A new year in school

There is always something about a new year in school. It’s like getting a fresh start – a new teacher and a chance to make new friends. When we moved I was the new girl in my class. My first new friend was Shirley because our desks were side by side and touching each other. I pulled one of my hairs from out of my head and tickled her hand with it. Shirley would just grin. She was a good friend. A boy wearing blue sneakers liked to chase me around the playground. Sometimes he would sneak up and surprise me. That was fun too.

I learned one lesson early, but not soon enough. My classmates were playing a game where the girls would capture all the boys and put them in “jail” (until a boy tagged the boys in jail and set them free again). When all the boys were in jail it was time for them to capture all the girls. It was a fun game. I wanted to be the best so I thought of a plan. When a boy caught me I would struggle to get away before he put me in jail. Others started doing the same thing. The problem with my plan was that sometimes our clothing got ripped. The teacher told us there was a new rule. We couldn’t try to break away any more. I was sorry I started that idea of breaking away. I was sorry we tore our clothes.

I had a best friend for a while and we played together every recess. But one day for a reason I never knew, she stopped playing with me. After that I was lonely in school. I played with the “left-over” kids because I felt left out. One day I thought of a good thing that was a bad thing at the same time. The good thing was that I was going to think really hard about who would be a good friend for me. I thought of all the girls in my class and decided to try to be friends with two really nice girls who didn’t seem to already have best friends. That was a good idea because we really did become best friends and did a lot of things together for a long time. I am glad I decided to choose good friends for myself.

But the not so good thing about it was that I stopped being friends with the “left-over” kids. That wasn’t right. I should have remembered how lonely I felt before I found my new best friends. I wish I was nicer to my old friends. I have felt sad about that for a long time.

School starts in a few days. I wonder what new friends I will have this year.

Copyright © 2008 by Janice Green

Dandelions: Day 3 Kids and Dandelions

Here is Kyra wearing my daisy chain. I think it looks better on Kyra than it did on Missy.

    

Kyra and her brother and older sister wanted to learn how to make dandelion chains. We found some dandelions growing in their yard.

           

Joseph went right to work. Brittany had to help Kyra at first. Then Kyra was able to do it by herself.

Kyra had a trick of her own. She made a wish and blew the dandelion seeds everywhere!

      

We made some curly-Qs out of the stems.

What fun! Karla is looking at a curly-Q that she pulled out of the water. (Sorry, it is on the other side of her hand and you can’t see it.) Don’t you like her pretty dandelion chain bracelet?

I hope some of our visitors to my blog site will try to make some dandelion chains and curly-Qs. If you do, tell me about it, and send me some pictures.

Dandelions: Day 3 How to make a dandelion chain

At last! Today the dandelions were open when I didn’t have to be in school. Here are some dandelions I could pick, but I waited for the bee to fly away first. (Bees are my friends. They help vegetables grow.)

Here is how to make a dandelion chain:

             

Pick a flower. Use your thumbnail to cut a slit in the stem. Thread another dandelion stem through the slit you made.

OK, now where can I find someone to wear my daisy chain so I can take a real picture?  Maybe Missy will like it…

 

Smile Missy!

Somehow I don’t think Missy liked them all that much. I’m going to find some other kids to play with.

Dandelions – Day 2

I was so disappointed when I went outside this morning to go to school. I couldn’t see any yellow dandelions – only fluffy seed on top of stems where the flowers used to be. And I knew there were lots of dandelions around only a day or two ago. Here is my dog Missy standing behind a clump of dandelions with seed heads sticking out.

I can’t make a pretty dandelion chain with only seed heads, but I could still make the curly-Qs, because they are made using only the stems. You need only your fingernails and a cup or jar of water. An empty mayonaise jar is perfect, but any kind of container will work. Cut several dandelion stems with either flower or seed heads on them. Then cut the stems into pieces about three or four inches long. Using your fingernails split the stem on one end into several strips so it looks something like a palm tree. Then repeat the process on the other end of the stem. The more strips on each end of the stem, the more curl you will get.

Drop your split stems into the water cup or jar and watch the strips curl up. Use them for decorations or just have fun watching them curl up.  Here are some pictures of how they look.

                    

 As I was picking the dandelion stems I noticed that there were dandelion flowers that were not opened. I think maybe they open in only the warmest and/or sunniest  part of the day and then close back up until late morning the next day.

Dandelions

I’ve been looking at all the dandelions in the yard. They are fun to play with, but don’t put your fingers in your mouth when you do. Dandelion milk tastes terrible! Tomorrow I’m going to pick a handful and make a necklace and some curly-Qs. When I do I will take some pictures and put them here.

Did you know you could put a dandelion under someone’s chin to see if they like butter? If their chin glows yellow that means they like butter – at least that’s what I heard.

Here is a poem I wrote about dandelions once. My mother painted the picture.

Dandelions 
Poem copyright © 2005 by Janice Green

A dandelion beneath the chin
Will tell if you like butter.
Several flowers can make a chain;
Blow the seeds and watch them flutter.

Watercolor copyright © 1999 by Pauline Ducker

Copyright © 2008 by Janice Green