December 2009
We saw stars last week at Little Dragons. * * * * * * * * * * Tiny, sticky fingers were busily engaged in making glittery stars in preparation for our entry in the Christmas Tree Festival. Glue and lots of glitter make for glad hearts when you are 1, or 2, or 3 or even 4.
I was reminded of a song from childhood days – ‘Would you like to swing on a star, carry moonbeams home in a jar and be better off than you are, or would you rather be a (a mule, a pig, a fish)? If you remember this song, don’t admit it – say no more – you are as young as you feel! It was my childhood dream to swing amongst the stars and I spent quite some time imagining how a moonbeam would fit into a jam jar.
Now, that sets off another train of thought – did anyone else carry tadpoles home in a jar complete with a handle made of string. Oh, the tragedy if/when the knot in the string slipped causing a broken jar and the resulting jelly mess of developing tadpoles to remain forlornly on the pavement.
Once, early in my teaching career I encouraged my young pupils to bring tadpoles to school. We kept the developing ‘commas’ in a fish tank and as front and back legs sprouted and tails disappeared we put the odd bit of worm into the tank much to the enjoyment of the fast-developing frogs. Gradually, a very strange and unpleasant odour became apparent. I grew quite worried about the pupils in my care, thinking that perhaps some were suffering from intestinal problems – not so – simply bits of worm which had ‘gone off!’ That taught me a good lesson about keeping livestock of any kind in the classroom.
Thus – no livestock at Little Dragons either – just the soft, cuddly, kind which can be thrown into the washer if any unpleasant aspects come to the fore.
By the time this missive hits the printed page in and around Pontesbury, Christmas will be over, diets will have commenced (maybe ended), bathroom shelves will be heaving with the latest shower gels and pungent-smelling salts and lotions and New year Resolutions will have been resolved and forgotten – and some of you may well be planning well ahead for the Festive Season of 2010. Hmm! Good luck with that – you will probably be all alone!
Greetings for 2010 from all who inhabit the Dragons’ Den.
Val Butterworth