Stunderthorms

Since I work in a primary school, I have some puppets that help me teach important lessons on peacemaking, problem-solving, emotion management, dealing with bullying, and study skills. Two of the children's favorites are puppy and snail. Recently, I introduced anger control, with snail teaching puppy how to calm down and stop growling so he could think about a good way to solve his problem. One of the ideas taught was to click off your mad thoughts onto happy or calming ones. Snail said that he liked to picture himself sitting in the sunshine, sucking on an apple, because he loved apple juice and the feel of sunbeams on his shell. He asked Puppy for an example of what made him happy and was met by "red-faced" giggles. Following a bit of prodding and after extracting a promise from Snail not to laugh, Puppy informed Snail that he was in love. When the shock had passed, Snail asked for details and found that Puppy had fallen for a pretty pink poodle named Priscilla who had moved in across the street. She had soft pale pink curls and wore bows in her hair and smelled good and liked to laugh and play chase, and she was sweet and a good sport, and just beau---ti---ful! After the puppet show was over, the children wanted to meet Priscilla, of course. I brought her out, she had a mini-conversation with the students in her feminine Southern drawl, and they were utterly charmed. When it came time to give out the puppets for the kids to hold during story time, I stressed the importance of taking good care of Priscilla so that she'd stay pretty and clean for Puppy. I asked the class to make sure they spread sunshine, not thunderstorms, by doing the right thing with Priscilla. "Don't rub her on the floor, pull out her bows, pull on her curls, spit on her, or blow your nose on her." Now that last part was just to get a giggle, as surely to goodness nobody would do such a thing! Anyway, one little boy with an adorable cowlick stuck his index finger up in the air, flashed a grin, and blurted, "Now THAT would be spreading STUNDERTHORMS!" Everybody cracked up!