Proverbial Wisdom

At the end of every school year, my mom gives her kindergarten students a list of the first halves of common proverbs. The students then fill in the second half. Here's some of what this year's kids had to say (their words are italicized and spelled exactly as they wrote them):

You can lead a horse to water but he will splash water on you.

No news is in the male box.

You can't teach an old dog to play video gams.

Where there's smoke, there's sigrix (cigarettes).

A penny saved is in my cut off sock (the girl who wrote this saves her money in a sock).

Two's company, three can not fit.

Don't put off until tomorrow what is bad.

Laugh and the whole world laughs with you; cry and say good bye to your friend.

Children should be seen and not spankt.

If at first you don't succeed will have a bad day.

When the blind lead the blind thae bump into the wol.

Better late than school.

So there you have it. Aren't they so smart? I'm going to miss them so much!

Poem For the Day

The Liar

Deceiver, dissembler
Your trousers are alight
From what pole or gallows
Shall they dangle in the night?

When I asked of your career
Why did you have to kick my rear
With that stinking lie of thine
Proclaiming that you owned a mine?

When you asked to borrow my stallion
To visit a nearby-moored galleon
How could I ever know that you
Intended only to turn him into glue?

What red devil of mendacity
Grips your soul with such tenacity?
Will one you cruelly shower with lies
Put a pistol ball between your eyes?

What infernal serpent
Has lent you his forked tongue?
From what pit of foul deceit
Are all these whoppers sprung?

Deceiver, dissembler
Your trousers are alight
From what pole or gallows
Do they dangle in the night?

-William Blake, 1810

DONE!

Anytime I walk to lunch with the kindergartners, they want to hold hands. It sounds really sweet, and it is, until there are 5 of them clawing at me. A couple months ago I told the kids there was a new rule that I'm not aloud to hold hands anymore. One wide-eyed, blue-eyed boy is pretty sly, aside from being cute. Awhile back, he just grabbed my hand as I was walking along. When I looked down at him, he kept looking forward without even stealing a glance at my reaction. Just pretended like nothing had happened. Ha ha. He pretty much lassoed my heart and has drug it around everywhere since.

About a month ago, the sly hand-holder told me he is going to Hawaii this summer on vacation. I told him he could take me with him and I'd be his buddy there. No way was that an option for him. Only his family was going. Come lunch time, he wanted to hold my hand. I reminded him of the hand holding rule, since everyone started to gather to pounce on the "yes" response. I almost moved right along, then changed my mind. If he'd take me to Hawaii, of course I'd hold his hand on the way to lunch. I told him so and offers started pouring in from all of the kindergartners. Many offered to take me to Hawaii, some to California, and my favorite offer was "I'll take you to Hawaii AND Chucky Cheese!". Ha ha! If only such offers were valid. My summer would be set.

I had to run to get ice yesterday during lunch. As I walked past the kinder playground to the car, one of the boys on a swing yelled out "Erica! I'll marry you cuz I think you're beautiful and I'll take you to California!". Sweet! Marriage proposal AND a vacation plan. To bad he's not 20 years older... or maybe it's a good thing! It was a decent farewell for the end of the school year. I'm going to miss bartering handholding for vacations.

Other things I'll miss this summer include: digging for dinosaur bones in the sandbox, singing The Princess Pat, Miss Polly Had a Dolly and The Peanut songs, sneaking gummy bears to kids when my mom isn't looking, playing Sharks and Minnows (sandbox style) with the third grade during lunch recess, kid reactions when I reply "Yes, but not here on the playground!" after they ask if they can go to the bathroom, chatting with kids in the back room instead of working on math like we're suppose to, seeing the students be and feel successful, finding a good book match for someone, working with the office staff who have become much more that just co-workers, and the list goes on and on and on and on. Field has been my home across the street from home. I'm so glad I have the opportunity to return in the fall to do my student teaching. Look out!

Thing I won't miss this summer: Crossing guard duty. There were some good moments (HERE and HERE and HERE). There some other moments. The moments are done. Done for good. And I'm quite content with the fact.

Viewpoints

1. Kindergarten Jess, mentioned before HERE (number 3) and HERE (the whisper story), started chatting today at lunch about going to Disneyland, which will happen for her as soon as everyone (2 little boys and sister w/autism) at home are potty trained. The conversation moved on to how her autistic sister Jen, when asked what you do in the potty, says "poo" or "pee". Jess was excited Jen could respond to the question, which is very positive as she hardly communicates verbally. The end of our conversation went like this:

Me: Well it'll be nice when you get to heaven and she'll be able to talk to you. She'll probably tell you "thank you" for giving her so many hugs (I've seen Jess give her quite a few hugs).

Jess (with raised eyebrows): Actually, I think she'll say sorry.

Me: Why?

Jess (wide-eyed): Last time she gave me a hug, it was too tight.

2. Today, I enlisted aid from some naughty fourth-graders to help me transfer class sets of textbooks from classrooms to the library. Those guys needed to stay busy while the rest of the 4th grade classes were gone on a field trip to The Grand Canyon. Anyway, as we hauled books back and forth, those guys and one girl kept acting like they were about to have a heart attack from the "heavy" labor. I think they honestly believed it was strenuous, no matter how significantly I let them lighten their loads. I thought it was funny that transporting a pile of 3 teacher manuals could evoke painful moans and require a water break upon delivery. I told them that this work would build character and muscle, and to take a look at their muscles now, so they could see how much they'd grown when they checked them out at the end of our painful task. They sort of believed me (the muscle part) and the moaning died down a bit after they showed each other the "before" muscles. I was entertained the whole morning while watching them lug books around like they weighed 100 pounds.

3. So the mini life lesson I got today from the above stories combined:

Like Jess, I'm sure that sometimes when I view present situations through my scope of eyesight and understanding, there is another pair of eyes from above that twinkle, and have twinkled before, with a knowing laugh. Like my fourth graders, I will have to do difficult tasks. I've already had such tasks that I've moaned about and thought were going to almost kill me. In fact, I can think of times that I'd been reminded that character and muscle were being added upon. Past loads, that seemed iron cast and impossible really were completely doable, though I was wanting the nature of the featherweight business, and man, even though I don't have a six-pack now, you should check out my guns.

Time's Up

My cell phone contract has been up for awhile now but I haven't gone in for a new phone because my old one was still tickin. The back cover fell off a long time ago leaving the battery exposed but, hey, it still worked. Anyway. I went to Walmart with Boo on Friday and, while in the electronic section, found that with a 2 year renewal of contract, the chocolate touch would be given for free. Cha-Ching. That's right. Zero dollars. We went back on Saturday and sealed the deal.

I'm not too into cell phones, meaning I leave mine at home all the time when I go out and often can't find it around the house when I do want it; however, during the ride home, while fiddling around with my new beauty, I felt pretty excited about my improved situation. After arriving home, I even carried the phone around the house with me. About an hour/45 minutes later, after the excitement died down, I forgot about the new phone in my back pocket, unfortunately. Unfortunately? Yes... I had to take a bathroom break and a split second prior to seating myself, I heard a plop in the toilet. For a millisecond I thought "What in the world? That sound didn't come from me!". As I turned around, I saw my phone sitting at the bottom of the bowl. I grabbed it out lightning quick and dried it off but alas, it was no use. It was ruined!

I headed out to the Verizon store (not at Walmart) to see what my options were. I was disappointed to find that my phone, just hours old, could only be replaced if I payed 50 dollars, as it was insured. Huff. Puhlease. I wasn't going to pay one lick for a new phone. What a big fat bummer. My only other option was to trek back to Walmart with a smidgen of hope. The guy who helped me with the phone deal earlier was still there and... in minutes I found myself in possession of an identical brand new phone, at no cost! What a deal.

Side-note: I checked the model display of my new LG Chocolate Touch phone at the Verizon store and had I renewed my contract there, I would have had to pay 129 bucks (with $50 mail in rebate). For the same transaction I had at their Walmart location! What a well kept secret those Walmart hideouts are. From now on, I'm always checking at Walmart first, naturally. Also, below is a photo of my sometimes trusty, prior phone.

Gotta Love It

A favorite author/illustrator: James Marshall

Favorites of his works: George and Martha series and The Stupids series

Purchase/check out: George and Martha HERE; The Stupids HERE

Friday Freebie

HERE's a cool tutorial from dana-made-it.com demonstrating the process of making shadow shirts. I'm thinking a Bob Ross shirt would be ideal. Who's Bob Ross you ask? See HERE. The below pictures give a glimpse of the idea behind the process and are from the tutorial, which goes more in depth HERE.

Abduction

One time James kidnapped my doll. He took a threatening picture and sent it along to me with a ransom note demanding 1 plate of cookies. He's so tricky. I was going to kill him but quickly realized that by so doing, I'd never get Louisa May back. He got his darn plate of cookies and some accompanying severe threats that, should he start feeling brave with kidnapping endeavors in the future, I'd make sure that he'd never see the light of day again.

Louisa May currently mingles with the Wild Things on my bed (when it's made). She comfortably sports homemade, polka-dot pajamas fashioned by my mom. Her cute pink socks came from the dollar aisle at Target. She hasn't been abducted since the first incident and couldn't be happier with the life she's currently living. Luckily, James doesn't read my blog so he won't get any conniving ideas from this post. I hope you find the safety and protection Louisa May is afforded in your coming endeavors this week. Peace out.

Family Keepsakes

All right. If I must, I must. In yesterday's post, I mentioned finding some pictures that are a "hoot". Shauni read it and said that by mentioning the content of the pictures I might as well have just posted them. Hmm. Here they are. What do you think?

Before the strip-down in the Missississippi, I bet my mom told the Captain not to worry, that no one was looking. No one was... then.

After all was said and done and the fun had been had, there was evidence remaining. The Captain got embarrassed over these snapshots for a long time afterward. I didn't tell him they'd be posted today, but I'm pretty sure he's past the embarrassment part now... hopefully.

I now bring to you the best, saved for last. It's the wedgie one. Priceless. Yep, priceless...

Reminiscing

I was scrolling through some old photos today in search of one in specific. I got caught up looking through all of them and found so many that would be a hoot to share. Unfortunately, the subjects of those photos probably wouldn't appreciate their presence on my blog (Shauni picking a wedgie and James playing in the Missississippi river in spiderman undies). Maybe I'll get permission to share them at a later date, or maybe I won't get permission and share them at a later date. Anyway here's some photos from one of the albums...

After turning 8 years of age, the opportunity to be baptized a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints (see HERE) was presented to James. As he turned 8 while my grandparents were serving a mission in Nauvoo (see HERE), it was decided that we'd just mosey on over and take care of business there; for one, grandparents were there serving a mission where rich family history took place and, for two, why not?

At the time, I was attending school at BYU-Idaho so I hopped on a flight late, late at night and we the fam hopped on a train early that next morning. Here's Boo and I catching some z's at the station.

After the mini-nap, but before hopping on the train, we stuck money on the tracks to see what would happen. I'd always been awed by the scene in Pollyanna when Jimmy Bean stuck a chain on the train tracks. Would it work with money? Yes, it did.

Upon our arrival in Nauvoo, we proceeded to travel in the rental car. Notice the tightly upholstered, stony gray, mostly uncomfortable driver's seat. Now notice the children in the back. I love pictures that for one, have awkward chair placement and for two, have us kids grouped together (though we're missing Ryan on this trip). My favorite family photos are always the ones that are taken randomly when we're sitting together, all of us crammed in the photo at once (it helps my lack of a photogenic nature to be surrounded by those beauties). Enough said about the below photo. Actually, too much said. Moving along...

The following and last two pictures were taken at James's baptism. Yes, he was baptized outside in the Missississippi river. It was a cool experience. The first photo below is the family (sans James and Dad) and the second one is of my grandma, sisters, and I walking back to the car after the baptism. I love that photo.

Drinkin' and Drivin'

How's it going? Long time no talk. Here's a good one...