That's Disgusting
Another late Sunday School post. Things with terrablogs server chaos have drained any time I might have had for blogging. But lets get on with it:
Isabelle announced rather emphatically 2/3's the way through class that she was a big girl now because she could "reach the sink." She waited for my affirmation of her "big girl" status quite earnestly, though her eyes are so naturally earnest its rather hard to tell if she needed anything at all from me. The best response I could come up with was, "I guess that makes me a big girl too." She didn't much care for that and said, "no, you're Mr. Josiah." Fair enough.
Our GCP Sunday School Lesson was, well, quite fragmented. Problem is the lesson materials I received somehow ended up inconsistent with the manual. Lesson 11 according to the teachers guide is Joseph in prison, telling Pharoah to save up wheat 'cause there's going to be a famine. The actual Lesson 11 materials I had were Joseph giving wheat to his family, and their eventual reunion. So I tried to focuse on the first part of the story: Joseph, in prison, working for and caring for the folks in the prison and his dream interpretation.
This was all rather difficult without the visual aids, and the most distilled moral I could come up with for the story was something little better than "even if you're in jail, if you work hard God will bless you." Not quite sure I want to be instilling the protestant work ethic just yet, but that doesn't have anything to do with my inability to exegete for 2-3 year old's.
They did enjoy the lesson though, largely because they got to color Pharoah masks, and boy, does Josiah love masks. Sometimes he'll cruise into the classroom in the morning wearing this red space man mask. I can't bring myself to tell him to take it off. Everyone wants to be special, to be super. I think next year I may try to bring him to the Awesome Super Hero Battle Skit. He's already gotten the heart and the soul of the whole thing, plus a cool mask and six-shooter.
But back to the term "pharoah." The kids started saying "pharoah" over and over again. I've been known to throw together silly ditties, though most of them focus on Mesh's ethnicity & love life or, well, marital solicitations to April, and those songs are none of your business. Back to the kid's & pharoah: we actually kinda wrote this song together about Pharoah and saving up wheat 'cause Joseph told him to. It was pretty simple:
Oh, Pharoah
You gotta save some wheat
So the people can eat
Joseph told you so
So you better save some wheat
So the people can eat
And that's it.
After about 10 minutes of singing this song while coloring our masks, Isabelle pipes up:
"Do you know the song God loves mommy and daddy and the baby kitties and the momma & daddy kitties and the sky and chair and clouds and God makes kitties and everything? My mommy doesn't know that song." Queue earnest eyes.
Josiah looks at her, and I swear he had this look of utter condescension, and says: "That's disgusting." And then he goes back to drawing. I was floored and couldn't stop laughing for about 5 minutes. This, of course got all of them laughing and making strange noises, which I probably shouldn't encourage so much.
Awhile later Isabelle announced she beats her mother up. According to Frederick, she does not, in fact, beat her mother up, but does, in fact claim to beat her mother racing down the street. The veracity of such a statement [Isabelle's] is completely up for grab's, but hey, if you live in a world where you know songs no-one knows and "bigness" is determined by the ability, or inability, to reach the bathroom sink, why not tell the world you beat up your mother.
Sometimes I wish I was 3 again.
[EDIT: on 12/9/04 I added the link to andy's blog with a picture of Josiah in his space mask]
Josiah Q. Roe | By Josiah Roe | 09:55 AM
Comments
Man, I just want you to know that it's become tradition now in my office to read these sunday school posts of your.
[-p]
Posted by: Pablo at December 8, 2004 12:12 PM
Josiah,
You MUST save the SSchool posts for Josiah, Isabelle and other kids that will have you as their teacher through the years. Since you have decided to move with the class for several years, they will get to know you well and visa versa. What an impact you will have. I think you are one of the most fun persons alive and they would love to have those stories when older. They are blessed to have you in their lives.
You could also keep them for your first book. If you play it right, it could be at least two books. One for just plain joy and comedy; another to the OPC or PCA SSchool big wigs.
I very much look forward to reading your posts and especially the SSchool stories.
Posted by: Barb Mesh at December 8, 2004 06:39 PM
Great stuff. It's so hard teaching sunday school lessons that have substance to the littlest ages. I don't teach sunday school, but subbed a few times for the same age you're doing, and it takes a lot of creativity. You seem perfect for it.
Posted by: scott cunningham at December 9, 2004 03:26 PM
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if any of you don't currently read josiahQ's blog, you should at least check out his weekly "sunday school recap" posts. he teaches sunday school to 3 of the toddlers at cornerstone and from the way he describes it, it... [Read More]
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