June 5th, 2014: Sculpted with Play-Doh, ran a bakery with cakes and cookies made out of sand, sat in a chair with five kids piled on top of me because who can resist a bunch of four-year-olds saying, "We want to sit with you, Miss Holly!", and put my world renown lizard catching skills into practice by capturing a chameleon and teaching the kids to not be afraid of it. Now I have several children asking, "Will you catch a chameleon for me before the summer is over, Miss Holly?" 9 1/2 hours with 16 little ones is exhausting, but what a blessing it is to be able to experience the world from their perspective!
June 11th, 2014: Corralling and dressing 8 children for swim lessons while 14 more are running around is like trying to dress sea lions. ha! After telling one of the four-year-olds she would be getting a time-out because she disobeyed by jumping back in the pool without an instructor's permission, her eyes welled up with tears and she began to cry. She said, "I'm sorry, Miss Holly! I will make better choices. You are trying to keep me safe and I disobeyed." If only adult hearts, mine included, were as quick to repent and shed tears of sorrow over disobedience. "And he said: "Truly I tell you, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven." -Matthew 18:3
June 12th, 2014: While riding the bus to swim lessons this morning with eight preschoolers, one of them shouted as we drove past a house, "That guy doesn't have a shirt on! He is nekkid! (that is exactly how she pronounced it) Someone needs to tell him to put a shirt on!" So, as a public service announcement from me and my four-year-olds: Guys, shirts were made for a reason. Please keep them on.
June 13th, 2014: Preschoolers are some of life's best teachers. As I sat on a bench watching the kids' play this morning--a to-do list a mile long running through my head, my heart heavy with financial worries and questions and sadness--a four-year-old came over, climbed in my lap, wrapped her arms around my neck, and quietly said, "I love you, Miss Holly." Her kindness brought tears to my eyes. Lord, forgive me for my doubts, worries, fears, and discontentment. Help me slow down and acknowledge the blessings all around--the gift of now; a gift children recognize, but adults so often forget.
July 14th, 2014: Conversation with a four-year-old on the playground:
Child: "See the rash on my knee, Miss Holly?"
Me: "Yep. How did that happen?"
Child: "I scraped it. I don't want it to get infected because they might have to cut my leg off."
Me: "That would be terrible! We definitely don't want that to happen."
Child: "Yeah, it would be bad because I wouldn't be able to wear pretty shoes anymore."
And that, folks, is why you don't want to lose a leg. Pretty shoes are very important, according to preschool girls.
July 24th, 2014: Conversation with a four-year-old:
Child--"Miss Holly, my grandpa died yesterday, and I'm sad. I won't get to see him again until I die, too, and go to heaven where he is."
Me: "Heaven is going to be amazing!"
Child: "Do you think there will be fishing rods, worms, and lakes there so my grandpa and I can go fishing again?"
Me trying not to cry: "God will make heaven perfect, so I wouldn't be surprised if we find fantastic places to fish when we get there."
Children are such precious, trusting little souls, even in times of grief.
August 6th, 2014: I feel like I have been trampled by a flock of wild goats. I am getting older and unable to go down the slide, crawl through the sand box, run through the sprinkler, and play tag with a bunch of preschoolers without seriously feeling it in every muscle and joint the next day. I do believe Ms. Holly will be standing on the sidelines today. If I don't, I'm going to end up in the hospital.
August 7th, 2014: Cargo pockets on the teacher's pants are considered to be the ideal place to store acorns, according to preschoolers. I had so many acorns in my pockets by the end of the day, I was like a walking buffet for squirrels.
August 8th, 2014: The preschoolers begged me to sit in a chair so they could style my hair. The results were two lopsided braids, hair clips randomly scattered across my head, and a group of happy children who enthusiastically stated, "You look just like Ana from Frozen!", "Don't worry, Ms. Holly. You are lookin' good!", and "I love your poofy hair!" In reality, I looked like a crazed troll with wild curly hair sticking out in all directions. The little boys even joined the fun, but they made sure I was informed that the hair clips were actually top secret spy clips that gave me super powers. Duly noted. I will now go don my cape and save a cat stuck in a tree.
August 19th, 2014: Four-year-old: "I can't write my name, Miss Holly."
Me: "I bet you can learn! Trace over the letters I wrote on your paper, and then try writing the letters on your own beneath the tracing."
Four-year-old a few minutes later with a smile beaming across his face: "Look, Miss Holly! I did it! I wrote my name all by myself!"
My mom wrote letters for me to trace back in our homeschooling days. Her strategy still works over 20 years later.
August 21st, 2014: When the days are uncertain and honesty in the adult world seems to be in short supply, I am surrounded by 17 sets of little arms reaching out for hugs, and short legs running over to me and tiny voices exclaiming, "I just wanted to come say I love you, Miss Holly!" Tears are dried, books are read, potty breaks are frequent, and I say more times than I can count during the day, "Please sit down and do not spin in circles because you will kick your friend in the face.", "Use kind words.", "Be gentle.", "Don't forget to flush the toilet and wash your hands.", and "No, you may not stick that toy up your nose." There is a constant humming chorus of "Miss Holly!" throughout the day, and sometimes I simply want five minutes of absolute silence; but then a child will quietly walk over and slip their hand in mine, and smile up at me, saying, "I just want to stand next to you for a few minutes." The world doesn't recognize me as a mom, but to those seventeen four-year-olds, I am a mama from 7:00 a.m. until 3:30 p.m.
August 22nd, 2014: When you sit on the floor at a preschool, you will be mobbed by a herd of children, all of whom will be shouting, "Read my book first, Miss Holly!" You will then take the books one at a time and read them aloud using different voices for the characters, all while being smothered by a bunch of four-year-olds. I found out I have the ability to read upside down with only a narrow window of vision thanks to four children who simultaneously sat down in my lap for story time. Three cheers for discovering hidden talents!
August 26th, 2014: The school quote of the day goes to a four-year-old girl: "Miss Holly! I'm hungrier than a cow in a ditch!" Pretty sure I snorted with laughter.
September 2nd, 2014: The two and three-year-olds discovered the doctor supplies this morning. Imagine me sitting in a teeny tiny toddler chair with rabbit ears on my head, a blood pressure cuff around my wrist, binoculars hanging around my neck, a pretend bagel sandwich in my lap, and a two-year-old with a very serious expression on his face standing in front of me. I asked him if I was going to pull through the illness. He solemnly replied, with a stethoscope around his neck, "I think so."
September 3rd, 2014: From my experience working with people under the age of four, children say things that would be classified as unstable and/or inappropriate if they were adults. For example:
Child #1: "Wanna see my Frozen panties?" *Proceeds to show teacher and rest of class her underwear*
Child #2: "Miss Holly! I got something sticky on my finger. Look, it's a booger!!!" *Said with extreme levels of pride and enthusiasm
Child #3: "Ewww! It smells like poop out here!" *Shouted out loud as we were walking down the sidewalk to the local library--In the child's defense, I too, smelled a sewage odor coming from across the street, but I refrained from announcing it to the entire population.
September 4th, 2014: There is a dog that lives in a backyard along the sidewalk near the preschool. His owners cut a hole in the fence so he can see the world passing by. Yesterday, as I walked my two and three-year-olds to the library, he didn't come to the fence. The kids were disappointed, so without stopping to consider the consequences, I started barking at the fence. Ten children then followed suit, yapping at the tops of their lungs and giggling 'til they about fell over---right in the middle of town with passersby staring like we had completely lost it. The Basset Hound stuck his head through the fence, his eyes bugged out when he saw all of us standing there barking, and he looked nigh unto apoplexy. So, if you see any preschoolers walking around town barking at fences, blame me. Great example setter right here.
September 11th, 2014: This is the first time in 13 years I have not watched something 9/11-related. 13 years ago today, I was watching it unfold in real life, and each year afterwards, my family would view a documentary or watch the memorial service as the names were read. Today, I went to work and chased preschoolers around the playground. I wore a 9/11 pin, and several of my preschoolers asked, "What is that on your shirt, Miss Holly?" I told them it was a pin to help me remember a sad day several years ago. That answer satisfied them. They just wanted to look at the American flag and firemen in the picture.
September 16th, 2014: Little girls rock the baby dolls to sleep, feed them, take them shopping, and other peaceful activities. Little boys: Everything is turned into a weapon. For example---Me talking to a two-year-old this morning: "Please do not smack the baby doll in the head with the cheese grater."
September 17th, 2014: Apparently, toilets are a fascinating source of information. One of my two-year-old boys asked me today, "Why does the water bubble when the toilet flushes?" I am not a plumber, so I really didn't have a clue as to the exact reason. What resulted was a rambling description of pipes, water, flushing, clean vs. dirty water, and germs. He stood there in rapt attention (the child who is usually racing around the building like a crazed hamster) and asked if he could see the toilet tank again once he awoke from nap time. I only had to tell him once during my plumbing lecture to please refrain from sticking his head completely in the toilet bowl to see the flushing water.
September 18th, 2014: Children do not always correctly process what they hear. For example: A parent sneezed this morning while dropping off his child. I said, "Gesundheit!". A few minutes later, another person sneezed, and one of my three-year-old students said, "He has a big appetite!". I was confused, so I asked her what she meant. She replied, "That's what you just said." I told her, "No, sweetie; I said 'gesundheit'. It is a German word. It has nothing to do with eating."
September 24th, 2014: The weather was cool today in Florida for the first time since last winter, in this former Tennessean/Montanan/Missourian's opinion. I was singing on the playground this afternoon, "Autumn! O glorious autumn, how I love thee!" I couldn't help it. The air was so deliciously crisp, it needed a song written about it. The kids soon followed suit, and were bouncing around the yard bellowing, "Autumn! We love autumn!"
October 3rd, 2014: While sitting at the lunch table at school today, I mentioned I loved peanut butter. One of my three-year-old students nodded seriously and said, "Well, I don't like peanut butter, but I do love Snow White." I was baffled regarding the connection, but apparently incorporating a Disney Princess and a food item derived from peanuts in the same conversation made perfect sense to her.
October 9th, 2014: I managed to return to work today, albeit in a still rather sick state. As soon as I walked through the gate to the playground, the kids came running over shouting, "Miss Holly, we prayed for you! Are you feeling better?" Grown-ups talk about being the hands and feet of Jesus, but we so often fall short. Thankfully, He has a bunch of little hands and feet in the form of laughing, squirming, can't-sit-still, everything-is-new-and-amazing children who are more than willing to serve and love others.
October 16th, 2014: I've been teaching the preschoolers the song, "My God is so big, so strong, and so mighty! There's nothing my God cannot do!" I thought they knew the words, until today. A three-year-old walked by joyfully bellowing, "My dog is so big, so strong and so mighty! There's nothing my dog cannot do!" Pronunciation is important.
October 27th, 2014: Preschoolers are the world's greatest compliment givers and morale boosters. In just one day, I have been told I'm funny, smart, an amazing artist, and look like a fairy princess. Newsflash: Funny usually means making a wacky face and/or animal sounds resulting in all-around awkwardness; I am nowhere near being classified as highly intelligent; I can't draw a straight line; and I most definitely do not resemble a fairy princess. But hey, who am I to correct two and three-year-olds?
October 29th, 2014: The two years I spent as a social worker on a foster care/child abuse investigation team turned me into a sentimental mess. Gone are the days when I was a pillar of emotional strength. Case in point, I fought back tears while reading a story at preschool about a lost baby fruit bat and its mother. All I know is we better never watch 'The Fox and the Hound' in class because I will be sobbing uncontrollably by the end.
October 30th, 2014: Observations from a preschool teacher--Girls are WAY more dramatic than boys, even at two and three-years-old. Girls will cry, pout, and say, "I'm not going to be your friend anymore!" when they feel ignored, injured, or pretty much any other emotion. Boys will smack each other over the head with a toy firetruck, burst into tears, give hugs, and return to being best buddies.
Girls are rule followers to the extreme, and will sob hysterically when they get in trouble. Boys do not know rules exist. They sneak into the bathroom, throw a brand new roll of toilet paper in the commode, then proceed to fish for it, up to their elbows in water. Don't ask me how I know this. I am eating Southern Butter Pecan Gelato straight from the carton thanks to two little boys who feel it is their sole goal in life to make me go crazy.
December 1st, 2014: One of my little boys hollered from the bathroom this morning, "Miss Holly, my underwear broke!" Not knowing what on earth could have happened, I went to investigate. He had a very worried expression on his face when I arrived. I informed him, "There is a small hole in your underwear waistband where the seam came undone. They aren't broken." A smile lit up his face and he said, "Oh good!"
December 2nd, 2014: Got my first proposal today....from a three-year-old girl.
Student: "Miss Holly, I love you so much! Will you marry me?"
Me: "I can't marry you, sweetie."
Student with a disappointed expression: "Well, will you be my best friend instead?"
Me: "Now that sounds like a great idea!"
December 4th, 2014: I told my preschoolers it snowed two times when I was on vacation for Thanksgiving. These winter-deprived Florida children now think I was visiting the North Pole because I saw snow. One of them even asked me if I met Santa Claus. I said no, but reassured her if I ever did happen to meet Santa, I would tell him all about her.
December 9th, 2014: This is going to be a long work day (6:45 a.m.-7:30 p.m.) because the preschool Christmas program is this evening. Prayers requested for strength and patience. I am extremely festive and can name all of Santa's reindeer, but over 13 hours of wrangling 40 children under the age of four will even test my Christmas spirit. I just keep reminding myself, "Don't get your tinsel in a tangle!"
December 10th, 2014: We are making fake snow tomorrow with baking soda and shaving cream, and I am praying I don't blow anything up with the recipe. My kiddos often make me want to pull my hair out, scream, and become a monk devoted to a life of solitude, but those moments don't usually last long before they are replaced with hugs, outrageous amounts of laughter, squeals of excitement, and tiny voices bellowing "Jesus loves me!"
December 11th, 2014: Preschooler: "You have really curly hair, Miss Holly!" Me: "Yeah, I got my curly hair from my dad. He used to have curly hair, but now he is going bald."
Preschooler: "My daddy is losing his hair, too. He just has whiskers on his head."
December 16th, 2014: When you wear a moose hat from Montana with a jingle bell hanging from an antler for festive flair, you will be accosted by a bunch of preschoolers begging, "Please give me a ride! I want to ride a moose!" Piggyback, or should I say, mooseback rides will ensue, complete with river crossings, sound effects, mountain climbing, and grizzly bear chases. A little bit of Montana was reenacted on a Florida playground this afternoon.
December 18th, 2014: I took my violin to preschool today. The kiddos played it first, with assistance from me, of course, because I did not want a broken violin. They were so excited and proud of themselves, but they sounded like they were killing a herd of squealing hamsters. Afterwards, I played a few Christmas carols. I've played since I was 10, but I am WAY rusty. The kids applauded and said it sounded amazing. That is why I let them play it first. Anything would sound better than the noises they caused that violin to emit.
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