This morning Shuggie got Aubrey (5 years old) dressed and ready for school. Aubrey chose a red long sleeve dress, but my mom was concerned that Aubrey needed a slip or a camisole under her dress because it was so cold outside. They dug around in Aubrey’s room and found a suitable undergarment. As they were walking to school Aubrey realized that today was Show and Tell and she had forgotten to bring something.

“Sorry,” my mom said, “it’s too late. We don’t have time to go back home.” “Oh, it’s OK.” Aubrey said, “I’ll just show my slip!”

My mom explained to Aubrey that a slip is basically underwear and not something she needed to be showing off at school. “It’s private Aubrey.” Shuggie said, “You don’t need to talk about it or show it to anybody.”

About that time they walked past Caleb’s house. As soon as Aubrey laid eyes on Caleb she blurted out, “I’m-not-wearing-anyfing-under-my-dress!” Confused, Caleb said, “Oh.” “Aubrey, just STOP talking about it!” Shuggie said.

At this point Aubrey switched to saying, “Caleb. I’m-not-going-to-tell-you-what’s-under-my-dress,” repeatedly.

Today is going to be a crap shoot at best. Depending on how Aubrey times the inevitable showing of her slip, she is either going to be a) calling me from the principal’s office, or b) the most popular girl in her class.

Aubrey (5) walked in from school this afternoon and said, “I feel like cramp.” Shuggie said, “What?”
“I feel like CRAMP!”

Somebody needs to clean up their mouth around here…that’s all I’m sayin’.

As you may have read, I don’t play when it comes to Candy Land. The rules are the rules and you can just deal with it. This afternoon I played Candy Land with Aubrey and Emma and once again we played by the rules. After a couple of rounds, I had “mommy stuff” to do, so I agreed to let them play by themselves as long as there was no fighting.

I was sitting in the next room when I heard Emma exclaim, “AW, man!” Apparently she had picked a card that was going to cause her to move backwards on the board. Instead of celebrating Emma’s defeat, I heard Aubrey whisper, “Hey, you can pick anudder one if you want to!”
Emma: Fanks Sissy!

Aubrey is learning SO much in kindergarten. Every day she comes home knowing more sight words and sounding out even more words. She has “homework” on occasion that requires her to read short little books her teachers send home and to be honest, a lot of it has been memorization. She was learning but not necessarily reading, yet.

My mother, Shuggie, has been in town for the last week helping me with the chirren. One afternoon Shuggie and Aubrey decided to read Green Eggs and Ham. Aubrey immediately began recognizing words on the pages, “Shuggie! That says, ‘I…AM…Sam!” Aubrey squealed! She was so surprised and excited to be really reading for the first time. Shuggie coached her through several pages and helped her to sound out words.

Aubrey flipped to the next page and even though the page was covered with text, she forged ahead, sounding out words and barely stumbling over larger words like “somewhere and anywhere.” Shuggie watched in amazement as Aubrey read an entire page all by herself.
Aubrey: I do not like…them…here or…there…I do not like….th-em. Sam, I…am.
Aubrey looked up at Shuggie in awe and said, “Damn. I can read.”

It was still pitch black outside as I gathered Aubrey’s things for school this morning. I signed her folder, put the lunch her Daddy made into her backpack and started getting breakfast ready, when out of the darkness a voice cried out, “HEY! Is Shuggie out there?”
Me: No, not yet.
Aubrey: (Begins blubbering) Then I don’t want to go to school today!

Yeah, um good luck with that!

Zeb was reading Emma and Aubrey a bedtime story about bullies. At the end of the story there was a little lesson about what to do if you are a “victim.”
Aubrey: Daddy, I know what a victim is!
Zeb: What?
Aubrey: It’s just a Mommy or Daddy.