Monday, January 24, 2011

Am I An Old Fuddy-Duddy?


When in doubt, flip a table over. When we added a few suitcases, this one became an airplane. It's been a train before, a boat, a fire truck. We've painted on the bottoms of other tables using a variety of techniques, applied glitter, bounced ping pong balls, and played tic-tac-toe. Flipping a table is easier than actually rearranging furniture and achieves the same result of altering perspectives. Besides, I may be getting to be too much of an old fuddy-duddy to change the whole room. I like it just the way it is, thank you very much. (I don't feel the same way about our outdoor classroom, however, but that's probably because it's less than a year old.)


I know at one point they were flying to the beach. They all came over to the block area carrying their suit cases, calling it the beach, but then went right back to the airplane. Remember when flying was sometimes more fun than the destination? These days, to me at least, flying feels like this:


Some of them sat in those chairs on the bottom of the table for the better part of a half hour. It kind of made me wish we had some need for them all to sit so still for so long in a single place, but we never do. 


I'm also old enough to remember when people used to dress up a little when they flew, respecting their fellow passengers with something other than sweats, shorts and flip flops.


Does that make me sound like too much of an old fuddy-duddy? I suppose it had to happen sometime. And then there's always that guy who insists on getting thing in and out of his carry-on. I'm ashamed to admit I find it annoying even when he's not sitting next to me. Yes, at least when it comes to flying, I'm an old fuddy-duddy.


It was a long flight and I don't think any of them cared where they were going. It was all about the journey, a lesson for this old fuddy-duddy to keep in mind.


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8 comments:

Scott said...

I'm just back from a flying trip. A man several rows up opened up the overhead bin and took things out of his bag. It really irritated me. Guess I'm a fuddy duddy too.

I'm glad kids think traveling is so much fun.

Unknown said...

You are not an old fuddy duddy, you just have standards. I always "dress-up" a little when I fly. I suppose it came from growing up and flying was a big deal. Something "rich" people did. It's hard not to find things people do in a tight space irritating. I find it even when I'm in wide open spaces. ;)
Hope your move was successful!

MOM #1 said...

I don't know . . . I live in a place where you an wear flip flops everywhere . . . including the opera, LOL.

I'm sure I'd irritate you to death!

Juliet Robertson said...

The Secret Garden Outdoor nursery in Scotland had a film made of their nursery last year by a film student. It's called "The Middle of Nowhere" based upon the conversations that were had when the children built an aeroplane and "flew" to different places. One child requested to go to the middle of nowhere ... and got there, of course!

wondersofnature said...

My 5 year old and his 6 year old friend rearrange the chairs at our local leisure centre every week whilst their siblings are swimming!

Sometimes its a train, sometimes its a plane, but it always results in the trip of a lifetime. They get many a disapproving look, as do I, from some of the other parents but his joy is endless and we could all use a bit more of that in our lives....

KAREN GREEN said...

Sensational! So much fun and learning in an upside down table! I love it! Good stuff Mr Fuddy Duddy! :) :)

Let the Children Play said...

I think when you start wondering aloud if you are an old fuddy duddy is when you are actually entering 'old fuddy duddy land"! I love that the kids aren't interested in where they are going. When I first started teaching I used to make a big deal about where they were going until I realised that that was my concern and not at all their concern. It is the making and arranging and sitting and dressing up that is important.

Sherman Unkefer said...

Great pics! We grown-ups must sometimes look into the kids and learn from them. They live a simple life. Unlike us, we are very much concern on what others will say about us.