A Green Egg Disaster

Today we celebrated the brilliant and wacky author, Dr. Seuss.  Tomorrow is his birthday, so we have read his books, watched one of his movies, created art, and made rhymes.  We have written stories, made illustrations and dressed up. Today, we read his book Green Eggs and Ham.  And to properly celebrate Dr. Seuss, you absolutely must eat some green eggs and ham!

The kindergarteners all gathered around me as I cracked open two dozen eggs.

Whisked them up.

Added green food coloring.

And poured them onto the hot griddle.

The kids were mesermerized.

I had them eating out of the palm of my hand.

Until.....

Something went wrong.

Horribly wrong.

Can you see the problem?

Look more closely.

I thought the kids were squealing with delight because the eggs were sizzling on the pan.

But no.  Oh, no.

I didn't realize that they were screaming because all the eggs were pouring straight onto the floor through the hole in the griddle.

I noticed it after half of the green eggs were already on the floor.

Oh, the horror!

Have you ever spilled an egg on the floor?

It's not very easy to clean up.

Try spilling over a dozen eggs that are dyed green on the floor.... while 18 kindergarteners watch.

And then try to regain control of the situation.

You should try it.

Just for kicks.

Cooking Class

What?
You don't think they are the most lovely brownies ever photographed??!!
Yeah, me either.
But, the boys thought they were fabulous!

Last night, we had a cooking class at our house.  The boys were the students.  I was the teacher.

 

The lesson went like this.....

Tucker...."I wish I had some cobbler with ice-cream.  Can you make some?"

Me....."No. We don't have the stuff for it."

Tucker....."Can you go and buy the stuff?"

Me....."Ummm...No!  Not a chance.  I just made grilled chicken, sweet potatoes, asparagas, and corn.  I am not making cobbler. I have done all the cooking I am going to do for the night. Besides, it isn't good for you."

Tucker...."I wish I had some. With ice cream on it."

Me......"You aren't getting any stinkin' cobbler!  So drop it!  I am not going to the store tonight.  Eat something else."

Tucker......"Yeah, but I want something with ice cream on it."

Me.......(I go to the pantry and grab a box of brownie mix and toss it to Tucker.)  "Here.... make these."

Tucker...."Seriously?  I don't know how to make brownies."

Me......"The recipe is on the back.  Follow it."

That was the end of the lesson. 

I know you must be impressed with my instruction.

I then went back to folding the clothes in the living room and listening to Tucker talk to himself trying to figure out the directions to the recipe.  He was reading the recipe aloud which clued in his brothers that he was doing something out of the ordinary. He very quickly had two little helpers who thought making brownies would be a grand adventure.  I was snickering and delighting in their problem solving skills.  They were really hilarious in there.  I wish I had an audio recording of their conversation over the brownie production.

Some of the things I over heard....

"This doesn't look right."

"How are we suppose to get the oven timer on?"

"What do we mix this up in?"

"How much of this mix are we suppose to use?  The whole thing?  Maybe half of it?"

"This is way too runny.  It doesn't look like brownies."

"I think we should be on that show called The Worst Cooks In America."

After much teamwork and problem solving, and me working really hard to keep from butting in, here is their end product.....

And this is just a teensy part of the mess they left me....

I have no idea what they could've possibly used FOUR spoons for.

This is a big pile of brownie mix (along with some other mysterious crud) on the floor, which explains why their brownies turned out just a wee bit on the runny side.

I learned from this cooking class that I need to get the kids in the kitchen more.

A lot more.

Full Moon = Lunacy

There is a full moon tonight.  If you are a teacher, you already know this without looking skyward.

I have no logical scientific reason to believe that a full moon causes excess energy and misbehavior in children.  And I don't really even need science to back me up.  I have 12 years of being a teacher as my evidence.  There is a correlation.

There have been countless times when I have been standing around a group of teachers who are complaining that their class is acting wilder than they typically do or is getting into more mischief, only to realize that the moon is full.  Then, you generally hear "Ahhh...I should've known."

If you aren't a teacher or family member of a teacher, you may be skeptical.  My husband has certainly been convinced over the last 12 years.  Today, during my planning period he sent me a text message asking how my day was going. I replied....

It's ok, but my kids are so wild today!  I think they get wilder during the winter. I am ready for summer weather.

He replied...

"You know it's a full moon tonight, right?"

I actually Googled this phenomenon known as "The Lunar Effect" to see if researchers had ever studied it.  They have.  Multiple times.  Most of the research doesn't prove that the stage of the moon has any bearing on human behavior.  They even go so far as to call "The Lunar Effect" a myth!  

Research....Smeesearch!

Poo on you, researchers!

I've got all the research they need.  They should just come into my kindergarten classroom on a new moon or a crescent moon or a waxing gibbous or any other kind of moon and see how calm and orderly my kids are.  And then step inside it again during a full moon.  I bet those researchers would change their little tune then. 

The Lunar Effect is not rational.  It's not logical.  It's not scientific.  It makes no sense.  But it's real.

Where do you think the words lunatic and lunacy came from?

Inch by Inch

I marked their height on the door frames yesterday.  Sawyer grew 2 inches in 5 months!  Tucker and Carter both grew 1 1/2 inches in such a short time.

Inch by Inch......they are changing.

growing,

developing,

maturing.

They are changing too quickly.

I am powerless to stop it.

I am not sure that I want to stop it....

 yet accepting it is difficult.

Inch by inch....

The challenges of parenting change.

From temper tantrums, broken toys, and making messes

to

social acceptance,

broken hearts,

and

 bad attitudes.

Inch by inch as they grow,

I become more of a coach than an authoritarian.

I encourage good decisions and cringe over bad ones.

Inch by inch,

as the marks get higher on the wall....

I look at them in disbelief.

I am amazed by them.

In awe of the young man Tucker is becoming.

Impressed by the personality Sawyer has developed.

Encouraged by the self assurance Carter possesses.

Inch by Inch,

as they grow...

.....they are becoming what God intended them to be....

Inch by inch.

Knots On A Counting Rope

  Carter's first grade class celebrated Thanksgiving today at school.  Instead of just making the traditional handprint turkey, the class celebrated in a special way.  They made "Stone Soup" together by recreating the recipe from the book Stone Soup.  Each child brought something in to help with the meal. Then, they got to enjoy eating it after it cooked all day. 

But the real treat to me today was the class story time.

  Mrs. Posey had asked Carter and his Pop, my Daddy, to read a story to the class.  She wanted them to read the story, Knots on a Counting Rope.

The story is written as a conversation between a young Native American boy and his grandfather.  The boy is asking his grandfather to tell him the stories from his birth and childhood.  The boy keeps interrupting with parts of the story, because the boy already knows the stories by heart.

 Each time the story is told, the grandfather ties a knot in the counting rope.  The story goes, that when the rope is full, that he won't tell the stories anymore.  The story hints at the reality of human mortality.

When I saw the way Carter looked up at him, I had to swallow hard at this part of the story.  I'm glad Carter's grandfather has a long rope.

Footprints

I mopped.

Minutes later I found this in the kitchen floor....

Their feet leave prints in the kitchen and stains in the carpet.  

The little stain makers can be so frustrating at times.

But, their little muddy footprints are a reminder that they are walking in the shadow of ours.

I feel a gigantic responsibility as a parent.

It's the most important job in the world.

Our children tend to follow in our footsteps.  If we show love, children show love.  If parents attend church, the children do.  If parents have a lasting marriage, then children have a model to follow.  If the parents lead a healthy lifestyle, then the children tend to follow suit.

My wish for my boys is that I leave footprints worth following.

Halloween Highlights

The Kids' Pumpkin Carving Contest....

The Hayride....

The Cake Walk....

The Bouncy House...

Trick-Or-Treating...

Making the Great Grandmothers Laugh....

This.....

Fun Cookies.....

The Force being with us....

A Look Back At Kid Shows

  Yesterday while Tucker and I were held captive in the waiting room of the pediatrician's office, we were mindlessly watching whatever cartoons were on the television.  After a while, Tucker started poking fun at some of the preschoolish shows.  I reminded him that he was little once and at one time he loved watching some of those shows. 

   I reminded Tucker how much he loved to watch the show on Disney channel that no longer comes on TV.  It was called "Stanley" and Tucker adored that show. 

No surprise that it was a show about animals.  Even as I type this, Tucker is watching a show about predators and prey on Animal Planet.

 On the show, Stanley was able to jump into his "Great Big Book of Everything".  If Stanley needed to learn about a certain animal, he would simply turn to that page in his book and jump in. 

While Tucker and I were recalling this, Tucker admitted that one day when he was little, he and his friend, Morgan, actually tried this manuever. Tucker had his own "Great Big Book of Everything" that he got for Christmas. Tucker said that he and Morgan put his book on the bed and tried to jump in.  He told me that their plan didn't end very well.

Stanley was such a great show.  The 'Littles' of the house never got to enjoy it because it was soon replaced by other shows.

Sawyer preferred "The Wiggles" over all other shows. 

  This has to have been one of the most annoying TV phases the boys went through.  I was not a huge fan of "The Wiggles", but Sawyer thought they were rock stars.  I even scored tickets to a real live Wiggles concert for him.  I know you are jealous. 

 Murray was Sawyer's favorite.  It was the guitar that gave him the edge.

Carter seemed to watch the least amount of kid shows.  Most likely because his brothers were past the kid show age and they took control of the remote most often.

Carter did  love Mickey Mouse Clubhouse when he got to choose a show for himself.

Most likely because of this moment.....

These shows have all been replaced by more "growny" shows.  Favorites in the house today are anything on Animal Planet, Wipeout, America's Funniest Videos, Hot Shot, Swamp Brothers, and anything related to football or other sports.

And just in case you are dying to know....

My favorite kid shows were....

Rainbow Bright

And Strawberry Shortcake 

Classic gems right there.

What are the shows your kids love the most?

What was your favorite show as a child?

My Son is in Jail

As Carter was gathering up the laundry, he was carrying two baskets back to their proper places.  He quickly realized that there was an easier way to carry the baskets.  One on top of his head, of course.  That soon turned into having one basket on his top half and one on his bottom half.  The laundry chore would have to wait.  There was more important things to do.

He called out,

"I am in jail!"

I snapped a photo and went about my business doing the dishes.

But he stayed in jail.

And stayed.

and stayed.

He said that his jail cell had a mail slot.  If only he could get some mail to read while he was in jail.

So....I found a notebook and sent some little letters into his mail slot.  After all, he looked lonely in jail.

This made him a happy little jail bird.

But then, while he was held captive, I asked a few more serious questions.

Who is the prettiest girl you know?  I set him up to make my day by answering, "It's you, of course, Mom!"  But no.  He answered, "Now Won". Translation....."no one."  For a kid who always makes a perfect score on his spelling test, he sure gets sloppy with his spelling at home when he is playing.

And these serious quesions....

 The night before he was jailed, Carter had fallen asleep in my bed with me while we were talking and snuggling.  He typically doesn't go to sleep in my bed.  He had just drank a honking big drink and never went to the bathroom.  He wet all over me.  This is not typical. So I asked him, "Why did you pee on me when we were snuggling?"  He answered honestly.

Translation..."I did not know it was coming out."

My little jail bird could've stayed in jail all day long if I had spent the rest of the day sending mail.  But after a while, I was tired of sending mail to the little convict.  So I sent him one more note.

He eventually released himself from bondage and we finished our chores.