The Garden School Tattler

Good Morning!

This week in school we are working on "me." Me from the beginning means me as a baby. We begin the week with a beautiful baby contest. Children will be able to share their pictures of "me" when "me" was just beginning. They will find this hilariously funny and parents can participate with voting for the "beautiful baby of their choice with pennies." This always involves memories and perhaps a little "baby fever." (Don't panic. Molly was doing the baby fever thing and bought a dog and it worked. The little dog gave her something small to cradle and hug and even dress up! With three little stair step boys, the dog fits in nicely.)

Pictures are amazing family history. Children want to know about times when they are missing from pictures and albums. Have you ever been asked when a child sees you in a wedding picture as the bride or groom, and asks "Where was I?"

It's also a question asked often when a family is big and the child has not been born yet but sees his or her siblings playing in pictures and they aren't there. And so often I've answered, "In my hopes and dreams." And then their baby picture surfaces in the album and the question goes away because children have no sense of time.

This week we are looking at "me" and when "me" grows up. What do they want to be? What work that they saw last week, or at home, or on TV will stimulate enough interest to get them started in thinking about the future? We asked one brother sister team once, and the brilliant little girl said, "A pizza man." Her brother of dubious intellectual interest said, "The Vicar of Christ" (Catholic for Pope) so it's always priceless. BTW - no Ninja Turtles!

We will keep a record of what the kids want to do as adults and send a complete posting of "future employment" home to you as a keepsake for your scrapbook.

On Thursday, we will go to the botanical gardens in Owensboro. I did not think we would get a place on their roster, but we did at the last minute. it doesn't have much to do with "me" but it's a great outing and it does involve another fall project - collecting bugs. More on that later. It's a treat day, and we will order pizza for lunch. It will be a great day. It's supposed to be 80 degrees!

So keep in mind that this week is all about "me" and quiz your child about what he or she wants to be when he or she grows up. It's a delightful week. Enjoy.