Ryan Funnies

This morning we were reading

The Grouchy Ladybug by Eric Carle.

If you haven't read this story before here is a quick review...

It involves a ladybug who happens to have a grouchy attitude one day. He wants to pick a fight with a happy ladybug but she won't give in to his eagerness to fight. So off the grouchy ladybug goes to try to pick a fight with some one else. Every hour, he runs into insects, birds, animals, in increasing order of size. The grouchy ladybug challenges each one to a fight, but when the other party agrees, he flees with the usual excuse - "you're too small" - only to find someone larger. It gets particularly funny when the grouchy ladybug encounters a blue whale - the largest known animal. Where this ladybug is but a dot on the page, a third of the whale's body occupies the entire spread. Yet tiny grouchy lady bug declares to the humongous whale - "You're too small for me." ...

I won't ruin the ending for you! Go get the book to find out what happens next.

The morals of this story are: Learn to share! Don't be a bully! Be humble - there are things larger and stronger than you! Well and don't be so grouchy! :)

Did you happen to notice that I made the words EVERY HOUR stand out above? This is where the Ryan Funnies comes in to play....

As you read the book, there are little clocks at the top of the page displaying what hour it is when the ladybug encounters a different and new creature. I thought it would be fun to have a mini lesson of "telling time" with Ryan after we were done reading the story. So I went back to the clocks and explained what the hands were for, that you must read a clock going "clockwise" or as Ryan liked to call it "you go dis way, mama?" as he moves his arm in a clockwise circular motion, etc. etc.!

Then the following conversation happened:

mama- This first clock says 6 o'clock. Do you see the little hand on the 6 and the big hand on the 12?

ryan- yes. 6 o'clock.

mama- ok, the next one reads 7 o'clock. Do you see that the little hand is now on the 7? That means it is 7 o'clock.

ryan- ohhhh. I see. Not 6 o'clock but 7 o'clock now.

mama- yes, correct! Now what does this clock say? (as I point to the next clock reading 8 o'clock)

ryan- it says "tick tock" tick tock"

Lesson for mommy- watch how you phrase your questions. Most likely Ryan won't get the 'slang' and answer the only way a 3 year old knows how. I got a good chuckle out of it and said, "Yes, Ryan. The clock goes tick tock". Back to square one.