Talk To Me

I got to talk to some of the kids on the phone the other week. I always miss them majorly when I talk to them.

Hugo was gorgeous, as he always is when he pulls out his I love you Missy.

Princess was decently chatty, all about her birthday, which, dude, I was there. And you didn't bring any cake in. And some other stuff too I think.

It was Molly who really blew me away.

Me: So, what have you been up to today?
Molly: We're going to get a snake today.
Me: Oh really. What kind of snake?
Molly, in my head: 'A big one' or 'A brown one' or something like that. Leading to my next question about size or colour or whatever she didn't already tell me.
Molly, for real: A Children's Python or a Carpet Python or possibly a SomethingElse Python.
Me: .....

And then she chatted away for ages in the most mature manner possible, asking where I am and telling me she's coming here next year and all. I totally forgot I was talking to a preschooler and told her to Call me when you get here, we'll go out!

Oh! And! Dude, if The Parents tell you to keep him awake, you cannot fricking put him to sleep. Seriously, read a book, do some puzzles. He will sit quietly enough.

The centre is definitely not the same without me and LMC and T - and now D? Damn.

First Day Back (Again)

"Hi Jake! I'm Missy! Get off the concrete!"
[Cue T and D pissing themselves laughing.]

Emma: My dad's on a work trip. It's cold. He has to wear lots and lots of clothes.
Jessie: Well, he can't wear no clothes.

Also had a heaps long chat with Anastasia who will never talk to ask you something but when her and Jessie and I had been messing around on the cushions for a while she wouldn't shut up. Jack is much more articulate now, and there's a new girl called Mia who is incredibly well-spoken for such a young kid. There's also a new kid called Tylar who I've decided will be a rugby player when he grows up, but a really sweet one. Syddy did her fake-coy thing for a while but of course got over it. Emma and Jessie hung off me all day which I'm hoping they'll be over by tomorrow. And we had signing class after work which was good as I'd forgotten some and got to learn some new ones. Let's hope the novelty of being back doesn't wear off for another few weeks!

Ring-ring!

Called T's mobile yesterday during inside time so I could talk to all the kids I miss so much teach them a valuable life lesson about how to talk on the phone.

It was so funny. I swear Emma said some random name when I asked who it was. I had no idea I was talking to her. Jessie was pretty good. First thing she said: "Missy? I miss you." All together now: Awww. Syddy was so cute. T said she would like curl up and do this cuuute head tilt and just laugh every time I said something.

Hugo saw my pic on the caller ID thing, and was all, "Hello Missy!" Hehe. Then I sang the ABC Song with him. Next time we'll do the rainbow song. And then maybe the Bear Hunt.

Didn't get to talk to the preschoolers but we'll do a pm call one time so I can. Mum said I'm back on the invite list for Damon's party so I might get a good convo out of him. And Jack will be hilarious I hope.

I miss them, but they've moved on. And I will too. Soon. Promise.

Cos T and I are so awesome

We're Going On A Bear Hunt!

Princess was all "I wanna go on a bear hunt." I think she just wanted some company on a walk while she pretended to look for bears but really got a personal walk with an adult, but I grabbed T and said "We're going on a bear hunt," and asked a few kids if they wanted to come and we soon had a big group following us on our hunt. Hugo came too, looking very confused at first, since he knows that the Bear Hunt book is "gooone, gooone" from the bookshelves in our room, but getting into it a bit more later.

As an aside, I know MJ doesn't like T and I hanging out together when we're outside, but since we ended up with more than half the kids tagging along with us, I think two teachers were justified and she can just bite me.

So we went

through the long wavy grass, swishy swashy
through the thick oozy mud, squelch squelch
through the deep cold river, splash splash
through the big dark forest, stumble trip
through the swirling whirling snowstorm, woooooh

until we got to the narrow gloomy cave

where we ended up at the corner of the fence where a tree is right in the corner

and they tiptoed tiptoed while I went and hid my
shiny wet nose
big furry ears
big googly eyes

until the BEAR chased them
back through everything
up the stairs
forgot to shut the door
back downstairs, shut the door, back upstairs
into bed, under the covers (ok back to the side of the shed, cowering in fear)

We're not going a bear hunt again!

Until next week cos the kids love us cos
T and I are so freaking awesome!

All Good Things

I have three more days of work, then I am moving halfway across the country, to a place which in addition to being far, far way, also has no Sydney, Jack, Hugo, Grace, Mark, Princess, Tania or fortnightly income. Or funny, sad, ironic, poignant, hilarious, loving, hysterical anecdotes.

I still have to tell the boss, and Michelle and David.

Enough Said

Faith: T, Liam said "butt".
T: Faith, just don't worry about it, everyone has one.
[then to me] Watch this.
[then to Emma] Hey Em, you have a big butt don't you?
Emma: Yes, I have a big butt.
T and I crack up laughing but Emma's not done yet.
Emma: I have sand.

LOL!!!

A kingdom without a princess

Princess is away this week.

Cool hey.

No, that was it. What you were waiting for the punch line? That was the punch line. It's so peaceful. And yet... NO! Just enjoy it. God knows it'll be over soon enough.

For the Fish

With kids, it pays to be specific:

Damon comes over to where I'm sitting with Emma on my lap.
D: Is this a lemon?
Me: Yes Damon, it's a lemon.
D: Ohh. Do you want a bite?
Me: Yes please. [chewing sounds] Yum. Thanks Damon.
D: Emma, do you want a bite?
E: No. [totally uninterested]
D: [holding it up to her mouth] Emma, do you want a bite?
E: No!
Me: Damon, I don't think she wants any.
D: Ohh.
Me: Maybe if you put it on some fish.
D: Ohh.

[holding his hands together at ground level with the lemon in his palms.

D: Here, little fishies, do you want some?

Gets Everywhere

I am also really sick of sand. Really really sick of it.

Yesterday as soon I got there, I got a great big hug from Emma. It was very nice. Until the sand (which covered about 90% of her body) became ingrained in the lipgloss I had applied about ten minutes before. Yum.

Not to mention the sand has completely ruined my Kayanos.

Reading

It is interesting the different ways the people (children in particular) choose and respond to books and reading.

Hugo only likes ones with some sort of repitition eg We're Going on a Bear Hunt, We All Went on Safari or pattern, like the counting or alphabet books. Also, inexplicably, the big world altas, maybe as it has lots of pictures, and a lot of them are in oval frames (one of his fav shapes).

One of Jack's fav's (one which I don't like and never read to him) is one about the phases of the moon. I don't think he knows it's about the moon. It has a cat looking up at a moon, and I think he likes it for the cat, with the moon being a bonus.

Em currently likes one of the new ones, Where is the Green Sheep? which I'm sure she has at home. When we get to certain parts, she always tells us the same thing, putting herself into the story.
Em: I climb up that ladder and splash into the water [pointing to the bottom of the page].
Also I'm not sure if she knows it's all about 'sheep'. She can recite almost the whole thing, but I don't know if she knows all the fluffy things are sheep.

Mark, Damon, and Samuel all love the Space and Spaceships books. They will read it to themselves, with great discussions, and also enjoy us reading it them, asking a lot of questions. I had a big discussion with Mark the other day about listening to what the book says, then asking things he still doesn't understand.

They really do know their space stuff.
T tried to argue with one of them, Mark again I think, about which planet had rings, and which was 'the big planet'.
T: The biggest planet is called Saturn.
Mark: No [turning to the right page and obviously repeating from somewhere] Jupiter is the big planet.
T: No Mark [fully believing she was right] Jupiter has rings.
Mark: Jupiter is the big planet. Saturn has rings around it.
Me: Um, yeah he's right.
T: [Actually looking at the book] Oh yeah. You're right Mark.

When it comes to these boys and space, that's a given.