Best Story Ever

Last night I noticed my friend Nason had a scar above his eye, the kind of scar that usually comes with a good story about how it got there. What he told me qualifies as one of the funniest things I have ever heard.

He was in pre-school, I can't remember how old he said he was, maybe 3 or 4. And there was a kid in his class swinging a toy firetruck around and around by the ladder. Nason wandered into the path of said firetruck and got cracked in the head.

When the teacher called Nason's mom, she said, "Mrs. Hengst, you need to come to the school right now. Nason has been hit by a fire truck." Then she hung up the phone without any additional explanation.

Nason's mom is still pissed.

Tales from a Pre-Kindergarten Teacher

I was explaining to my students about the Easter tradition of dying Easter eggs. I quickly realized I should have defined my words first when one student exclaimed, “Why do you want to kill Easter eggs?!”

My class was thrilled to take care of another class’s pet fish, Samson, for a few days. Since we had just recently read about Samson in the Bible, they made an instant connection about the name of the fish. One child said, “God will have to tell Samson (in heaven) that there is a fish with his name.” Several children then offered ideas of what they would name a pet fish if they owned one. My three favorite names were: Biblefish after the movie character “Bibleman,” Thomas after Thomas the train, and Mrs. Gant after me, of course.

One day it was very foggy outside. Several students told me it was “froggy” outside. Then another student told me that there must be fog outside because “God is smoking up in heaven.”

Children respond in a variety of ways when they have to sit in time-out for misbehaving in the classroom. Some of them go peacefully, others may kick in anger, cry, or refuse to move. One child showed his resistance by loudly signing our school’s hymn of the month, “O, Victory in Jesus” at the top of his lungs. It was hard not to laugh.

Among the many life skills I teach my students, slicing an apple with an apple slicer is one of their favorites. They love to be splashed by the juice of the apple as they slice it. One day when observing a juicy apple being sliced, one student commented that “the apple is crying.”

Here are some of the response to my question, “What do you want to be when you grow up?”
a kite flier, a princess, a doctor, a doctor AND a princess, cut down trees and kill ants

I was informed recently by a four year old that “There are two kinds of B’s. There is the letter “B” and the bee that stings you.”

I asked my students to tell me how God created human beings. Some of the answers included, “He squished us and put our skin all over us.” “He made us out of sand, he touched us, and we changed into real life people.” “He made us out of wood.” Then I asked, “Do you mean like Pinocchio?” The child replied, “Yes. Our nose does not get longer like Pinocchio, but our fingernails do.”

Often when my students pray, they tend to use random phrases they have heard others pray. The sentences do not always flow together very well, but you can usually pick up the child’s general meaning. I imagine that God understands them perfectly. One little boy prayed before lunch, “God, give us this day. Help us not be silly and have self-control.”

While I was teaching my students about the events of Holy Week, one student commented that “They (the Roman soldiers) put a crown of thorns on Jesus’ head even though it did not fit. One thing the Roman soldiers did was nice. They got someone else to carry the cross for Jesus.”

I have been trying to explain to my students about how Jesus took the punishment we deserved for our sin. I believe one student in particular has really latched on to the concept. He said, “It broke my heart when Jesus died on MY cross for MY sins. Was I alive when Jesus died in my place?”

I informed my students that we would be watching a movie about the life of Jesus. The next day a little boy told me, “I know what we are going to do today. We are going to watch a movie about someone who can do miracles just like his dad—it’s Jesus!”

If God is my heavenly Father, then who is my heavenly Mother?” one child asked me. After I explained that we only have a heavenly father, another child replied, “If God had a wife, we would call her Mrs. God.”

Child Life Month

March is Child Life Month, a time of year designated for promoting the importance of child and family development. Donna was featured in the news release below about the importance of child life specialists and the addition of these services to the new hospital. This does a good job explaining her role and I thought you all would be interested in reading about the field she has dedicated herself to.

Seton Medical Center Williamson Eases Hospital Experience for Children
Newest Hospital First to Offer Child Life Services in Williamson County

Round Rock, TX (March 27, 2008) – Difficult or unexpected experiences, such as a trip to the emergency room or the hospitalization of a family member, are upsetting for all involved, but children are particularly vulnerable. To support the unique needs of children during stressful situations, Seton Medical Center Williamson (SMCW) offers Child Life Services.

Trained professionals, called Child Life Specialists, are vital members of the healthcare team at SMCW. These certified specialists are experts in child development who help children cope through play, preparation, education and self-expression.

“When I work with a child, one of my goals is to help them understand and cope with the hospital environment on their terms,” said Donna Brown-Looper, one of two Child Life Specialists on staff at SMCW. “For example, if a child arrives at the Emergency Department with a broken bone, I help them prepare for the procedure by explaining what will happen or how the medical instruments will be used – all on a level that the child understands.”

Brown-Looper also offers children their choice of coping strategies which gives them some control over stressful medical situations. Children can choose to be distracted by a toy, book or music, squeeze stress balls or practice deep breathing. Stress can be a major inhibitor in the ability of a patient to heal and stay well.

“Sometimes giving the child a simple job during a procedure, such as holding a bandage for the nurse, can help alleviate stress,” she added.

Since opening in February, more than 340 children have come to SMCW’s Emergency Department, making this area a key focus for Child Life Services. In addition, the Child Life Specialists provide support to children who are admitted to the hospital’s pediatric inpatient unit or children who have family members in the hospital.

The hospital’s playroom is a refuge for children trying to deal with these difficult circumstances. “It may sound simple, but encouraging play helps children normalize their environment,” said Brown-Looper. “It’s a setting where they are the leader. They have the opportunity to act out anxiety and fears and express their feelings.”

“The Child Life program is a great example of how Seton Medical Center Williamson combines the best in complex care with a more holistic healing approach that addresses the mind, body and spirit,” said Michelle Robertson, vice president and chief operating officer, Seton Medical Center Williamson.

As the program grows, Brown-Looper hopes to expand services to more areas of the hospital, as well as offer much-needed community services such as support groups for children with chronic illnesses and infant/child car seat checks to ensure proper use.

Calling all Cars

On Friday night Donna and I were watching some news coverage of the two college girls murdered last week. Very sad, to be sure. But as we were watching, the crawler at the bottom of the screen flashed the following item:

"Anyone who sees a Honda Civic should call police immediately."

Anyone? I think this particular cable outlet broadcasts to about 50 million people worldwide, and Honda has sold about 100 billion Civics in the past 20 years, so this call to action seems a little alarmist to me. I could have walked out into the parking lot of the pizza place we were at in Round Rock, Texas, and read the license numbers of seven Civics.

Not sure any of them had any bearing on the events in Chapel Hill or Auburn.

Cowboys and Poets

Donna and I attended the 22nd Annual Cowboy Poetry Gathering in Alpine this weekend. Nothing speaks to the diversity of Texas like a cowboy reciting Whitman. The poetry was fun, but the highlight for me was the change of pace from Austin. Brewster County has a population density of about 1 person per square mile, so it was nice getting away from the crowded city.

My affection for the great state of Texas was bolstered by the diversity of what we saw. Where the Hill Country/Austin region is known for its plentiful natural resources, the plains of West Texas are just as striking for its barrenness. The irony of this is the relationships the people in these areas have with their surroundings. For example, my company’s headquarters in Austin is situated on a nice, wooded campus complete with acres and acres of juniper sage and live oak trees. We also have a spring-fed pond and a nature trail. I have a great view of all of this from my fifth floor office window.

But the places we visited this weekend are at the other end of the spectrum. Technically a desert, the area is dry rocky, yet agriculture is the primary industry. Seems backwards for me to be cooped up in an office in Austin where just about anything and everything flourishes while ranchers and farmers scratch out a living in some of the most unforgiving terrain anywhere.

31

Donna's 31st birthday is Saturday. I met her when she was 18 and, gosh, a lot happens in 13 years. To celebrate, we're heading out of town for a nice long weekend. We're going to a cowboy poetry gathering in Alpine, Texas, and a few days in the dessert is just what the doctor ordered.

Anyway, Donna will be 31, which means we are the same age for the next several months before I jump ahead of her again.

Lowest Common Denominator

I've noticed that when guys get together our conversation is completely dependant on how many of us there are. For example, two guys talking will discuss issues like social reform, the influence of Dickens on Victorian literature, or the incommunicable attributes of God.

But throw another dude into the mix and the subject matter deteriorates at a staggering rate. Something happens when the number grows beyond two of us and educated, philosophical commentary turns into punching each other in the nuts and wondering out loud who would stand a better chance in a fight with Mike Tyson.