Madeline and A Fit of Temper

Today was a harrowing day!

Tink refused to study.

We were all tired.

It rained.

Kids tempers were short.

Mamas patience was short.

It was just not a good day.

After a morning that consisted of a huge meltdown for Tink I gave up at noon and decided we would just work on Abe Lincolns cabin the rest of the afternoon. Tink was dying to paint the thing so I let the kids have at it. They had a lesson in mixing colors since we didn't have any brown tempera paints. They were amazed to see brown appear after mixing red and yellow. Yesterday Tink colored a pic of Abe Lincoln online. She then cut it out and posted it by her desk. She told me she wants to do research on him on the internet so I'm going to let her. She knows how, having done lots of that stuff in the public school. So she wants to study Abe? I'll let her. Nevermind that she always calls him George Washington!!! Eh, Abe, George, who cares. She doesn't, that's for sure. At least she knows he's a president.
Heres the finished cabin. Tink about couldn't handle it that the entire cabin was being painted brown and green so she painted the top of the chimney yellow much to the aggravation of Peter.

Now do you see this lovely book on Madeline?! I was so excited when I found a book at Exodus with study pages to go with a bunch of different children's stories. I promptly went to the library and checked out the books needed for the worksheets. If you're not familiar with Madeline take note of the fact that there is hardly any reading to do on any given page. Well that didn't make Tink any difference. This story was what her meltdown was all about. She didn't want to read Madeline.

Madeline is a stupid little girl. Okay, fine I'll read it this time but then I never want to see her face again. I hate Madeline. Mama can I go push my head into a pillow. It makes it feel better. I never never want to see a picture of Madeline again. Take that awful book away from me. I hate, hate, hate Madeline. She's terrible. That's why they quit showing her on TV. She's ugly. I mean who knew? Did you? No, I didn't either.

I cannot tell you everything that naughty little girl said because she went on like this for well over an hour. I couldn't get her to sit still for nothing. I read her all her stories into cassette tapes. She then listens to them and tries to read it herself. When she set down to listen to the tape she plugged her ears and screamed. She stomped her feet. She cried that Peter was making too much noise and her ears rang. She cried that her head was pounding. She cried because Madeline was such a stupid girl. Stupid, stupid, stupid and Mrs Clavel has a stupid name.


I left her alone in the living room to listen to the tape and I have to say that some of the things she was saying almost had me chuckling. You guys I cant tell you how major the meltdown was!! Often she'd get up and go bang her head into a pillow or rock incessantly. I had no idea that she hated Madeline. I guess I'll never try that one again!! Her behavior was so bad that by the time I really figured out that she was far gone into a sensory world of her own I no longer felt that I could really back down without giving her the idea that she could throw fits and I'd change the subject matter.

After much temper she finally settled in and listened to the tape. She then threw another mini fit because she couldn't do the crossword puzzle without looking in the book to see how the words were spelled. She finally declared that she would look in the book but then this was the last time she ever wanted to see the book or Madelines face!

The papers you see here took her over an hour to do. The entire reading of the story and the sheet work took two solid hours. I dont understnd it. I thought this would be so fun. I dare not even imagine what I would have done if I could have worked on stuff like this when I was a kid. I mean, this is exciting. Look at these papers. It's just too cool.

This pic here she was suppose to draw the vines covering the house. Well you can see her version of vines. I'm pleased though that she added the smoke in the chimney.And do you see this pic of the Christmas wreath? Peter took this pic and blurred it but its the only one I have since I actually burned it in the baking. I got the bright idea to bake it in the little toaster oven. Not a good move. The rack is too close to the top of the oven and I burned the sculpey wreath I worked so hard on. Yes, you read that right. I made this wreath, not the kids but I!I had so much fun rolling the clay to make the candy canes. They turned out gorgeous; not that you can tell or anything. Poor hubby took one look at it and said, "Honey I really think you need to get out more. Why don't you go take a class at the craft store or something." Bwahahahahaha, bless his dear heart but he knows not what he asks because I will do just that!!

It's been a long day.