What's the price for 3 teeth?

From 10/19/10:

My blog looked a little bare so I added these stories.

Today I worked with a group of Kindergarteners after school. I noticed one boy had a loose front tooth and it was about to fall out. His classmates had stories to share about when their teeth fell out and about the tooth fairy. I told them that I was going to have 3 teeth come out soon. And, I asked what did they think my tooth fairy reward would be. These are their answers:

Student 1: $0 (He must be the realist of the group)
Student 2: $2
Student 3: $7
Student 4: $40 to $100 (I love that she gave me a range. I wonder what it's dependant on?)
Student 5: $55
Student 6: $100
Student 7: $2000
Student 8: $100,000,000 :) I'd pry 'em out myself for that amount!
I love how Kindergarten minds work!

The Dog Ate My Tail

From 10/29/10
Today I dressed as a cat for our Halloween parade at work. As I was getting ready for work, my dog Tyson was following me around a trying to catch my tail. When I got to work, I noticed a hole at the tip of my cat's tail. I told the little ones that the dog bit my tail and showed them the hole. A little boy in all seriousness asked me, "Did it hurt?"

That made me smile the rest of the day. :)

The Truth About Dandelions

When I was in the first grade, I went to an elementary school called Brookside elementary. Everyday, I walked to and from school. This is would be a new concept to my children. They have never walked to school a day in their life. Truth be told, I loved that walk. To get to school, I had to cross a small foot bridge that crossed Plaster Creek. Then, I would take the long narrow sidewalk across a wide open field and up a hill to the school. I walked alone. I must have preferred it that way. In my memories, I cannot recall one person walking with me. I would stop every day and look down at the creek from the bridge. It was especially beautiful during the winter when it was frozen.

One day, I remember heading home and discovering that the once green field now had what seemed like millions of little yellow specks. It was too much for a distractable child like me to ignore. I lazily wandered around the field collecting the beautiful yellow "flowers". I shoved them in my bookbag, my Holly Hobby lunch box and into all my pockets. I daydreamed as I went about my gathering. I had a crush on a young boy named Blake. In my daydream, he was presenting me with flowers. In reality, Blake was a typical boy who really didn't pay much attention to girls just yet.

After I had all the dandelions I could carry, I continued on home. When I got in the front door, my mother was agitated with me for taking so long to get home. I showed her all my flowers.

She said, "Lisa, those aren't flowers! They are weeds! Where did you get them from?"

In a flicker of a moment, reality meshed with the daydream, "Blake picked them for me!" Then just as quickly, I knew it was a lie. I felt bad. But didn't tell.

We got as many containers as we could and I set my flowers here and there around my room.

As lay in bed that night, reality haunted me. They weren't flowers...they were weeds. And as much I wanted the dandelions to be from Blake...he never did give me any and he probably never would.

When I first see dandelions each season, I am reminded of this time.

I still think those weeds are pretty in their own way... the flowers of childhood.