The 86th Circle Time: The Show and Tell Weekly Thread
Show and Tell is wasted on elementary schoolers. Join several dozen bloggers weekly to show off an item, tell a story, and get the attention of the class. In other words, this is Show and Tell 2.0. Everyone is welcome to join, even if you have never posted before and just found out about Show and Tell for the first time today. So yank out a photo of the worst bridesmaid’s dress you ever wore and tell us the story; show off the homemade soup you cooked last night; or tell us all about the scarf you made for your first knitting project. Details on how to participate are located at the bottom of this post.
Let’s begin.
Befana brought the loot last night.
She brings not quite the gift extravaganza as Purim or a birthday–two small toys and some candy. She usually, cheeky bitch that she is, requests a little behaviour modification in her yearly letter too. Last year, she helped smooth over a difficult patch at school. The year before, she was the main impetus that got them potty training. This year, she has asked them to leave their binkies on the top step on Friday night and she’ll swing by and pick them up for binky-less Italian babies and leave a toy in their place. We figured it was the last year to really milk their love of Befana for all its worth before they start realizing that there are a few holes in the Befana story including how she gets from Italy to America on a broomstick in under an hour.
The Wolvog gasped as we read the letter aloud and screamed, “what is Befana trying to do?” as if I had told him that Befana had requested 20 pints of his blood or she was going to hold the yearly chocolate bars hostage.
We told them that it sounded like a pretty good deal. They were going to have to give up the binky regardless someday soon, and here, they could help binky-less Italian children and get a toy for their emotional pain. They went to school muttering about this and told me they would make a decision before Friday. Oh–and yes, I’m well aware that we should have given up the binky about 3 years ago, but…well…I am a weak-willed woman and frankly, teeth are overrated.
What are you showing today?
Click here or scroll down to the bottom of this post if this is your first time joining along (Important: link to the permalink for the post, not the main url for your blog and use your blog’s name, not your name. Links not going to a Show and Tell post will be deleted). The list is open from now until late Friday night and a new one is posted every week.
Other People Standing at the Head of the Class:
- If you would like to join circle time and show something to the class, simply post each Wednesday night (or any time between Wednesday morning and Friday night), hopefully including a picture if possible, and telling us about your item. It can be anything–a photo from a trip, a picture of the dress you bought this week, a random image from an old yearbook showing a person you miss. It doesn’t need to contain a picture if you can’t get a picture–you can simply tell a story about a single item. The list opens every Wednesday night and closes on Friday night.
- You must mention Show and Tell and include a link back to this post in your post so people can find the rest of the class. This spreads new readership around through the list. This is now required.
- Label your post “Show and Tell” each week and then come back here and add the permalink for the post via the Mr. Linky feature (not your blog’s main url–use the permalink for your specific Show and Tell post).
- Oh, and then the point is that you click through all of your classmates and see what they are showing this week. And everyone loves a good “ooooh” and “aaaah” and to be queen (or king) of the playground for five minutes so leave them a comment if you can.
- Did you post a link and now it’s missing?: I reserve the right to delete any links that are not leading to a Show and Tell post or are the blogging equivalent of a spitball.
- If you want it…
I’ve now placed a Show and Tell archive on the sidebar that will be updated each week in case you miss it. And click here for the icon code if you wish to have it for your blog. It links to the archives.
21 comments
Hehehe, I had to bribe my oldest when he was about the same age as ChickieNob and Wolvog to get him to give up his papi (or paci or binkie). At our house, the Papi Fairy came and left a toy behind too.
I’d never heard of Befana before. I wonder what the kids’ decision will be?! 🙂
My Mum had a losing battle with me to give up my dummy, since every time she managed to pry it away from me, my Grandma (who we lived with) would give it back. I’m hoping we won’t resort to using one in the first place.
I was at a scrapbooking crop/party a few years ago, & a woman won a prize for her layout about getting her son to give up his binky. They made a big occasion out of it — talked about it to him in advance — went out to the park, tied his binky to a helium balloon & let it go. Bye-bye binky! (That was the title of the layout.) Of course she took photos. The expression on the little guy’s face as he watched his beloved binky sail out of sight was hilarious & heartbreaking. But she said he didn’t shed a tear, even though he sure looked like he wanted to.
Good luck!
I *love* that they had to think about it before agreeing. classic.
Lol. Very clever. Considering their response, I agree that this is probably the last year you can get Befana to beseech them to do anything. Can’t wait to hear what their answer is.
My sister the dentist would be appalled! I’m just happy (and lucky!) that my girl never developed any interest in the pacifier. However, she finds hair extremely soothing; so when I’m tying her shoes in the morning, she likes to run her hands over my hair. Since my hair is very fine and always in a pony tail, when I’m done with the shoe tying, my hair is flying in every direction.
I hope they decide in your favor, but my question is this: What happens if they decide to not give up the binky?
Also, teeth may be overrated, but braces are overpriced!
another great post that left me smiling… and… at the same time, feeling my childhood was somehow “less than” without Befana!
What Luna said.
You have awesome (and binky-less?) kids.
I need to adopt the Befana story and milk it.
What is the story of Befana?
What lucky kids you have. They have such a fun and creative mommy!
You are such a creative mama. I try to be too. In fact, this show and tell is all about being enthusiastic, creative, and defying gravity, the show Glee, my mother’s death, and empowering kids to defy gravity, as I did, Baby A, born at 4lbs back when 4lbs was a death sentence to a child. Even my Baby B was 5 lbs 14 oz! My nickname was “snowflake”. That is how tiny I was. And I defied gravity. You spurred me on to yet another excellent entry. Because corporate sponsors have come knocking and my buddies on FB have created fan pages 4 me. I appreciate but like remaining The Grey One/Half a Duo vs. with a name. I’ve always been that way. My writing work is done via a pen name. Just because that’s how I prefer it.
Thank you for the giggle this morning! It reminded me of the story about my BIL, who when he was a preschooler he dropped his bottle by the toilet, but thought he actually dropped it IN the toilet, and that was enough to put him over the edge. No more bottle for him!
I hope that Befana’s offer does the trick for the binkies.
I need to get back into the S & T loop. I miss it!
awesome..you are my “hero mom” 🙂
Have I mentioned how much I love that boy. Even in his rage, he’s so freaking adorable. I think I shall eat him later.
This story reminds me of my nephew, who was persuaded when he was 3 to give his dummy to the poor children. FOUR years later, he was told that if he didn’t learn to look after his toys, his father would take them away and give them to the poor children. With all the indigation of a 7-year-old, my nephew put his hands on his hips and exclaimed, “The poor children have already got my dummy. What more do they want?”
“Teeth are overrated!” Oh, that made me chuckle. That and “…what is Befana trying to DO?” I hope Friday turns up a couple of binkies for those poor, needy Italian kids! 🙂
This has nothing to do with your post, but I am thinking of you right now because I couldn’t pass up a chance to educate my entire neighborhood parenting listserv about WHY the woman who answered the anonymous secondary-infertility/multiple-miscarriages-call-for-support was just going about it all wrong with her seven paragraphs full of “just relax” and “if it’s meant to be it will be!” crap. I literally COULD NOT STOP MYSELF and wrote a whole post of links to “what not to say” stuff. And I recommended your book and your site. If you see an uptick in visitors or book sales from the Brooklyn area… you are welcome.
Mwah.
Your kids truly crack me up! I love reading about their exploits 😀 Eagerly awaiting their decision…..and good luck “Befana”!
A binky for a Hershey bar? Seems like an easy choice to me.
Awww what a great story. I love the word binky much better than dummy that we call it over here.
Hope they take “Befana” up on her offer !
Oh, Mel, I’m sorry I always screw this up. Can you delete #22?
Oh, I think Befana rocks! Do your kids ever go back on their promises to Befana? I would give up quite a bit for a chocolate bar – or a glass of wine. Either one.