3 Days Left: Little Red Riding Hood-the Musical

Today was all about "The Show".  We have been practicing since the end of April, with 2 a days for the last week.  They knew their lines (and everyone else's), where to stand and when...mostly.  Yesterday I had them practice without me saying anything (and I mostly made it) since I might be sick and not able to come to the show.  They made it through with very few difficulties and I began to breathe easier...a lot easier.
They did such a wonderful job for the dress rehearsal this morning (in front of a room full of 4th, 5th and 2nd graders) that I was afraid they had peaked too early.  But the show in front of the parents went just as spectacularly!  Well, after they got those silly nervous smiles off their faces and quit waving at all their people.  Only one little girl didn't have anyone and truth be told, she is so used to her mom not being there for her that she was thrilled when she got a special grandma for the day.
Here is scene 1's scenery as I drew it and then as the parents painted it.  You'll see scene 2 in the show photos.

We had a vote to see whose design would be used for the cover of the program,

but everyone got to color and put their name on a few.

Here we are in costume, lined up and waiting for the final show....

OK.  Enough.  On with the show!

"And soon all of her friends were calling her, Little Red Riding Hood"

"But, mom, I can take the cookies to Grandma all by myself. 

I know the way."

LRRH with some attitude.

All of her animal friends tried to convince her to play hide and seek.

"Grandma's not feeling well today. 

Would you all like to come with me to take her some cookies?" 

Singing the Big Bad Wolf song.

"Mr. Woodcutter, will you protect us?"

A sign of the times:  all of my other woodcutters have used axes.

The first sighting of the Big Bad Wolf. 

That gray squirrel is scared!

And the big bird hiding in the back...teehee.

LRRH just finished telling the BBW

that she is nothing but a big bully.

(All of my BBWs, but one, have been girls...so much better

at this age.)

BBW singing her song of lament.

"I'm just a wolf, friends, a lonely wolf friends...I just want to play."

"Hey!  You're not my granddaughter. 

 What have you done with her you nasty old nuisance?"

They loved the word nuisance.

"Come in dear, Granny's been waiting for you."

Delivered in a believable old lady voice.

"But, Mr. Wolf, you scare people."

"I know I've been very bad, makes me sad...

No more nasty!"

"Granny, I'm sorry I frightened you.  Here sit in your chair

and have your cookies."

The BBW turns into a good wolf, learns some manners and they

all live together peacefully...at least for awhile.

And then they all had cookies and milk. 

Hardly any were left by the time I got out there,

so I am guessing that everyone got their fill.

I may be biased, but they were really good.  They glowed as everyone clapped for them. 
One mother made a point to thank me for all I had done for her son this year.   Aaahhh.

Luau tomorrow....



Funnest Friday

Friday was our last Fun Friday of the year and our Field Day (in lieu of a trip to a pitiful little zoo with the other Kindergarten classes), so we tried to make it a little more fun than usual!
We...well, they (I tried it the first year and that was about 20 pounds lighter!) got to climb the rock wall tower.  Most were fearless.  All of them tried more than once and 7 of them got to the top to ring the bell!

Near the bottom and....

...near the top.

It was cloudy and drizzly on and off all day, but no one complained at all!

We had 4 more activities, but I didn't get photos of all of them because I was so busy doing mine.  They made bead necklaces, and an ocean craft inside and we painted and did field activities outside. 

They drew and I traced on a tote bag a picture that would remind them of something they learned in Kindergarten this year.  We did these before Friday so all we had to do was paint on Friday.

We had our picnic lunch inside...

...and then we made baggie ice cream.  If you haven't tried that, you should...much fun!

BRRRRR!

YUMMMM!

It was also Dalaynie's UnBirthday.  Isn't she just the cutest thing?

Here they are on their way home with their pretty painted bags...most looking tired and happy.

Every year I hope that they will remember moments like this, when it was no big deal to cozy up and throw your arm around your friends...

4 Days: More Randomness

Here is my first summer bouquet.  We will use it tomorrow on the refreshment table after the show we are doing for the parents.

I couldn't choose just one photo.  I love the fuzziness of the second one...so peony like.  Peonies are one of my favorites.  They smell almost as good as lilacs...these three are smelling up my kitchen and living room right now and blooming fuller as I watch...really.    I love mixing the common red clover with the giant pink peony.  I don't even know what the purple star like flower is called.  The white flower grows on a vine and there is even some crown vetch in there somewhere.  Wish you could smell them, too.
We also have our very first peaches. (I think it is a peach tree and it looks a little fuzzy and is shaped like a peach, but it could be a plum...we have one of those trees, too...but it can't be an apple because the deer pulled it out of the ground this winter...aarrgh.) Anyway, here is a hint of our future crop.

Spent an hour after school with Stevie, getting the room set up to be a theater on the morrow.  All of the kids but one have people saying they will come.  I sent another invitation home with him this afternoon.  If no one comes, I will have a willing daddy volunteer to be there for him...aahhh.

They are ready for showtime.

Here's one more story from my 2 years in New Mexico where I taught 2nd grade.  After a unit of study about the presidents in February, the assessment was for them to choose one of the presidents and write what they had learned about them.  Here is the paper, word for word, as it hangs on my fridge even today:

When Abraham Lincoln was a boy he lived in a log cabin.  When Abraham Lincoln grew up, he got married and moved to a Gettysburg address.  Then he became president.  Abraham Lincoln never lied.

And that's the truth!  Hope you got a giggle, too.

5 Days! Random Thoughts

5 days with kids.  That's it.  Really it.  I want to tell a couple of stories just because I won't be collecting any more of these stories.
So, at recess sometimes, when a child needs a time out, they have to stand "on the wall" (leaning against the wall out of the way).  I like to stand "on the wall" when I am out for recess duty because I can lean and it is a little shady there.  One day I am standing there watching the kids, when a little guy who had been put "on the wall" to calm down, sidled up to my side, tapped me, looked up with huge amazed eyes and said, "Wow!  What did you do?"
Today it is very hot here and my room has one tiny window and no AC, so I wore a sleeveless dress and it made me remember this story.  One other warm spring day I was directing some song in the play we were rehearsing when one of the little hunka chunka boys looks at me aghast and says, "Oh!  Mrs. Lohr, your arms are really flappin'!"   Thanks.  I needed to hear that!  And you should have seen me trying to direct AND keep my arms glued to my sides.  I have just learned to love my flaps and direct the singing with flaps flying!
Just the other day while I was teaching a reading group and the writing group was working at the next table over, I start to hear a bit of a hubbub and look over to see two of my girls arguing about who has the most vowels in their names...complete with the attitude faces smirking at each other.  I just smiled.  Of all the things they could be arguing about...vowels work for me.
That same day, they were to choose a partner to practice reading a poem with and I look around to see two of my tough guys all snuggled up together practicing (and enjoying it) diligently together.

I will miss these stories.

One thing I will not miss is making decisions, large and small, all day long that effect other people.  I especially don't like it when someone asks me to make a decsion, I do, and then they go ask someone else when they didn't like the decision I made.  No, I will not miss making decisions.
I will not miss the chaos and confusion of trying to organize something for a school our size AND keeping everyone happy.  Really?  You need your planning period the penultimate day of school?

I still have 3 biggish events to get through:
Little Red Riding Hood - The Musical
Luau
Awards Day

I'll keep you posted!  I can't quite grasp the whole 5 days thing.

Birth of a Bloomer

The rhododendron is the state flower of West Virginia and we have a lovely large bush in our front yard.  I chose one bud to photograph each day through fully bloomed....amazing.

Ta - da!  And here she is with some of the rest of the beautiful bloomers!

A happy sight each time I pull into my driveway....ahhhh.