Day of Thanks--No. Six

Brooke: "I'm thankful for Mrs. Hart and all of the great things Abby is learning in preschool!"

Abigail: "I'm just thankful for my elephant."

Lauren: "I don't want to. I told you I don't want to. I'm getting out of here. I told you, I'm not coming over there."

I can tell you what she won't be thankful for tonight.... missing dessert because refuses to follow directions! And I'm not just referring coming up with something to be thankful for. Oh, Lauren.

This just in....

Lauren: "I'm thankful for my friends, and Miss Kim (her gymnastics coach), and for Abby's teacher, and Rock."

I guess someone didn't want to miss privileges.

Day of Thanks--No. Five

Brooke: "I'm thankful for good friends. The kind you meet on your journey through life and take with you. The kind that make you laugh no matter how ridiculous the situation."

Abigail: "I'm thankful for paper, coloring, crayons, hair...."

Lauren: "I am thankful for the fire, and Cookie Monster, and Elmo, and the radio, and the light bulb, and books, and Kleenex, and a dress...." This went on for several minutes. I knew she was full of it when she said she was thankful for a dress. She doesn't like dresses.

Day of Thanks--No. Four

Brooke: "I'm thankful for the fabulous weather, even though I wish it would either just snow, or they'd stop playing Christmas music."


Abigail: "I am thankful for Lizzie Elephant and coloring."


Lauren: "I'm thankful for candy and for fire."


Determined to get to the bottom of this fire Lauren is holding so much gratitude for, the girls and I made a special trip to Target, which I am always thankful for. Lauren took us around the entire store, meandering through aisle after aisle and not once did she point out the penguin fire. By the time we nearly completed our loop I was dizzy and full of frustration. So it was time to get down to business and pick up the few items I'd drawn up on my list. I completely forgot to check the pharmacy area, where we had been on Monday.... I believe this to be the sight of the infamous, are you ready for this, penguin humidifier. I cannot say with 100% certainty that this is the object of her thanks, but I am almost positive this is what she is referring to each and every day.

Day of Thanks--No. Three

Brooke: "I am thankful for our beautiful home."

Abigail: "A stove."

Lauren: "I'm thankful for the fire and for a nest, like the duck has on Word World."

Okay, time to get to the bottom of this obsession with fire. I assumed she was referring to the fireplace in our family room. After all, she does like to stand in front of it with her daddy and toast her little buns. So finally I asked. Her response, "The penguin and the fire, at Target. I will show you." That's it! Any excuse to go to Target is good enough for me. Stay tuned.

Day of Thanks--No. Two

Brooke: "I am thankful for a good night's sleep."

Abigail: "I am thankful for you." Awe, thanks, Abby!

Lauren: "I am thankful for Tiger. And fire."

Should I be worried about that one?

Kicking Off Fifteen Days of Thanks

Fifteen days and counting until Thanksgiving. Someone said that finding something different each day to be thankful for is harder than you think, so we're putting it to the test. Here is the first of our fifteen days of thanks....

Brooke: "I am thankful for my healthy & happy little ladies."

Abby: "I am thankful for my baby, Lizzie Elephant."

Lauren: "I am thankful the flag and the fire."

I have no idea what fire Lauren is thankful for. I expect more of her random confusion in the days to come.

Bridge Over Troubled Waters

We never did run into London's parents at their preschool's Parents' Night. And when Abby attended a birthday party for one of her classmates, there was no London there either. But London is at preschool each and everyday, and her presence for better or worse plugs directly into Abby's day.

A conversation with a parent at the birthday party confirmed my line of thinking: London has not singled out Abby, this is just who London is. There have been other run-ins, and I mean literal ones, with other children in class and outside of school. From swing set assault to kicking girls out of the exclusive Long Hair Club, London seems to be that girl that takes pleasure in making others miserable.

As hard as it is, we try not to ask Abby directly about the class bully. But like the elephant in the room, she's there. When Abby & Lauren play school or gymnastics class there is always a London. And it is healthy; she's dealing with her on her terms in her environment, and she is very kind in relating to her. Wooh. BUT from time to time, particularly the time that comes after being with London at school, she acts like her. Okay, she acts like she has told me London acts.

In an effort to get to the bottom of things I confronted Mrs. Hart about Abby's behavior in school. Mrs. Hart, the true professional that she is, disclosed that she could not be happier with Abby's behavior in school. She did not bring up other children, so I pushed a little harder. "Abby mentions London and Kyla a lot, and how they are not nice to her and some of the other children," I emphasized. Again Mrs. Hart brought it right back to Abby, "Abby doesn't really play with them, she keeps her distance. Perhaps she is taking the behavior she sees at school and is trying it out on you at home to see how you will react to it." Bingo! That is exactly what she is doing.

So Geoff and I are keeping our heads high, knowing that these troubled times too will pass. We will continue to teach her the value of walking away from situations that make her uncomfortable, doing what she knows is right, and continuing to set a good example for those whose behavior is less desirable. And while the behavior of the "nasty" girls may not change, we can only hope that Abby's doesn't either. The good behavior that is.