What Could They Have Been Thinking?

Yesterday I was working at the preschool again. We were in the gym* playing. There were two new little girls**, so I was trying to get them to play with the other kids and make friends. One little girl that I happen to be playing with***, Girl Z 2 yrs, was playing on the indoor slide. She was mid-ladder when Girl T****, 4 yrs, comes up and sniffs her tookus*****.

Also, on Tuesday when I was at the preschool, I went into the bathroom with only one toilet******. A woman followed me in. And only when I gave her a suspicious look did she state that all she wanted was tissue*******.

*I keep hearing of this global warming thing, and I have to say I am not a believer; as far as I can tell it keeps getting colder and colder, not to mention that we have had more snow this winter than we had in the last few

**I was on the Infant/Toddler side today

***She is not one of the new kids

****This is the same girl that when I asked her a year ago how her new baby sister is doing, told me that “she cries a lot” and “drinks milk from mommy’s breasts”

*****By “tookus” I mean butt

******This bathroom is kind of hidden away and only if you have been told by someone that it exists and is a bathroom do you know it is there; I have yet to find any indicators outside the room that it is a restroom. I started using this building in 1999, and only a month ago was told of this restroom!

*******What functional adult just walks into a bathroom after a stranger, knowing that there is only one toilet. And why on Earth could she not have waited a couple min, or gone to the other larger restroom only 20 feet away, or have said something out loud before I went in asking to sneak in for tissue?

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!

Slow Day At The Preschool

*I am writing this well after the fact as though it is current, and pre-dating my post. As it is my site, I reserve the right to do so*

I was in the infant/toddler side today. I was hobbling and playing with the little ones. It is always a good time. However this year the younger side doesn’t talk much. Last year’s talkers moved to the older side. This is also the first time I have been on the I/T side this year, I think…. There is one little girl J who has a hard time letting her mom drop her off, it is sad to watch. however if we can distract her right away she is fine and will play all day. She especially loves to be outside and swing. Anyhow, today she looked like she was going to cry, so I asked her, “J are you having a good day?” With the look of a cry on her face, and nodding, she replied with a slow, “Y…e..a…h….” And that was the last of the fussy face. She got down and started smiling and playing. Seems she just needed some one to acknowledge her and suggest something pleasant.

She Is My Husband

I was working at the preschool again today. Being Friday, it is share-day.

Girl T-age 3: I don’t have anything to share!

Mr S: I don’t either (in a whiny voice)

T: I want to share my Elmo

S: What should you do then?

LONG PAUSE

5 or 6 kids: Go get it!

Boy J-age 4: (holding a Tide-to-go pen) For when you get messy.

Girl E-age 3: This is a volleyball from Cassie.

Mr S: Who is Cassie?

E: She is in the picture

Miss L: Is she your cousin?

E: She is my husband.

Boy S-age 4: Shared the sweater he was wearing as a mystery item and had the class guess what it is.

After coming in from outside, all the kids were talking about getting married. I do not think that word means what they think it means.

Boy S: I’m gonna marry Girl S.

Girl S-age 5: And I’m gonna marry Boy J and Girl R.

Girl R-age 4: Boy J is gonna marry me.

Girl H-age 4: I’m gonna marry Girl S and Girl T.

Girl A-almost 3: I’m gonna marry Girl H.

Over snack Boy S asked Boy L, “L, may I marry you when I’m big?” While yes, he did say “may” and understands English very well (his family speaks a different language at home, however they study English too), I reserve the right to believe he doesn’t quite get what it means to get married.

Things I Learn

Today I was at the preschool again. It was fun. However, first thing I learned was that one of the little boys (who was there yesterday, but not today) has/had lice. So everything in the room was getting a spin in the washer. I don’t notice any on me; I hope it stays that way. I am not sure if the room has them or not, but he did get it from the public school, poor boy. I will be there again tomorrow.

The other thing I learned today was how to make goopy stuff. It is a cross between a water & cornstarch mix and silly putty. You can draw on it with makers and it doesn’t get on your skin. If you sit in on a grate of some sort, or mesh, it will seep through the holes and looks really cool as it drips slowly. I came home and told Jacob about it and he didn’t really believe me, and said he would have to see it to understand what I was saying. So I went and got supplies to make it. Here are a few pictures of what we did at home.

This is the view under the grate just as it is starting to drip.

Here it is dripping just a bit more.

Here it looks kind of like spaghetti after landing.


Now, I can’t go to the preschool and not have good “kids say” stories…

These are from free play.

Girl T-age 3 reads very well and I was using foam blocks to spell words. She sounded the letters out in here head and read very clearly! Well, while she was playing a few minutes later she declared that she is “going to doctor school.” She walked right up to me with her bag of six stethoscopes and proceeded to listen to my “heart” with each one until she could hear me coughing. As soon as I realized what she wanted, I faux-coughed and then she was satisfied.

Girl R-age 4 has a new baby brother at home. I saw her stuff a Cabbage Patch Doll in her shirt, standing in front of a mirror to make sure it is placed right. She went to the hospital where Girl S-age5 (next week) and Girl T (same as above) are doctors. S took tweezers and delivered the baby by pulling on the doll’s leg from under the shirt. T was using the stethoscopes to make sure she could hear the heart beat and make sure there was no coughing. Then R died and S wanted to do an autopsy while T was busy placing tools inside the body…maybe it was so S would find something. S said she needed more blood, and then it was time to clean up to go outside.

Outside was very cold!!! (I need to move to the equator.)

Anyhow, out in the sand box Boy S-age 4 (broccoli ninja boy) was upset by Boy C-age 3 (knucklehead boy) flinging sand into the air with a stick. I asked him why he is telling me, and asked who he needs to tell. So he turned to C and proceeded to tell him the dangers of flinging sand in the air and how it might get in someone’s eyes and that would hurt them, and asking how he would feel if it got in his own eyes. He went on about this for at least a whole min. I would be surprised if C ever flings sand again in his whole life.

Funny Funny Kids

Today I was at the preschool again, which means I had a fun day. Here are some fun things I heard from the young’ins.

For sharing time:

Boy S-Age 4: (Standing with his hand in his pocket) It is a mystery, you have to guess what I have.

Child 1: Is it a rock?

S: No.

Child 2: Can you eat it?

S: Yes.

Child 3: Is it a hotdog?

S: No.

Child 4: Is it broccoli?

S: Yes! It is broccoli that looks like a ninja. (Takes hand out of his pocket and opens it to reveal his imagination, and proceeds to show the rest of the kids one by one his hand. Most of the kids play along)

Boy A-age 4: Rolls his eyes while saying “Cool” very unenthusiastically.

Girl R-almost 5: (Feeling the need to make him realize it isn’t there, yells) Your hand is empty

S: (Just continues on, because he knows it is pretend. Half way around the circle, he tells the kids…) It is cooked, smell it, it is good. (At the end of the circle he carefully places his ninja-broccoli in his pocket and sits down.)

It appears that he on a regular basis has an imaginary share item-I wonder if he chooses this ahead of time, or if he just forgets to bring a real thing….

In the middle of this broccoli presentation, Boy L-age 3 has some trouble sitting still, so the teacher asked if he needs to leave the circle, He responds, “Yes” and gets up with his share item and walks away and put his item away. That was indeed a good response for him, he had been having a bad morning.

On the playground:

It was chilly/windy and we had the children wearing their jackets/sweaters. Girl A-age 2 had a broken zipper on her jacket, she came up to me and told me, “Take your pockets out of your hands.” A few minutes later she came up to me and was cold, so I told her to “put your pockets in your hands.” She placed her hands in her pockets and played for a while before taking them out.

Boy L-same one from before: I’m trying to hurt my friends because I’m a pterodactyl!

In the room, while playing in the dress-up area…

Boy S-same as above: Give me a shot, I’m sick.

Me: OK, I’ll give you a shot. Where do you want it? In your arm?

S: Yes. (Lays down on the couch like it is the Dr’s table)

Me: Give me the needle. (it is the plastic pretend syringe that doesn’t have any sharp parts)

Teacher overhearing him calls out: In the cheek

S: (Sticks his tookus up into the air) Do it slower.

Me: (I proceeded to give him a slow shot into his arm)

S: Thank you, I feel better now.

Up in the loft Boy C and Boy Y were playing (both age 3) and C was saying, “Knuckle head” over and over. It was clear that he was meaning it as a fun term of endearment, and Y didn’t mind at all. That is good, because Y generally has really tender feelings.

I was at the Preschool yesterday as well, and one of the teachers had to leave in the middle of a book, so I finished reading the book. It was Click Clack, Moo: Cows That Type by Doreen Cronin. Her books are great! While I was reading, one little boy, Boy J-age 3, asked me, “What is an ultimatum?” After I answered that, he asked, “Why was Duck a neutral party?” He seemed content after that to let me finish the book.

A week or two ago when I was at the preschool, a little girl asked me to read her a book Froggy Plays In The Band by Jonathan London. This is another author I really enjoy. When I got home I had to tell Jacob about the book and he seemed interested in it. So, I went to every bookstore I passed after that, hoping that I might find the book. After more than one week of searching and many stores later I found one copy in Iowa City. I would have liked to have found 3 copies….

You Never Know Just What a Kid Will Say

I spend some of my days subbing at a preschool on the local college campus. There is one little girl there that is currently 2 yrs 9 months old. Last winter and spring she called me “Jerry” and had other adults that help thinking it was my name. She did learn my name, and I like to quiz her to see what all she knows (I do this with all the kids). Yesterday while we were outside playing, I was holding a baby, and she came over to me to see the baby. I was quizzing her on what different animals say, and here are a few of the questions and answers:

Me: What does a monkey say?

Her: ooooo oooo aaah aaah

Me: What does a doggy say?

Her: bow wow

*after many more animals, I tested other things*
Me: What does (child’s name) say?

Her: I talk

Me: What does a teacher say?

Her: I love you

Me: What does a Mr. Scott (one of the preschool teachers) say?

Her: Time to put our books away, books away, books away, time to put the books away and lay down for our nap *I am not sure if that is how the song goes, but that is what she hears*

Me: What does mommy say?

Her: I am proud of you

Me: What does a police car sound like?

Her: (in a deeper voice) Come with me, you are going to jail

I really like this job. Most of the kids remember me from time to time that I work which is great since I am not there “regularly” and I just can never be too sure what will escape their mouths.

Last spring one of the little girls got a new baby sister, and on one of the occasions that I was there and holding said baby, the big sister was cooing at the baby. One of the other little girls, who is an only child, came over while big sister was playing with baby sister, and told me that she wants a baby sister. I told her to talk with her parents about it. They got a pretty good chuckle out of the story.