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Thursday, June 14, 2012

The tiger that wore a dress

Sunshine is entering first grade (yikes!).  This means that she has learned all sorts of things in kindergarten.  I'm not talking about reading, writing and arithmetic kind of stuff.  I mean the things that she learns from other kids.


I suppose some of them are good.  I suppose.  Acceptance of others and yourself.  Making friends.  Taking turns and playground rules.


Hmmm... Taking turns and playground rules...  I'm not sure she's quite figured that out.  Maybe I should say it hasn't transferred over to playing with her brother.  She has learned one particular playground necessity.  It's that obnoxious "Eenee, Meenee, Minee, Moe", the one that will ultimately decide who gets to go first, who gets the last piece, and who is right in some bizarre debate.  Sunshine has learned that she can control who wins, sort of.  Now many children figure out that depending on how many there kids there are and who you start with will depend who gets the coveted item.  Not Sunshine.  She knows that when it lands on her, she wins, but she hasn't quite gotten the rhythm yet.  The solution?  Cheat.  At the end of the phrase, when she realizes she has lost, she will continue.  And continue.  And continue.  Until it ends on her.  This means it can last for quite a while and may go something along the lines of:


"Eenee, meenee, minee, moe,
Catch a tiger by its toe,
If he hollers let him go,
Eenee, meenee, minee, moe." - Now this is when it should end and the winner is pronounced.  Sunshine may continue with the accepted.
"My mother told me to go out and pick the best one." - Again, if it doesn't land where it should, she continues.  Unfortunately for her there isn't an accepted phrase(s).
"And she should get buy a dress to wear to a party
Because her dress is dirty." -Ooh, still not a winner.  Continues:
"And she goes to the store to buy a dress,
And some milk and some bread."


By this point I hear what is happening and I tell her that it's Monkey's turn.  I've heard her go on for quite a while though and her train of thought goes flitting from one topic to the next.  Tigers, mothers, dresses and stores for that matter are forgotten and she has moved on to another idea.  So far Monkey hasn't complained, if nothing else, it is good entertainment for a few seconds.

Vicky

1 comment:

  1. I remember us figuring this out quite early on. Maybe we need to teach even/odd to our kids? Hmmm?

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