Thankful

Of course at this time of year it is traditional to ponder on and express gratitude for our many blessings....and I feel that mine are especially abundant. I thought I might share with you the list of things I came up with that I am grateful for.

1. Notebooks and pens (particularly the cute kind) because they allow to make lists such as this.
2. Mountain Dew and/or Dr. Pepper........they receive equal billing because they both provide the caffeine I need daily.
3. The chance I have to play with Little People toys and call it my "job."
4. $4.00 Prescriptions at Target
5. Mascara and Lip Gloss......my two favorite make up items because they make a difference in under 5 minutes.
6. Peanut Butter Cookies....especially the amped up kind with Rollo's, or Kisses, or tiny little Snickers bars.....so yummy.
7. Websites that offer free shipping!
8. Gas Prices..........yes I know they are just another sign of the weakening global economy and that I should be distressed over them......but I just can't be distressed over $1.66 a gallon, I tried and I can't do it. So I'll just be grateful instead.
9. Novels, and not just any novels, I am talking about the kind that are pure fluff. The kind that require minimal brain power to read and enjoy. The kind that DON'T make you think about anything important.
10. Disneyland.....the happiest place on earth.
11. All things Internet.........I am starting to wonder how I ever accomplished shopping, learning, finding things, communicating, knowing the news, or wasting countless hours before the Internet.
12. My preschoolers who when asked what they are thankful for say "Miss Dawn!"
13. Clorox Anywhere Hard-Surface Spray.......every germ haters dream-in-a-bottle.
14. My DVR at my new house......ahhh.

There is really so much to be grateful for! And obviously I am also immensely thankful for my home, my freedoms, my Savior, my preschool, my education and I am most thankful for my family and my friends....who are really just an extension of my family. (Well, to be entirely honest, caffeine and friends/family are probably tied.)

LOL (times 5)

So the past couple days in preschool have had a few funny moments that I thought I would share:

Moment #1:
Miss Dawn "My friends should be sitting on their bums with their arms folded." (trying to get them to focus)

Little Boy: "Miss Dawn! I CAN'T do that!"

Miss Dawn: "And why not?"

Little Boy: "I can't sit on my thumbs AND fold my arms!!"


Moment #2:
Little Girl: (addressing the whole class) "You better listen to Miss Dawn!! Don't you know the reindeers are seeing if we are good?!"

note: I have not said anything about Christmas yet....let alone threats of Santa's wrath.

Moment #3:
This week we were learning about the letter "U" so we were naming things that start with that and I said umbrella. Then a little girl starts singing "ella, ella, a, a, a, a, a!" These are the lyrics to a popular pop song and she was totally dancing while she belted them out.

Moment #4:
Little Boy: "Miss Dawn can I use markers?"

Miss Dawn: "No. You can use the crayons that are out."

Little Boy: "Well, there are no more crayons left."

Miss Dawn: "Oh really?" (I of course know that there are 4 rubber-maid boxes FULL of crayons). I turn and look, "I see a bunch of crayons right there."

Little Boy: "I guess I meant that I don't want to use crayons."

Miss Dawn: "I guess you did mean that, but the answer is still no markers."

Moment #5
A little girl walked up to me and said "Hold still....you have a spot" as she licked her pointer finger and proceeded to rub her finger back and forth on my chin. Then she looked upset and so I asked, "Is it not coming off?"
She shook her head and I said "It's called a freckle. I have a lot of them, and they don't come off."
It was a little gross....but SO cute. And the cute totally outweighed the gross.

These are the moments when I wish there was a camera constantly recording the goings on of the preschool.

Christmas Treats

Today I was walked through the store I thought to myself:

 "Man it seems a little early to have Christmas stuff out. What happened to Thanksgiving?! (Grumble, Grumble, Grumble)"

But then something caught my eye......delicious cadbury mini eggs (the Christmas edition). And I thought, "Well, I guess they will put the stuff out as long as there is money to be made!' (As I put a bag of the treats in my cart.)

Then a little while later as I strolled past the ice-cream section of the store I saw something else that grabbed hold of my attention......peppermint ice-cream. And I thought, "Not everything is horrible I guess." (As I put a container of ice-cream in my cart.)

Then as I stopped to grab some crackers for preschool I saw some intriguing candy-cane oreos. (The cream part has a candy cane flavor). And I thought, "That is a new and exciting Christmas twist." (As I put a package of cookies in my cart.)

Then as I was on my way out I saw Candy-Cane Hot Chocolate. And I thought, "Well, by the looks of my cart I guess I am quite glad all the Christmas stuff is out already!' (As I put a container of hot chocolate in my cart.)

And then as I stood in line I thought, "I think the real problem with Christmas stuff being out already is that everything is sugar-related." (As I took an item or two out of my cart.) I figure I have 6 weeks to enjoy all the splendors of the Christmas season!

If You Chance....

So obviously a part of being a preschool teacher is singing songs....a lot of songs. And while I can boast that I have many songs in my repertoire....I will admit that sometimes it gets a little boring (they always want to sing the same songs over and over and over). So today I thought I would introduce a song we hadn't sung in preschool yet. A classic from my own childhood, many of you will recognize it. The classic "If You Chance To Meet A Frown." I type the lyrics for you below because it turns out that they are important to this post and perhaps some of you will not be familiar with them or will have forgotten them.

If You Chance To Meet A Frown:

If you chance to meet a frown,
Do not let it stay.
Quickly turn it upside down,
And smile that frown away.

No one likes a frowny face.
Change it for a smile.
Make the world a better place,
By smiling all the while!

So as I sat in my chair watching 10 adorable little faces look up to mine as I sang the words I started thinking two different things:

1. I began to wonder what messages a 4 year old might take from this song. I would hate to think they would feel like they couldn't feel and express their feelings!!! I want them to know that it is okay to feel sad, and mad, and hurt, and scared, and frustrated in addition to the always popular: happy. I want them to know that everyone feels these things and that they are loved no matter what!

2. I was also thinking about how much influence my attitude can have on everyone around me and how this song could really help me remember to smile instead of frown...(even if someone was dumping their water into their yogurt cup and back again making a disgusting mess. Because is it really the end of the world?) The power of a smile is truly great and I have always appreciated those people in my life who are quick to smile. It is a trait I have always envied...with a frown I might add.

So, you the reader might ask, what has been gained from this moment of reflection? Well, dear reader, I will tell you. I have decided that I will most likely be removing this particular song from my preschool song list. And on the other hand I will also be trying to find ways to remind myself of the positive benefits of smiling more. :)

P.S. In case you were wondering I actually do have very insightful thoughts during the most random moments of preschool...singing, reading, painting, cleaning up yogurt-water, etc.

(This post is dedicated to Tera since I am using her laptop while she sleeps on the other couch!)

Un-Married

Most of my preschool kids know that sometimes my mom is upstairs during preschool, and whenever they hear a noise they can't immediately identify they ask, "Is your mom upstairs today?"

Today they heard such a noise (it was really just the furnace) and asked the inevitable question.
Miss Dawn: "Well yes my mom is upstairs today, but that noise was not her. She is asleep today because she worked all night last night." (Of course I had to explain to them why anyone would stay awake all night and then sleep during the day...silly nurses.)

Then came a new question:
Little Girl #1: "Miss Dawn, is your dad upstairs?"

Miss Dawn: "Nope, he is not upstairs." (I was really hoping this was the end of this line of questioning)

Little Boy #1: "When is he coming home?" (I guess it was not the end of the questions.)

Miss Dawn: "Well....................my dad does not live at this house so he doesn't come home to here. He goes home to his own house."
(You know, the place where he lives with his wife and my step and half siblings.)

Little Boy #2: "Why doesn't he live at this house?"
(Because it would be a little awkward for everyone involved if he lived here. It is probably better that he live with his wife, rather than his ex-wife...duh! And my mom is also probably quite content with him going to his own home.)

Miss Dawn: (There was a VERY long pause here...what should I tell them?!?! What if something I tell them scares them about their own parents? I scan the faces and nope, no know here has divorced parents.) So finally I start talking, still quite unsure where I am going to go with this. "Well do you know what married is? Your mom and dad are married to each other. And when I was a little girl my mom and dad were married to each other. But then they decided it would be best if they got unmarried. So they did, and my dad moved to a different house. But it is okay because my mom and dad both love me and I get to spend time with both of them and now they are both happier."

This is the point where I literally hold my breath....I don't want to talk about it anymore and I am already worried that they are going to be traumatized by this discussion.....

Then, silence. Glorious silence. There are no more questions about my dad or his whereabouts. Thank Heaven!!!