Talking Turkey
Thursday is Veteran's Day, and a school holiday. This throws me off. Three days school, one day off, one more day school, two days off. I'm out of whack just thinking about it. I don't know where I'll find whack to replace the whack that will be out. I don't even know what whack is.
Cluck!
Speaking of holidays, my kindergartener is learning about Thanksgiving at school. Every day, she brings home a "Native American" craft - Native Americans are totally all about the construction paper and staples. She is full of "First Thanksgiving" stories, and emphasizes CORN. CORN was SO IMPORTANT. And HATS. Also important, because that way you could tell the peoples apart. By their HATS. The class is baking cranberry bread on Friday, and the kids are learning their lines for the Kindergarten Thanksgiving Pageant, held sometime next week. Unless whack is involved, then it maybe the week after.
While giving them their bath, I decided to teach them the two turkey songs I know, because I am an involved parent, and eager to help reinforce the curriculum. And I like to sing silly songs.
Five fat turkeys are we,
We run around, you see,
On Thanksgiving Day,
We will run away,
So you won't make dinner out of me.
and
Oh gobble, gobble, gobble
Fat turkey, fat turkey
Oh gobble, gobble, gobble
Fat turkeys are we.
We're not long for livin'
'Cause this is Thanksgivin'
Oh gobble, gobble, gobble
Fat turkeys are we.
About the third time through, I started actually listening to the lyrics. Poor fat turkeys! So fearful, so tormented, so resigned. It was freaking me out a bit. Not the kids though. They seized on the concept like good little Pilgrims and began freestyling.
Five little turkeys falling off the bed
Landed on the dog and squished him up to his head.
Turkey, yummy
I'm gonna eat you dummy!
(We do not say dummy, even about a turkey! But mooooom, they like it!)
It went on and on. Turkeys avenging turkeykind. Turkeys leaping into ovens and off of roofs. I finally had to engage them with a round of Jingle Bells to get the tormented turkey talk to end.
Comments
I've always wondered about the apparent importance of hats and Thanksgiving. You'd think a bunch of starving Pilgrims would be worried about things other than hats--but no, that seems to be the theme throughout the country.
Posted by: TW | November 9, 2004 9:44 PM
This gives new meaning to "talking turkey"!
Posted by: bonnie | November 9, 2004 9:54 PM
Good turkey training Jenny, now why can't they give the kids school days and days home in block periods so we can remember them and organise ourselves a little better.
Posted by: maria | November 9, 2004 11:52 PM
I say up the ante and mention to them that Guajolote is the Spanish version of Turkey, lets see how they can do some freestyle involving Dora la Exploradora.
Posted by: Blex | November 10, 2004 6:31 AM
OH MY GOODNESS THIS BROUGHT BACK MEMORIES! When I was in Kinder garten we all dressed up like Pilgrims except for the 3 kids from just outside of the reservation. They dressed up like indians, and it was all construction paper, even the food.
Posted by: Tim Pintsch | November 10, 2004 6:55 AM
Run Turkeys, Ruuuuun! Save Yourselves from the Gravy!!! Ahhhhhhhh!
Posted by: Lindsey | November 10, 2004 6:57 AM
I feel so deprived and confused! I never learned any Thanksgiving songs. I've never even heard about a Thanksgiving song. How did I miss this? Does everyone know about them except me? I need more info on this. Am I missing anything else? Are there special songs for Memorial Day, Halloween and Presidents Day also? I feel like a little boy who was raised in a cave!
Posted by: MetroDad | November 10, 2004 7:05 AM
Hey, as long as your doing renditions of favorite Thanksgiving tunes, don't forget Adam Sandler's classic:
http://lyricalfantasia.com/view.php?do=view&songid=2541
Posted by: lu | November 10, 2004 7:17 AM
Freestyling the song...Ha! That's too funny. These kids with their lyrics. Gotta love their imaginative ways sometimes....
Posted by: Grace | November 10, 2004 10:29 AM
It's okay, MetroDad, these songs are foreign to me too. I'm still working on getting the Hokey Pokey right.
Posted by: Terri | November 10, 2004 10:58 AM
**sings**
....momma called the doctor and the doctor said, NO MORE TURKEYS FALLING OFF DA BED!!
So....FOUR little turkeys falling off the bed
Landed on the dog and squished him up to his head
momma called the doctor.....
Posted by: Lee | November 10, 2004 2:26 PM