school spirit

School starts next week for the lads.  The elder lad is going into first grade.  He is looking forward to having a "buddy" at school in the form of his brother, who is enrolled in preschool three days a week.

To get us in the school spirit, we've been reading some school-themed picture books...

Is Your Buffalo Ready for Kindergarten?  by Audrey Vernick is one of my favorites.  Its appeal lies in its wacky premise of a buffalo (of all creatures, brought to life by illustrator Daniel Jennewein) going to kindergarten and learning to interact with other kids, follow classroom procedures, and "get along without using your horns" (ahem). 

The elder lad often admits to wondering what we're doing while he's at school.  He's obviously not the only one.  Toby Forward's What Did You Do Today? follows a mother and child through their respective first days at work and school, beginning at home with them packing their lunches and getting ready.  Throughout the day each is thinking of the other while enjoying their respective environments.  When they are reunited, they are both eager to know the title question. Carol Thompson's illustrations carry the story with poignant secondary illustrations such as pictures the mother and child have of each other in their respective cubbies. 

One Smart Cookie: Bite-Size Lessons for the School Year and Beyond is the latest in the series of cookie-themed vocabulary books by Amy Krouse Rosenthal, charmingly illustrated by Jane Dyer and her daughter Brooke.  Ideals like empathy, punctuality, initiative, diligence, and honesty are conveyed with the sweetness only cookies can deliver.  I've mentioned these cookie books before, but have I mentioned how addictive these whole-wheat oatmeal chocolate chip cookies are?   

Audrey Penn's The Kissing Hand is a classic in the canon of books designed to prepare kids for the experience of going to school.  Chester Raccoon is nervous about being away from his mother, expecting he will miss her.  His mother acknowledges this and has a tangible solution for those times when Chester needs some reassurance that their reunion is coming soon.  We have adapted this for our own farewells.  I daresay it really works.

Along the same lines, Llama Llama Misses Mama by Australian author/illustrator Anna Dewdney is one of several books featuring lovable Llama Llama and his loving mama.  Llama Llama is starting nursery school, and though it looks like fun, he wonders if Mama will really be back to pick him up like she has promised.  When the younger lad went to vacation bible school earlier this summer at the school that will soon be his (not just his brother's), he had fun but missed me.  I hope that experience will serve as comfort if and when the lad misses me at preschool, since he'll know I'll be back before he knows it.

In our school-readying efforts, we're also queuing up our schoolhouse rock playlist.  Still, it'll take all of us some getting used to this sight:  

All signs point to a great experience on the horizon.  Here's hoping for that and praying for the grace to allow ourselves the best possible outcome.

playlist: quiet time

Just right for rainy days like today; siesta, Happy Hour, or bedtime; or whenever anyone's emotional temperature is perilously high...

• You Are My Sunshine :: Elizabeth Mitchell my Papa Jack sang this to me, as I have to both my now almost 18-year-old sister *and* my bambini 
• Ladybug Picnic :: Elizabeth Mitchell This is a sweet, slower version of the rootin' tootin' tune first seen on Sesame Street, now immortal on YouTube 
• The Bells of Ireland :: Dan Zanes A beautiful, humble tune 
• Hush Little Baby :: Dan Zanes fresh lyrics and color commentary make this familiar lullaby both endearing and entertaining 
• Good Night, Good Night :: Dan Zanes I always take a deep, cleansing breath as this song gets going. 
• Foster: Slumber, My Darling :: Edgar Meyer, Yo-Yo Ma, Mark O'Connor, & Alison Krauss from Appalachian Journey, a gossamer song -- a mother's lullaby -- now almost achingly poignant as I sit rocking my own bambini 
• All Eyes On You :: Justin Roberts part poetic observation of childhood, part prayer for a child 
• Firefly Lullaby :: Recess Monkey I'm not one to catch the winged creatures, but a field trip of this nature is just my speed.  
• I Will :: The Beatles This song could so easily be about my beloved and me, traversing the same college campus for years but not crossing paths until much later -- or did we? 
• Better Together :: Jack Johnson One afternoon when the elder lad was much younger (and should've been napping), I put this song on, and he said "this is a nice, quiet song." 
• Fruit Jar :: Justin Roberts featuring Nora O'Connor gentle acoustic guitar and gentle encouragement to keep on keepin' on 
• A Place For Us :: Dan Zanes & Friends An extended instrumental coda at the end of this beautiful dreamer makes for peaceful, hopeful imaginings. 
• Tiny Telephone :: Recess Monkey The elder lad thinks of his aunts and uncles when he hears this song. 
• From Scratch :: Justin Roberts  a masterful child's point of view with no shortage of wisdom and wistfulness 
• Smile Smile Smile :: Dan Zanes & Friends one of my most favoritest Dan Zanes songs -- and that's saying a lot 
• I Will Be Your Friend :: Guy Davis a rugged, charming, musical expression of self-giving and charity -- lessons never too young to learn 
• Rocketship :: Justin Roberts some things to think about as one is drifting to sleep... 
• Side By Side :: Dan Zanes & Friends I sang this one to my baby sis, and then (years later) to the elder lad who could not be convinced to sleep any other way. 
• One Tiny Light :: Recess Monkey As if it isn't difficult enough to fall asleep -- and stay asleep -- as it is, who can resist investigating a twinkling star outside one's window?   
• Linger For Awhile :: Dan Zanes & Friends Wouldn't we all love to live in a neighborhood like this, where everyone is out until way past bedtime just visiting? 
• Banana Pancakes :: Jack Johnson We're big on pancake breckies around here. 
• Little Raindrop :: Justin Roberts waiting on rain to come and water the freshly-planted garden... 
• I've Just Seen A Face :: Dan Zanes covering a Beatles favorite, Dan Zanes style 
• Belle :: Jack Johnson short and sweet; par les vouz Francais?  (me neither) 
• Apple Tree :: Justin Roberts little people someday grow up, God willing into loving, giving beings 
• I Will :: Alison Krauss some more of Alison Krauss's sweet singing would be just lovely right about now... 
• In My Life :: The Beatles To sum things up, all roads have led to this moment with these precious people.

playlist: schoolhouse rock

Just for fun, here's a playlist I've assembled from some of our favorite music, all having a little something to do with school:

• "98.8" by Justin Roberts a feeble attempt to stay home from school  
• "Snow Day" also by Justin Roberts fever-free, but still hopeful
• "We're Going to Be Friends" by Jack Johnson made it to school, happy to see everyone 
• "Alphabet of Nations" by They Might be Giants literacy + geography  
• "Knocktopus" by Recess Monkey for the class clown in all of us 
• "Tie Your Shoe" by Justin Roberts mastering this feat is cause for celebration 
• "Seven" by They Might be Giants the lass's most-requested song of the moment, and a fun commentary on those of our species who are this age 
• "The Sharing Song" by Jack Johnson a necessary skill
• "West Indian Counting Song" by Dan Zanes & Friends Sometimes I sing this one to facilitate a transition in activities.
• "Number Two" by They Might be Giants They're channeling Sir Elton John here, I think.
• "We Go Duck" by Justin Roberts as in Duck, Duck, Goose
• "Go Down Emmanuel Road" by Dan Zanes & Friends fans of Sesame Street have probably seen this a time or two or three 
• "Q U" by They Might be Giants groovy goodness 
• "Picture Day" by Justin Roberts I almost always wanted retakes.
• "Meet the Elements" by They Might be Giants never too early to start learning scientific principles ...
• "Cells" by They Might be Giants Whoever heard of introducing the concept of DNA to the preschool population? 
• "Science Fair" by Recess Monkey I always cringed at the thought of cooking up an experiment.  This is so not my scene. 
• "The Bloodmobile" by They Might be Giants Physiology terminology set to music = retention.  This tune is along the lines of those commercials for St. Joseph's aspirin from a few years ago.  As an aside, did you know my mother and I had the same high school chemistry/human anatomy teacher?  The charms of small town life... 
• "Constellation Conga" by Recess Monkey my new favorite.  Astronomy: why not?
• "How Many Planets?" by They Might be Giants My bambini can all name "JOOOOO-pi-ter" on a rendering of the solar system thanks to this ditty.
• "Fire Drill" by Justin Roberts a welcome interruption
• Why Does the Sun Shine? by They Might be Giants jammin', if maybe not quite right, come to find out ...
• "Why Does the Sun Really Shine?" by They Might be Giants swanky.  less jammin' than its predecessor, but apparently more accurate.  Go figure.
• "Ice Pack" by Recess Monkey After all that science, it's time for recess.  Sometimes accidents happen. 
• "Billy the Bully" by Justin Roberts Might does not equal right.
• Sack Lunch by Recess Monkey The elder lad and his kindergartner buddies have recess *before* lunch, so that they'll actually eat instead of running out to play after a bite or two; This tune goes hand in hand with next on this list.
• "Big Field Trip" by Justin Roberts I've queued this one for many a field trip of our own.
• "E Eats Everything" by They Might be Giants Both the lads dig this one.  In the video version, Z becomes a Pac-Man-esque creature.  Need I elaborate? 
• "Not Naptime" by Justin Roberts This is genius in musical form, clearly written by someone who's been there and done that; Justin Roberts is a former preschool teacher.
• "Do-Re-Mi" by Harry Connick, Jr. music ed 
• "Gym Class Parachute" by Justin Roberts gym class.  not my scene.
• Pollito Chicken by Dan Zanes & Friends Spanish lessons 
• "Little White Square" by Popple This is a theoretical Catholic school playlist; fostering vocations begins at an early age.
• "Daniel in the Den" by Dan Zanes & Friends religion continued... This is from the Old Testament.
• "Giant-Sized Butterflies" by Justin Roberts start-of-school jitters; brings me to tears thinking back to the elder lad starting preschool  ...
• "Strike the Bell" by Dan Zanes Is it time to go home yet? 
• "She's A Yellow Reflector" by Justin Roberts Sister has after-school crossing guard duty -- no time for chit-chat.
• "Yellow Bus" by Justin Roberts  Where is that bus?  The poor kid is up and at 'em.  But what day is it again?  Saturday?

I call it "Schoolhouse Rock."