oh! Yes, for the boys. Save all the dirters you can."

When their mama was two, we used to babysit her often. She begged us for our dirter. We had no idea what she wanted. She cried and cried. We asked her to show us.

Ashley went to the pantry, rummaged through the trash can, pulled out an empty paper towel tube, put it to her mouth, and pretended it was a horn, "Dirter dir-dir-dir-dirt-dir-dirt! A dirter, see?"

Yes, Bill, save the dirters and tooters.

We had friends visiting from Boston once, and when they heard my daughter tell Ashley to go WARSH her hands, they couldnt believe it. They omitted their "R's and St. Louisans added them.

For the record, after I showered and WASHED, I hooked five tooters together. Won't Alex and Charlie be excited? I suspect they'll call them light sabers.

Any unusual vernacular in your neck of the woods?

Young children should hop, skip, and jump through early childhood and have FUN learning

Spring has sprung, and I am in my element feeling fulfilled, useful, and HAPPY. I am back to babysitting my great grandsons, Alex, 3 and Charlie, 2. And we are having the times of our lives at Nana Linda's in home daycare/preschool on Tuesdays and Thursdays. Hubby was surprised when he came downstairs to our family room and saw  I had set up a preschool classroom. 

I feel like a flower blossoming. I am excited to help my little guys learn and have fun. My goal is not educational mastery, but educational introduction to skills and concepts, using age-appropriate games and activities. I hot glued plastic egg halves upside down for little hands to match the tops without getting frustrated when they can't actually connect the two pieces yet. They love this and feel successful every time!

I bought this basket, tray, and bag of jelly beans at the Dollar Store. Alex is having fun sorting.

See that blue felt basket? It had the felt bunny face glued on the front. I removed it and cut an opening for it's mouth and slipped it over the opening of the empty water/soda bottle. And I dressed that bunny up but you don't have to. Just a head on a bottle works, too.  They can see the jelly beans landing inside and filling up the bunny. I cut a small opening in the back of bottle to empty. This hand-eye, small motor activity enhances many skills, develops concentration, and is so much FUN.

Alex was so surprised to discover jelly beans inside the dry rice pouring box. I listened to his conversation. "Oh bunny, I will make you egg soup." And he had FUN doing just that as the ceramic bunny watched him do activities all morning.

These two darlings argue and fight, push and shove, scream and yell at home, and sometimes at their Nana's day care. But they are learning that I practice consquences of actions (as I did when I taught pre K for 40 years) And I do not rage or engage when they become obstinate or angry. I do address feelings. "You feel upset, angry etc. I'll help you." 

I use positive speech patterns and encourage them to do so, too.  Say, "I WANT IT NEXT."
Tell him you want a turn. I'll help you wait your turn. To the child who has IT: he WANTS his turn, soon. I will look at my watch and tell you when SOON is.

This technique works and I see social/emotional growth already in my honey-bunnies.

Too often adults want CONTROL This discipline technique requires work, but it does work to gain COOPERATION if adults use/teach children to use positive speech patterns consistently.

 Proof right in the picture that they CAN be in close proximity, share a table top, toys, and have FUN.

I can't say this enough: do NOT focus on misbehavior. Instead of "Hey guys, quit (whining, fighting, shouting)" say "Hey guys, thanks for taking turns and sharing the table and COOPERATING." 

Catch a funny bunny doing something right, instead of wrong.  

When they leave to go home they tell me, "I love preschool."

I do, too.

If I never see another snowflake...

The inscription: Let it snow some place else!

 My sentiments exactly! I hang this plaque on the front door on New Year's Day when I take the Christmas wreath down. This cute little plaque gets replaced on Valentine's Day with a floral,
heart-shaped wreath that hangs on our door until October. 

This year we have had a mild winter. Then all of a sudden, BAM! Snowmageddon. That is nine inches of powdery snow atop the bird bath. The city was practically shut down. Then for the next two days the wrath of winter continued to pile up. Almost two straight weeks of below freezing and sub zero temperatures and dreary days.

I ran in and out for the first two days trying to keep the birds fed and waterd. The water froze almost instantly. I hope mama nature is finished with her little temper tantrum. We seem to be on the down side, and the meterologist claims on Tuesday we will see 50 degrees. I'm counting the days. But I am also praying for those poor people in Texas and down South. 

Counting down till spring. How about you?

Shot in the... and who's to blame?

 I am so thankful for my funny honey. We are celebrating our 27th wedding anniversary, but we have been together for 32 wonderful years. And every single day of our life together he as made me laugh.

His big hands have held onto mine, hugged our blended family of four adult kids, assisted, played with, teased, and aggravated all of our little ones who are almost all grown. He has cuddled all of our newborns, and in the past six years, squeezed our three great grandsons, who adore Paw-paw Bill. 

He has held each of our hearts, and each of us  holds so much love in our hearts for him.

Forget all of the fancy-schmancy anniversary cards, the cutesy-wootsey Valentine cards. Nothing will ever compare to this card that Bill bought me on our anniversary/Valentine's Day 2002.

Every year he adds another date, and that simple gesture makes me so happy.

 

On this day a long time ago when I was a new teacher, little red-haired, three-year-old Rachel came up to me and said, "Teacher, who's that guy who comes around at night, naked and gives you love?"

 My heart skipped a beat. I thought for sure I was going to have to call child abuse hotline. 

Then she said, "You know he shoots arrows at you to give you love?"

 

Whew! Cupid.

Sending love and appreciation to all my blog readers.

Treasured Locket

This story is featured in Sasee Magazine this month. Little kids have a way of bringing you to your knees. Enjoy! 

                                                          The Treasured Locket 

I have a decorative jewelry box filled with fine gold chains in many lengths and a drawer filled with several individual, significant, diamond embellished charms that I received for Mother's Days, birthdays or other holidays. If I ever decided to wear them all at one time, I would really make a statement. Strangers would know that I am the BEST, a #1 mom, friend, nana, and very loved wife. I wear the charms and chains individually at different times. When I pass a mirror, I see my aging face, and in my mind's eye I see the reflection of the loved ones who presented me with each piece of jewelry over the years.

There's one piece of costume jewelry that means more to me than silver, gold, or diamonds. I don't even remember where I got the pendant locket which hangs at my heart level on a long, thick chain. I'll never forget why it is so important to me and increases in value as I get older. The faux gold, filigree miniature coin purse has a clasp that allows the tiny purse to open and close. I imagine that years ago, the former owner,  a young lady, must have stashed a dime inside for an emergency phone call, or perhaps a grandmother sprayed a cotton ball with Evening in Paris cologne, and tucked it inside, leaving a lingering scent as she rocked a baby. I sometimes placed a penny or an M&M inside for my grandchildren to discover when they were small.

Madison was three years old when she reached for my locket and attached immeasurable value to that piece of junque jewelry. Maddie was an early talker who went from one word utterance to stringing, not sentences, but entire paragraphs. She was a verbose, smart little girl with strawberry blonde curls that bobbed when she carried on lengthy conversations. Her big blue eyes stole hearts, and she was never at a loss for words.

I had just returned home from a particularly exhausting day in a classroom filled with
three-year-olds. I looked forward to kicking off my shoes and lying on the couch for half an hour. I opened the front door, and our bubbly little girl greeted me with a high pitched, delighted squeal.

"Hi Nana, I've been waiting all day with Paw-paw for you to get home from school. I couldn't wait to see you. Mama dropped me off." So, that is why I didn't know we had company. There was no car in the driveway.

I smiled, but honestly, what I thought was, "Not another three-year-old!"
What I said was, "Hi honey, let me put my school bag down and hug you."

As I sat on the couch, I wished I could have stretched out and laid my head down on my soft, powder blue throw pillow for just a moment to rejuvenate. Madison jumped up on my lap and started fondling my locket. "Open it, Nana. Open it right now. Let me see what's in your little purse necklace. Can I? Please? I know there has to be something good in there. I just know it because I know lots of things that could fit in there. Is it...?" She guessed every tiny thing under the sun.

Overwhelmed, exhausted, and having used up almost all my patience in class, I told her, "Honey, there is nothing inside today. I didn't put anything in here. You just have to believe me."

"Oh yes there is. I know! It could be a..." There she went again as she tugged at it, adding to my irritability.

I reached for the stack of mail and tried to reposition her. She was insistent, and finally I lost my last bit of patience.  A little too harshly, I said, "Honey, there is nothing inside the purse necklace. I already told you."

Life would have been so much easier had I just walked into the kitchen and sneaked an M&M into the locket. But then if I had restocked it, the locket would not be as special to me as it is today.

Madison pushed me further over the edge. Coyly, she cocked her head and fluttered her eyelashes. Then instead of using her insistent voice, her words poured out as sweet as syrup, and she said, "Oh Naaanaaaa, I knooow there is something inside your little purse necklace.  I'm really sure. Want me to show you?"

Before I could protest, she said, "I know you don't have an M&M, or a penny, or... " She went in reverse naming all the things that couldn't be inside.

I snapped. I am ashamed to admit it that I had reached my boiling point. I raised my voice, flipped the latch, and flung the little purse locket wide open. "I told you, honey, there is NOTHING inside. SEE!"

The kid wouldn't quit. Very softly and sweetly, in a little sing-song voice, she said with authority, "Oh yes there is something inside. It's God's love. God's love is everywhere, Nana. I learned that in Sunday School."

Stunned into a shamed silence, I hugged her to me, and agreed 100 % that she was absolutely, positively right. On my way to the kitchen, I bowed my head in shame and silently asked for forgiveness. I returned and presented our girl with an entire bag of M&Ms.

Sometimes it's not the silver, gold, or expensive jewels that hold the most value, but the stories attached to the particular pieces that make them priceless.