| Beggars can’t be…hard workers. Don’t mix business with…playing. Dead men tell…I don’t know what a dead man tells because he’s dead and he can’t talk! Give the devil…jack squat. Keep your mouth shut and…not open. Life is just a bowl of…spinach. Love makes the world…happy. We’re going to rob Peter…because we’re poor. Spare the rod…and spank the kid with a spoon. Do what I say…and not what others say. All work and no play makes Jack…go away. Hey! I made a rhyme! Other rhymes: Give him an inch and he…will want a finch. That’s a little bird. Those who dance must pay…for pants. That’s the pot calling the kettle… metal. All’s well…all is nice. Girls are made from sugar and spice. No news is…bad news. Where there’s smoke, there’s…a fire! Tomorrow is…the next day. You can’t make an omelet …without any cheese. If you lie down with dogs…you’ll get dog hair on you. Look before you…run. Better to be safe than…to get hurt. It’s always darkest before…lighting a candle. You made your bed, now…jump on it. Ask no questions, hear no…evil. Make hay while the…sun is up. You can’t teach an old dog…how to jump over a fence. Children should be seen and not…hurt. There is no fool like…an old dog. Laugh and the whole world laughs with you. Cry and…you’ll be very sad. He who laughs last…wins. A friend in need is...a beggar. All good things…are good. An apple a day…is good because it’s fruit. A rolling stone…goes downhill. A woman’s work is never…fun. Beauty is in the eye of…a beast. Better late than…early. Blood is thicker than…juice. Boys will be…men. Don’t burn your bridges before…you walk on them. Don’t count your chickens before…you pluck their feathers. Doctors make the worst…pets. Don’t spit into…a cup. Do unto others…as they will do unto you. That's a Bible verse. Every dog has its…own feet. Faith will move…your sins. Fools rush in…to a foxhole. Don’t put all your eggs into…a jar. Home is where you…eat. If you can’t beat them…with a whip, you’ll need to beat them with a baseball bat. It’s always calm before…the kids get loud. The squeaky wheel gets…fixed. While the cat is away….the dogs are near. Those who live in glass houses…should be careful. The road to hell…is a very bad road. Too many cooks…will make too much food. It takes two to…make a bridge. The early bird…makes his teacher happy. If the shoe fits…it doesn’t hurt your foot. Don’t throw the baby out with the…old pacifier. Curiosity killed…Curious George. Don’t cut off your nose…because you won’t be able to smell. Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day; teach a man to fish and… he’ll want to go fishing every day. Every rule has…a listening kid. You can’t make a silk purse out of a…dollar bill. Sticks and stones will break my bones but…probably not my fingers. You scratch my back…before I whack yours. Eavesdroppers never hear…the truth. A bird in the hand is…probably looking for seeds. Good things come to those who…believe. Never underestimate the power of…God. I think you’ll agree that Daisy is pretty wonderful. Beyond proverbs, it’s always nice observing children as they learn idioms. I recall the day that, after being teased too much, Jonah tattled that Linda Jo was trying to get his lamb. We still refer to it, that it is no use trying to get Jonah’s goat because he doesn’t have one…he has a lamb. Or, there’s the time that Linda Jo had an elementary school assignment to rewrite the famous quote, “I cried because I had no shoes until I met a man who had no feet.” Without thinking, she immediately blurted out, “A man cried because he had no shoes until he met me…(a pause here as she realized she was on the wrong track, but she went ahead and finished the thought as she cracked up)…because I didn’t have any feet!” She rolled on the floor, laughing at herself. She realized she should have said something along the lines of “I cried because I had no_____until I met a man who had no____.” But the little stinker refused to change it, writing down her first effort that had been so hilarious. She was of the mind that anyone could rewrite a proverb to satisfy the requirement, but not everyone could make it funny. I agreed…what did it matter if it was marked wrong when she had valued humor and originality over a teacher’s opinion. That is the best way to live life. How I love their childhood... Sign my guestbook Back to the Homepage at www.redbluffismytown.com |
| Last week, Daisy and I discussed some well-known proverbs. I told her the first half of the proverb and she told me how she thought it should end. This is a fun activity to do with your children and really encourages their critical thinking skills. I don’t think I’m too terribly partial when I say that my children are extremely bright. Daisy just turned 7 last month and amazed me with how she carefully considered some of these proverbs, blurted out others, and figured out the correct ending to many of them. However, most of what I have included here are those she has changed. I think they are better than the originals. Here are her new and improved proverbs: You can lead a horse to water but you can’t make him... kick someone with his back feet. All is fair in love and in…the game of “Sorry.” Always count the…stars. |
| Happy 4th of July! |