Flippers and Runways

My 8 year-old daughter and I have been watching re-runs of the show, Toddlers and Tiaras on our Netflix.  Have you seen this show?!  Basically, each show features a particular beauty pageant and follows several girls who are participating in the pageant as they prepare and compete.  We especially like it when they feature a "glitz pageant" because the girls really get dolled up with beautiful hair and dresses.  One strange thing we discovered that girls do for a glitz pageant is to wear what is called a "flipper" in their mouth to cover up where they have lost baby teeth, and to make their smiles appear picture perfect.  The other night we were watching an episode and my daughter turns to me and says, "wow, that MOM sure could use a flipper herself!"  I just about died laughing sitting there on my very own couch.  Then, tonight after we were done watching an episode of the show together, I sent my daughter to her room to get ready for bed.  When I went to tuck her in, I found that she had taped a "runway" onto her bedroom floor complete with an "X" like they have on the stages in Todders.  She then made me sit on the bed and pretend to be a judge while she walked the runway and made "pageant faces" for me like they do on the show.  I am so glad that she has such a good sense of humor and is able to have fun with a silly cable TV show.  What do you think of the show?  Would you ever let your child compete in a beauty pageant?

Lent, Chocolate, and Music

Today is Ash Wednesday which marks the beginning of Lent- the 40 days before Easter. Traditionally, Christians go to church on Ash Wednesday, and then give up something for Lent. When I was a little girl, I usually gave up meat on Fridays and candy. For the past few years though, rather than giving up candy or meat, I have tried to do something to get closer to God. Some things I have done in the past were to attend church every week of Lent until Easter, reading the bible for 10 minutes each night, and doing a random act of kindness each day of Lent.  This year, I am planning to do something I have actually already done before- to listen only to Christian music during Lent.  That's right, no rap for 40 days!  What do you plan on doing for Lent?

Buttloads of Candy

I can hardly believe it, but for the first time in years, I actually have a Valentine on Valentine's Day. That's right, there will be no SWAN night for me this year (see here). And I am sooooo in the spirit, that I am making myself want to hurl! Yesterday, my daughter and I went and got pedicures (even got little hearts painted on our toes!) we made a special treat for my boyfriend and my mom, and secret Valentine's cards for each other. I'm going to get up early in the morning to make her a special breakfast too!

At school, the kids in my class are learning about their heart- drawing and labeling hearts, making 3D models showing the path blood takes through the body with string and creating foldables about the parts of blood.

As I was tucking my daughter into bed tonight, I asked her what she thought would make the best Valentine's day surprise, and she looked me in the eye and replied, "butt-loads of candy!" That's my girl!

Gang Signs and the Vomit Touch

Last week I was walking my class back to our classroom from lunch, and noticed that a bunch of the boys were hanging back in the line. They had all four fingers crossed on both hands and were holding them up waving them around.  I told them to quit playing around in line, stop throwing gang signs and get into the classroom.  They all giggled and went to their seats.  I know they are not gang members, they are far from it, but it sure looked like they were pretending to be from the "west side".  Today, as I was walking my class back from lunch again, I heard one of the boys yell out to the kids in front of him to "cross your fingers against the vomit touch!!!"  I turned around and saw my whole class waving their crossed fingers around in the air, and all of a sudden it dawned on me that these kids have been crossing their fingers on the way back from lunch, trying to walk around this spot where some kid hurled in the hallway like two months ago in an effort to avoid contacting the "vomit touch!" Only in middle school!