February 25, 2005

  • Spelling Lessons


    A long time ago and far far ... sorry, it slipped out.  But when I was an RA in Humphrey's Hall at the Univerisity of Arkansas at Fayetteville, we routinely had staff meetings whose entire purpose was to help the staff bond with each other.  It was very touchy feeling.  We used to sit around and cry together over grades, boyfriends, and the really bad poetry we wrote at 2 am under the influence of Diet Coke.  Yes, it was then that I picked up my Diet Coke habit and I haven't shaken it in the succeeding 20 years. 


    But the part I wanted to tell you about was this one game that Nancy Martin introduced.  I can barely remember Nancy now except for this game and her name.  There were some things (she said) that simply should not be spoken - they should be spelled.  And some things that shouldn't be spelled aloud.  Those things had to be spelled in a special way.  With your butt.  Yeah, Imagine it this way.  Kind of a cross between charades and mooning someone.  You wiggle your butt around in the vague shape of a letter until the audience "gets" what you're trying to say.  My particular butt was three sizes smaller then and I wonder if it could still do the trick today .... well that's really not the point.


    I was forcibly reminded of that game last night while observing Tucker in the midst of the Second Grade Musical Play at Springs Ranch Elementary.  The other kids (all 90 of them) did their motions more or less in co-ordinated sychronicity.  Tucker's motions were simply ... more than the others ... all put together.  And at one point during a song about a steam engine they were all turned to their side and moving their arms to indicate the motion of the wheels beginning to move.  Except for Tucker.  He turned his back to the audience and looked for all the world like he was trying to spell something with his butt. 


    I'm thinking it was "My Mom needs a drink."  (and not Diet Coke)


     

Comments (17)

  • LOL! I love those Tucker stories. This line made me laugh too..."the really bad poetry we wrote at 2 am under the influence of Diet Coke." Ah yes. I can relate to that!

  • My favorite thing about raising a boy, truly, is the fact that I'm almost done.

  • Thank you for the comment to my poem! And yes, I'm a lucky girl to have my mom.

  • awww lol

  • Loved.  This.  Oh, you knew I would, didn't you?   

    Exmortis crakced me up, too.  I can laugh, can't I, since my boy turns 15 next week? 

  • *snicker*  I bet that was some show!

  • LOL Now that is priceless!!

  • A little rebellion shining through (consciously, or not)? :) I think as long as you keep your homeschooler's attitude, you'll suceed at supporting the boys' independence. My father and stepmother sent all three of their kids to public school (except for homeschooling one of them for one year), and they all came out with incredibly strong senses of themselves. Their family is one of my greatest role models. It can be done, and you'll be one of the ones who do it.

  • My son is 5 and it's always quite frightening when he has to be on stage for a school function.  Regarding your comment, my former lives were Dorfman and Shortpants.

  • I'll bring the rum for your Coke.

  • My girls just put me into rigor mortis when they perform in public.  Sometimes I honestly think that I might have a coronary or something from the stress and from hoping that they/she don't/doesn't get laughed off the stage.

    Thanks for subbing!  I'm so glad I found you again!  I've so enjoyed reading your blogs...can commisserate with some of your struggles.  In re: your comments, what kind of food do you like to cook?  And do you quilt?

  • I've read some pretty interesting Tolkein quotes, although I haven't been able to make it through his books. (I did see the movies.) Perhaps some day the girls will motivate me to get through them.

  • I can only imagine how you felt when you son was on stage doing that! Really funny! And I can relate to the Diet Coke at 2am, also. Great reading and writing.

  • Oh how funny! My oldest used to have a smelling habit of smelling everything. One year at a Christmas Pagent as the star, decked out in tinsel and carrying the star, he decided to smell everything in his possession, on stage. I bet Tucker was funny.

    These memories are priceless, hope you are writing them down somewhere.

    Heather

  • Oh how I miss those elementary school performances......

  • Got to love that little guy!!!

  • Really useful material, lots of thanks for your post.
    2 | check | check

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