Who told you what?

Again, you just gotta love kindergartners!

Recently, after a several day visit of a baby bull snake in our classroom, it was time for the snake to go and be free. The snake was sitting in its' plastic jar, trying to force it's body against the sides and make an escape.

The snake was on the counter by the door. We were on our way out the door to go home.

(Me) Well, it's time for Sammy the Snake to go home now. Mrs. W. will take it and let it go at her house so it will eat rattlesnakes.

(Various students) How do you know it's a boy, Mrs. Quantrell? How do you tell it's a boy? How do you know?

(Me) You know, I don't know. I think you have to be an expert or something. I have no idea. It could be a girl. Maybe we could call her Sylvia the Snake.

(A girl) Or Sally the Snake.

(First boy) No, Mrs. Quantrell, you know I hear God telling me stuff sometimes. And He just told me that the snake is a girl! (5 year-old pointing to his own head, where God was telling him something)

(Second boy) No, nuh-uh (turning around and arguing with the first boy). God just told ME that the snake was a boy! Mrs. Quantrell, the snake is a boy!


So, who to believe? Maybe the invisible snake expert.

Five year-olds. Sometimes you just have to laugh.

5 Little Monkeys

Oh yeah, big score this weekend! (You will love it if you are a teacher of younger children OR you have younger children in your life.)

Five little monkeys, five little monkeys, five little monkeys just hanging around...
Five little monkeys jumpin' on the bed, one fell off and bumped his head..."

You know the song. How about some fun acting it out? At JoAnn's (fabric/crafts) I found a giant score. In the felt items I found plate-sized thick felt monkey heads with a $1 price. Better yet, when I checked out, they rang up on sale! Score! Fifty cents each. Add a paint stick, or not, and we are ready for some retelling fun.

The deal of the week (as per sign on the basket) was 8 little monkey faces made from felt with sticky backs. Perfect for adding to a Velcro-fingered glove to sing the song. Oh, and the gloves (the cheapies, which fit just fine for small hands) were on sale for $1 a pair.

Both felt items (the small sticky faces may need additional glue to keep them together) are called Felties by Darico and list that they should be used for 3 years-old and over.

Did I snag a deal or what?

Pink Cowboy Boots

Five year olds are honest. And real. And curious. And spiritual.

Every day after lunch, we spend time learning a weekly Bible verse and Bible story. I am constantly amazed at the deep questions kindergartners ask. Occasionally, I'm without a good answer. Usually I end up with a wonderful quote or funny story.

Last week, during the discussion following the story (the weekly story was the Tower of Babel, but they love Noah and Adam and Eve, so we keep looping back to revisit previous stories). One little boy brings up going to Heaven quite often, and how we will go to Heaven when we get old, like a grandma did.

On this afternoon, contributions to the conversation led to talking about Heaven and how we will be taken care of. New bodies and clothes came into the conversation. One thing led to another.

Pretty soon, a little girl, with a sad, heart broken demeanor on her face, piped up, "Teacher, there won't be pretty pink cowboy boots in Heaven?"

What can I say? The Bible tells that the clothes (robes) will be clean and new, glorious and sin-free. I recall nothing about shoes, hairstyles, undergarments, socks...

Pink cowboy boots? For all those little girls who love their cowboy boots?

I bet Jesus loves pink cowboy boots, too.