circle time

Let me preface this story by telling you that, of late, Nugget has discovered how much fun it is to snap at bugs. Bees, flies, whatever. If it crawls or buzzes, she wants to bite it and eat it. Shawn absent-mindedly referred to her as "cricket licker" the other day.

Meanwhile, at school, when the children arrive in the morning, Andy's teacher, Miss Kim, holds what's known as "Circle Time". I'm not really sure what goes on at Circle Time, but I do know they sing good morning to each child and perhaps share a little something about what is going on in that child's life.

When I arrived at school to pick up Andy today, Miss Kim came out with a strange look on her face and said she wanted to tell me what Andy had said today at Circle Time. I immediately felt uneasy and prepared myself for something humiliating.

Miss Kim said, "Andy announced to the group that Nugget ate crumbs off the floor. And I told him that it was good that he hadn't also eaten them off the floor..."

[I braced for impact.]

"....And then he said, 'Nugget's a crumb-lickah!!!' and all the children burst into hysterics.

"Then Andy said, "Nugget's a cricket lickah!!!!!'"

The children went bananas at this point and Miss Kim said 10 little 2- and 3-year-olds chanted "Cricket lickah! Cricket lickah! Cricket lickah!"

Andy, now on a performance high, shouted, "Nugget's a CRICK LICKAH!!!"

Apparently the aid, Miss Sam, looked at Kim and said she couldn't hold it any longer and burst into laughter. The adults had tears in their eyes and the children were out of control, all shouting, "Crumb lickah! Cricket lickah! Crick lickah!"

I believe it took quite some time for everyone to calm down. I lost it myself when I heard the story.

Although he didn't say anything offensive, Miss Kim's impression of the way Andy yelled, "Cricket lickah!" made it sound downright filthy.