Today DD and Nephew learned about the 5 senses. I was a little baffled as to how to make a fun lunch to show the 5 senses, but we sure did A LOT of sensory work while they ate.
"Mommy, what's that yummy smell?" DD asked as she bounced into the kitchen. She got brand new socks today, and gets very bouncy in brand new socks (cheaper addiction than shoes right?)
"Well sweetie, that is one of your senses telling you that I'm making a quesadilla for lunch. Can you tell me which sense you used?"
She was very puzzled and had to think about it for a minute, but got it soon after. I find that if I don't work with them right after school, they both seem to lose everything they learned. I thought little minds were supposed to be sponges, not sieves.
I asked lots of questions like that, aiming them at both DD and Nephew, sometimes switching off, sometimes asking both and seeing who could get it first. After 30 minutes the game got old and they were ready to go play. So I had them wash hands and they I pulled out a surprise treat. Chocolate dipped marshmallows covered in sprinkles with a pretzel stick for the handle. I am not ashamed of trying to turn the kids into marshmallow lovers like me.
They each had one and spent the rest of the day being angels. Or so I'd like to let you think. Nephew T and SIL came home and Nephew T had lost something of his and SIL was very upset. Understandably so because this is the second time this month he's lost this item and he acts like he doesn't care. But she was upset and so she told him he couldn't play until he found the item. Well, boys will be boys and immediately started fighting over something.
Again, if I could just let it end here I would. But then you'd get the impression that my Nephews are rotten and I have an easy kid. Well, I'm here to correct any wrong impressions I may have given.
Nephews both went to bed so I let DD cuddle up and play a drawing game on my iPad while SIL and I finished a movie (Friends With Benefits ...SO FUNNY!) DD got dessert a little while after the boys were asleep because she finished all her dinner and SIL has Push-pops which are easily "the best dessert ever!" if DD's opinion is the end all. Now onto the troublesome part...
As soon as she finishes her Push-pop, she turns on her whiny voice and says, "But mommy, I wanted to have dessert at home." "Well sweetheart, you shouldn't have asked for a Push-pop, or you should have told me before we opened it that you wanted dessert at home instead." Now...she didn't REALLY want dessert at home instead, this was her way of trying to get two desserts. But instead of batting her eyes at me, and giving me the sad lost puppy look, she scrunches up her nose, squints her eyes, drops her jaw and cries. She looks like a deformed butterfly that fell out of it's cocoon too early (thanks Elizabeth for that description that will forever live on in my brain.)
I may need to take Elizabeth's advice and put her in front of a mirror next time she makes that face, and ask if she would give into the ugly face she makes. I can't help but roll my eyes, sigh and chuckle to myself when she gets like that. It's going to turn into an eye twitch moment I know it.
I gave her extra love at bedtime, but she dealt with having only one dessert. Happy blogging!
Great story and yes, I have noticed that the sponge become a sieve at times with our kids. The dessert reaction ... we've been there, done that, too. It's not easy for young kids to make choices and then see those choices are actually decisions.
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Kevin
So glad to know there are parents out there that say no and stick to it, deformed butterfly or not:) Many of my classroom kids have already learned if they pitch a fit, they will get their way. Put 19 of them in one room and there can be a Kaleidoscope of deformed butterflies! Fun Post.
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