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Kids say, kids do

First off, YAY TAYLOR!!! We managed to vote about ten times last night through the busy signals.

Yesterday was also our last Cubbie meeting of the year. Next Wednesday is Awards Night, complete with a spaghetti dinner for everyone. I swear, the kids had a major case of spring fever. They were all bouncing around, talking VERY LOUDLY ABOUT EVERYTHING, and showing off their most recent boo-boos. These are like badges of honor among preschoolers. Stylish band-aids are also a must. But I digress…

Our craft last night was making construction paper flags. We usually do this craft every year, because we typically end right before Memorial Day. So the kids make flags after talking about what the holiday means.

During the discussion about flags, one little girl (who announced at the beginning of the school year, “I’m really shy,” and then proceeded to never shut up) said that at her preschool, “we have an American flag and a dishwashing flag.”

We adults all looked at each other in confusion. “A dishwashing flag?” my mother asked.

“Um, yeah.”

“What does it look like?”

“Oh, it’s all green, with something in the middle.”

It was as if you could hear the wheels turning in the minds of every adult in the room, and we all clicked together at once. And then we could barely hold in our laughter. “Do you mean a Washington state flag, honey?” my mother managed to say.

“Oh, yeah. We have one of those at my school.”

I told my mother as we were leaving that this story was going on the blog. She started laughing all over again.

In other kid news, the Munchkin was picking on a preschooler right before Cubbies last night. This girl is two years older than the Munchkin, but the Munchkin had her number and was just getting her goat. In a desperate appeal, the girl turned to me. “Teacher! She’s not letting me play with the toys!” The toy in question was a play baby mobile, which the Munchkin had pulled toward herself and had a firm grip on. Earlier, she had tried to rip a baby bottle away from the other girl, and almost got it, but I interceded. The two of them were playing with baby dolls.

I gave the Munchkin the evil eye. She, in turn, grinned and gave me the “jaw of death” – that’s what we call it. The kid has a natural slight overbite, but when she puts her mind to something – usually hurting someone – she sets her jaw into this exaggerated underbite. It actually looks quite comical on this petite little girl, but when you see it, you know that trouble is brewing. (I believe that credit goes to Friend for coining the term “jaw of death.”) With her jaw set, she deliberately shook the mobile with her clenched fist, mocking the other girl, who was near hysterical. I stepped in to unclench the Munchkin’s fist, but at the same time, I reminded the girl that she was older than the Munchkin, and should be able to stand up for herself. I then ordered the Munchkin to put down the dolly – we were going to the nursery.

In a final, mocking act of defiance, the Munchkin picked up the play sippy cup (in full view and with the complete attention of everyone else in the room, as all the other kids had stopped playing to watch what was going on), took an imaginary swig, said “AHHH!” in satisfaction, and slammed the cup back down on the toy table. She then compliantly went to the nursery with me and Baby Boy. She’d made her point.

Honest to God, I don’t know where she’s getting this! When I told the Webmaster what she’d done, we both had a good laugh, and then feared for our lives. After all, if she’s like this when she’s two, what is she going to be like as a teenager??

One Response to “Kids say, kids do”

  1. DozeyMagz
    May 25th, 2006 02:57
    1

    Plan your escape now – have bags packed and a safe place to go for when the clock strikes twelve on her Thirteenth birthday…!