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A BED TIME GAME 

 

BEFORE WE WENT TO BED, BEFORE WE WERE TO PRAY.

MY GRANDMOTHER HAD US REVIEW EACH AND EVERY DAY,

WHAT WAS GOOD AND WHAT WAS BAD,

WHAT MADE US HAPPY? WHAT MADE US SAD?

 

Dear  parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles significant others and fellow teachers,

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As you read this story there are two caveats:  First, as your child matures, provide paper, colored pencils, markers and crayons, and perhaps a microphone and a camcorder.

Second, as you read add your own questions. 

 

Often, you only have to read one prompt or two then let your child do what they want to do and better yet join the fun. 

 

 

NOW THAT YOU’RE OLDER,

FROM EIGHT DOWN TO TWO,

I HAVE A FEW QUESTIONS,

I’D LIKE TO ASK ABOUT YOU.

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                    WHERE DO YOU LIVE?

 

IF KOALA’S COME FROM AUSTRALIA,   #1

AND SOME PENGUINS LIVE IN  ZOOS,  #2

THEN WHAT ABOUT A GORILLA?  #3

AND HOW ABOUT YOU? #4  *

 

 

                    WHAT DO YOU LIKE TO EAT?

 

WE KNOW MOTHS LOVE TO EAT PANTS,

AND AARDVARKS LOVE ANTS.

AND APHIDS LOVE PLANTS,

SO WHAT ABOUT YOU? **

 

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                    WHAT SOUNDS CAN YOU MAKE?

 

HYENAS LOVE TO LAUGH,

MULES WILL HEE AND HAW,

PIGS WILL OINK, AND CROWS WILL CAW,

AND HOW ABOUT YOU? ***

 

 

                     WHAT DO YOU HEAR?

 

  CAN YOU HEAR THE CLICK-CLACK OF A TRAIN?

    THE CRACK OF THUNDER, THE PIT-PATTER OF RAIN,

    OR THE ROAR OF A LION WITH A FLEA IN IT’S MANE,

WHAT ABOUT YOU? ****

 

 

                      WHAT DO YOU SEE?

 

A MULTICOLORED RAINBOW HIGH IN THE SKY,

DOGS, CATS AND CHILDREN PASSING BY.

A BIG ORANGE PUMPKIN, A CHRISTMAS TREE,

WHAT IS IT? WHAT CAN YOU SEE? *****

 

 

                      WHAT DO YOU FEEL?

 

THE DELICATE SQUEEZE OF A COTTON BALL,

PUPPIES AND KITTENS SMALL AND TALL,

A MILLION TOUCHES,  THE TOUCH OF LOVE

BEING THE BEST OF ALL.

 

 

SO, TONIGHT WHEN YOU GO TO SLEEP,

FALL INTO YOUR DREAMS WARM AND DEEP,

ONLY IMAGINE THINGS WONDERFUL AND TRUE,

AND I WILL HAVE THE SAME DREAMS TOO.

 

 

                      WHERE ARE YOU FROM? 

 

IF ELEPHANTS ARE FROM AFRICA,  # 1

AND LLAMAS FROM PERU,  #2

AND PANDAS FROM CHINA, #3

THEN HOW ABOUT YOU?  #4

 

 

*Take some pictures off the internet as you do this, reinforcing the above --- local land marks.—your neighborhood.  Make a map of your house and hide things in various places.  You now have a treasure map.

 

**Food groups, hamburgers, etc.  You’ll be amazed to hear what kids really want

 

*** Old McDonald sounds- Squeaks and peeps.  

 

**** Sounds we take for granted.  Doors closing, cat’s meow,  and of course music and laughter and giggles!

 

***** Play find me.  Subtly, describe something in the room and have you child find it.

Try hiding unusual / unexpected objects.

 

****** As your children grow older you may make the game more and more sophisticated.

 

 

For the older child

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#1.Illustrations on page one might have a map of Africa surrounded by the Med, Red, Indian and Atlantic; the dunes of the Sahara, the Nile, Niger, Congo and Orange Rivers;  Lake Victoria, Chad, Tanganyika, and  Mt. Kilimanjaro, and definitely some animals. 

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#2. Illustrations might include the Andes, Machu Pichu, Lake Titicaca and the Amazon, the rainforest including snakes and monkeys. The Atlantic, Pacific and the Indian Oceans, the North & South Poles.

 

#2. Pix of a Llama & Panda

 

#3. Illustrations might include the Great Wall, Pandas, Imperial City, the Yellow River, Yangtzee, and Hong Kong.

 

#4. Then your illustrations might include a  Mercator projection of the world,  a Goggle Earth Pro map with a few items from the above and try to have your child find themselves.

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  II

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            A PELICAN'S BEAK

 

 

A  PELICAN  IS  AN  INCREDIBLE  SIGHT.

 

AWKWARD  ON  LAND BUT PERFECT IN FLIGHT.

 

 

A TINGE OF ORANGE ON A BRIGHT YELLOW BILL,

 

WATCHING A PELICAN EAT IS ALWAYS A THRILL

 

 

BECAUSE ITS BEAK ISN’T MADE TO BITE.

 

WHEN IT OPENS UP WIDE, IT SWALLOWS THE LIGHT.

 

 

IT DIVES FROM THE SKY AND INTO THE SEA,

 

SPOONING UP FISHES ONE, TWO, AND THREE,

 

 

A PELICAN CAN'T TALK - OR SAY YES OR NO.

 

CAN'T GIVE A WEATHER REPORT - OR SAY WHERE TO GO.

 

 

IT'S A COMICAL BIRD WITH A WADDLE WHEN IT WALKS.

 

AND WHEN IT COMES TO SPEECH WELL IT JUST SQUAWKS.

 

 

BUT THE PELICAN’S BEAK AT ANY PRICE,

 

IS A WONDERFUL, INCREDIBLE FISHING DEVICE.

 

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I I I

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FRIENDS

 

SOME PEOPLE BRUSH AGAINST OUR LIVES AND DISAPPEAR.

 

OTHERS,  LIKE OCEAN  WAVES BATHE OUR SOULS

 

AND BECOME AN INTEGRAL PART OF OUR HEARTS.

 

OUR PULSES QUICKEN IN THEIR PRESENCE

 

OUR MINDS BECOME KEENER

 

THESE FRIENDS IGNORE OUR FRAILTIES

 

ALWAYS LOOKING FOR THE POSSIBILITIES WITHIN.

 

THEY NURTURE, THEY HONE YOUR INTELLECT, ENCOURAGE, HUMOR

 

THEY CHALLENGE YOUR WEAKNESSES AND ADD TO YOUR STRENGTHS.

 

THEY HUM, LAUGH, CRY,  DANCE AND SKIP WITH YOU.

 

THE SUN AND MOON RISE AND SET BECAUSE OF LAWS OF NATURE

 

A FRIEND STANDS AT YOUR SIDE   --- BECAUSE THAT IS THEIR NATURE

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I V

 

 

 

ARACHNID

 

MY BED IS A THREAD

 

AND THAT THREAD IS MY BREAD

 

ELASTIC AND STICKY SOME SAY

 

OF COURSE IT SAVES MY DAY

 

IT FEEDS MY INSIDES

 

IT KEEPS ME ALIVE

 

I WEAVE IN DARK CORNERS

 

OR THE LEGS OF CHAIR

 

ON WINDOW PANES

 

ANYWHERE --I DON’T CARE

 

DON’T SIGH AND DON’T SHRUG

 

I’M THE ONE WHO EATS THE BUGS

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