We have several quick rituals that we do each time someone has a birthday. The birthday kid wears the birthday cake top hat. We sing Happy Birthday, of course, spelling Y-O-U after we say you each time. The three beats fit in there nicely. There's even time to finger spell it with American Sign Language. We clap the number of years they are old. We give three hip-hip-hooray cheers, like in England. We "throw" the birthday kid up in the air the number of years they are old like they do in Israel... actually we don't, but I hold their waist as they jump that many times. And one chosen person gives the "lucky ear tug" like they do in Spain.
To tie in science we also talk about how the earth circles the sun once a year, so if you are five years old the earth has gone around the sun five times. I have a paper laminated sun that goes on the floor and the birthday child walks around the sun that many times.
Well, yesterday was a birthday. We went through the whole nine yards... heaven forbid you forget one single step of the routine. We got to the part where I put the sun on the floor and said,
Me: "Remember, each year the earth goes around the sun one time. You are six years old now, so that means if you have been on the earth the whole time, you have traveled around the sun six times. You haven't left the earth at all, have you, Liz?"
Expecting a no from her and a chuckle from a few of her classmates, I paused.
Liz: "Well... um... yeah, I have... I've been Up North."
Gotta LOVE this job!
Now you GOTTA come back here TUESDAY for Teacher Book Talk Tuesday linky party AND I'll be linking up with Show and Tell Tuesday, too. LOTS going on. See you then!
Happy, happy summer to you... and to ME, too!
