Flashback Friday — Teddy Bear Picnic

Flashback to spring 1998.

This week we’re back at the Mead School Child Care program — the wonderful home away from home where we took Catherine when she was little and where she is now doing her senior internship.

Every day this week she’s come home with another crazy story about life with eight toddlers.

They almost all end with her reminding the child in question to not put whatever it is in his or her mouth, (and included a shoe in one case!).

She’s steeped in washing hands, wiping mouths, reading stories, referee-ing turns on the swings, playtime, lunch duty –you name it.

And she’s having the time of her life. She has also discovered new empathy, acknowledging that it might be a good idea to go around to the teachers who endured her stint at Mead and offer up apologies for her earlier antics.

Naturally, her daily recaps elicit comparisons and reminiscences. For fun we were looking back on her time in Toddler 2 and The Teddy Bear Picnic. Dee, one of her teachers then (and who is still there!), had made a year-end photo album that included pictures from this big day.

The kids made lemonade under teacher Esme’s watchful eye …

…and created their own peanut butter sandwiches (light on the PB).

Then headed outside to decorate their Teddy Bears and have lunch.

Sounds like a perfect afternoon, doesn’t it?

(BTW, Catherine’s refrain as we looked at all the Mead photos? “WHAT did you dress me in? WHY am I wearing that?” -_-)