"Spiderman Underpants" Indeed!

This week a little boy came running in to Toddler Time very excited. He was the first one in the room. "I'm wearing Asics shoes!" he told me. (Remember when I said commenting on clothes is a good way to connect?) Then he yanked his pants down to his knees and said,"And look! I have Spiderman underwear!" Yes, he certainly was wearing Spiderman underwear. I complimented him, and he pulled his pants back up. His grandmother came in during this exchange and laughed along with me. I'm glad she wasn't mad. He is only three, after all.

Preschool Storytime

"Birds" was our theme this week, and we had some really great stories.

Chicken Little, by Lauren Rader. The kids really got a laugh out of saying "I saw it with my own eyes. I heard it with my own ears. And a piece of it landed right on my tail!" (Of course, we had to point at our bottoms, which led to a fit of giggles.)

Pepito the Brave, by Scott Beck. Little Pepito is the bravest of the bunch, and he doesn't even know it.

Pelican, by Brian Wildsmith. This book is from 1983, so it's hard to find, but it holds the children's attention well with the half-pages and wonderful illustrations. How is the baby pelican going to learn to catch fish?

The Singing Chick, by Victoria Stenmark. Another wonderful story out of print! A few kids said this was their favorite. It's a lot of fun to tell, too.

I told the story Inch by Inch, by Leo Lionni on the flannelboard.

Toddler Time

A little girl came right up to me this morning and said "Gums." I considered that a second, then asked her to repeat it. "Jamps," she said. Think, think, think. "Oh, stamps?" Big nod. "Yes, you'll get stamps today. She smiled.

We read:

Duckie's Rainbow, by Frances Barry. When I pointed out the shape of the closed book on Tuesday, a little guy said "Watermelon!" He's absolutely right.

My Car, by Byron Barton. They really liked saying hi to Sam and his car.

Baby Time

We have a good variety of moms, dads, grandparents, nannies and friends coming lately. It all makes for a richer experience, I think.

Our little book was Haiku Baby, by Betsy Snyder. I liked this little book. The illustrations gave just enough extra on each page to have something to talk about with your baby.

Spiderman Underpants?

I teach a Toddler Time class (several actually). These little munchkins are 18 months to about 3 years old - the potty training phase. Lots of kids come faithfully every week and we get to know each other. My little friends look forward to seeing me, and I adore seeing their faces bouncing through the door (and they literally bounce).

A while ago I was right in the middle of a Toddler Time, doing some fingerplay, when one of my buddies came careening into the circle absolutely exploding with the news he had to share with me. "I'M WEARING SPIDERMAN UNDERPANTS!!" Of course, I knew instantly that he must have finally successfully completed potty training, so I beamed at him and said, "Really!? That's awesome!" Moments like those stick in my head and always bring a smile.