When it rains it pours

Few things rival the chills, spills, and excitement of teaching a preschool class during a dramatic thunderstorm. The change in barometric pressure before the storm already has the kids in a loud and hyper mode, then during the actual lightning and thunder there's a full spectrum of panic, mild fears, whimpering, orating, yelling, and bladder control issues. I was just glad the electricity didn't go off during this morning's storm.

Sometimes the best course for a preschooler is to draw pictures about the storm. Grab a handful of crayons, and color scribble-scrabble with them all at once as forceful as the thunder while making sound effects! Drawing can help get you through the tough days when your goldfish dies, there's a big spider in the bathtub, or when you have flashbacks to Bambi in the forest fire. It's best if your favorite grown-up sits with you very patiently while you draw circles for Bambi, Bambi's mother, and everything else that is bothering you, with extra tornadoes thrown in for good measure.



Just home from making a presentation at the condo association meeting. Nothing on "Seinfeld" about condo associations was exaggerated! Our meetings would be great Jerry Springer material. I had to get my special blanket and my special bunny to rub against my cheek until I felt calm enough to start scribbling with a handful of crayons!

My oldest son was the crisis response man aka grad student supervisor on the scene last Saturday at seven a.m. EST when a berserk wounded deer found its way into the dorm quadrangle courtyard. The deer had become injured crashing into plate glass windows. While it had descended stairs to get into the courtyard, it wouldn't go back up the stairs to leave. When campus police arrived, they wanted to shoot the deer, but were afraid of ricocheting bullets around the enclosed quad. My son also wanted to avoid traumatizing the ten year-olds staying in the dorm for a summer basketball camp--it's that Bambi's mother thing. The police finally herded the deer up the stairs, and it took off running for the Alumni Center.

High on a hill was a lonely goatherd
Lay ee odl lay ee odl lay hee hoo
Loud was the voice of the lonely goatherd
Lay ee odl lay ee odl-oo

Folks in a town that was quite remote heard
Lay ee odl lay ee odl lay hee hoo
Lusty and clear from the goatherd's throat heard
Lay ee odl lay ee odl-oo

O ho lay dee odl lee o, o ho lay dee odl ay
O ho lay dee odl lee o, lay dee odl lee o lay