Bunny Drama

There's a bunny mystery afoot. Because I have the largest class at our little school, and due to my rather bohemian style of teaching, I use two classrooms. Most of the day is spent in one room, while art activities, etc. go on in the other room. The bunnies spend Monday through Thursday in that room. They have a cage big enough to hop around a bit and stretch out when they're tired. There is also one of those yard pens that surround the cage. In the mornings, the students on bunny patrol feed the boys and let them out into the pen where they can hop about, up and down, in and out of their cage and a shoebox. On top of the cage sits the small blue carrier that I use to transport them to and from school. Are you still with me?

Okay, good.

Anyway, I do literacy groups all afternoon with fourth and fifth grade and they rotate through learning zones in and out of that room. After school, one of my kids asked me why Merry was in the carrier. Well, I assumed someone bumped the cage, knocking the carrier in the pen and Merry was hopping in and out of it. Imagine my dismay, and fury when I went in to return to them to their cage for the evening to find Merry zipped in that carrier, sitting on top of the cage. Someone took him out of the pen, put him in the carrier and sat him on top with no food or water. The last time I was in the room was at 8:50 when the students let them out and fed them, so it happened after that and before 12:50 when my instructional assistant was with my kids in the room. It was so one of those weird twilight zone feelings. Who was in the room? Who took it upon themselves to chase, grab, enclose the bunny and leave him on the cage like that? Did the guilty party think that was funny? They either knew how to handle a bunny, or they are likely very scratched up as Merry does not take to being picked up. Ahhhhh! It makes me so mad!

Well, speaking of bunnies, the last leg of their tour took me to Miss Antebellie and Miss Linee's preschool. I decided to use Knuffle Bunny in their class as well. The activities I used with Bean's class would have been too challenging for three and four year olds. So, since the story revolves around Trixie's bunny being accidentally put in the washer, I made an activity to allow them to retell the story.

A washing machine.

Next, each child chose a wardrobe and a bunny to color.

Then they put their clothes in the washer to hide the bunny. Of course, like Trixie, they found and saved the bunny.

A little pocket on the back to keep clothes and bunny in when not telling the story.

They were sweet and enjoyed the story, patting the bunny and having a cookie. It was a busy day and both the bunny boys and I needed a nap when we were done.

Kaye is having some drama of her own. She is back in the hospital as the last surgery is not healing and she is in a lot of pain with both legs. They went back in last night (uh, at 11pm) to clean it up, then followed immediately with dialysis, after which she had a seizure (that would have been about 4:30 am). So she and Aunt SuZQ had an eventful night. She now has to have a roto-rooter surgery on the left leg. Friends, it's awful and that's all. Keep praying.

Bunny Boy Tour Part 2

Next stop on the tour was Bean's 2nd grade room. That picture of Bugg with the golden shoes was the only "at school" picture I got the whole day. I snapped that one and the battery informed me it was finished-arrgghhh, so frustrating. Oh well.

I chose Knuffle Bunny to read to Bean's class as it was mighty cute and fairly short, and a book I felt all the kidlets could connect with. I read that story, then we broke into three groups. One group visited with me and the bunny boys and I used the bunnies to discuss and write similes. I made books for another group. Bean and I had created a box of pom-pom bunnies to inspire their story. Each student chose a bunny and book to create his/her own story. I made a story about Pippin's Big Adventure in Room D22 to give them additional support.

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Thankfully, the glue dried clear, so they were quite cute when I packed them up. Missy Bugg's class also got a tiny bunny.

The third group worked with still another book about a responsible bunny who planted carrot seeds and waited patiently for the carrots. I had four copies and marked each with the reading parts along with props to act out the book. The students rotated through the groups every twenty minutes.

Lastly, a treat.

I sent my cookie lady a picture of the boys.

And picked up these cookies, which I left with Bean's class for an afternoon snack. I left them with Bugg's class as well, of course.

On the way out, I stopped to say, "Hello" to a favorite kindergarten teacher and she let her little ones pat the bunnies too.

So before noon, we'd visited about sixty students, with one more group to go.

Hopping Down the Bunny Trail Part One

So, back to the Fall Break Bunny Tour. Several weeks ago I realized I did not have any bunny books. Now any normal person would just go and talk about the bunnies and let the kids pet them, but oh no, I have to make it complicated. It is one of best skills.

So, I read 7,000 bunny book reviews and decided on five. They arrive and I read all of them to Miss Bugg and let her pick which one I'll share with the class. She picks the very longest book, The Country Bunny and the Gold Shoes. I believe her choice was due to the gold shoes. That girl likes some bling.

It might surprise you to know that pre-first grade children are not my strong suit. I love those wee folk that belong to me and can, for a sustained amount of time, exercise great patience. However, when they aren't mine, well, different story.

So I wonder, " How I can make this story interesting to a pack of wiggling puppies, uh, I mean children." In the book, the little bunny assigns jobs to all of her twenty-one (have mercy) children. So I brought props so the little pup, er people could act out the parts. Still, never to be one to leave well enough alone, I sprayed some tiniest outgrown shoes with gold paint.

When I arrived at school, with all my loot, Bugg immediately snatched up the gold shoes to oooh and ahhh. She asked if those shoes had been hers. Later, she told the class that those shoes had belonged to her and her brother.

So, we set the wee folk down. I passed out props and they did a fabulous job listening and acting out their parts.

When I got home, I put the props in a basket with the book, so Miss Bugg can't act out the story again and again.

The children enjoyed petting Pippin and Merry and were gentle. Throughout the tour, kiddos were disappointed that they couldn't hold the bunny boys. That led to lesson about how bunnies are prey animals and being picked up is very frightening to them. I shared that I felt a responsibility to treat them kindly. After that, they were satisfied with just petting them. They are so very soft.

Three more classrooms to go.

The Big Dog Dilemma

You've met my dog many times in these posts. I felt so very blessed to find her. She's been a wonderful pooch. From the time the chickie girls go to roost at night, until we are home the following day, Arwen lives in the big pen in the back. It's a huge space where she can run and dig, rest and play. We have never seen evidence of even a tiny mouse in or around the coop. Her first summer, I would put her on a leash and walk the property line. I had hoped she'd get the idea of where she was supposed to be. Sadly, a time or two, she travelled across the street to a neighbor. Said neighbor apparently has a thing for my pooch and takes her for walks around the pond and feeds her constantly. Consequently and sadly, my now chubby girl thinks the busy road, his house and property are also under her domain. I am not too much for conflict. If it weren't for the road, I'd share my sweet dog for the sake of harmony. Alas, there is a road. One folks walk on and drive on. Needless to say, my fierce watchdog gives walkers the business. This is not usually a problem because most walkers know her and know she's just warning them. They stop, smile, let her sniff, another friend made. Recently, someone was not amused by her barking and kind of lunged at her and she lunged back, so I'm told. She did not bite, but it is frightening. Recently, if Handy Man or I are not in the yard, she goes on the chain, in the shade with treats and water, but still. It hurts my feelings. I'm back to walking property with her on the leash, but she's no fool. If someone were waiting across the road to love on you and give you lots of treats, what would you do?

The way the creek runs, there's no way to fence her in. Anyway, I wanted her rolling and peeing all over so the deer and other critters keep their distance. So, the dilemma.

I have been slow to introduce Merry and Pippin to all the creatures great and small around here. Over the weekend, we introduced them to Arwen. She was fascinated, and as usual, well-behaved.

Pippin decided it worked both ways and wanted to check her out as well.

Sweet girl.