Quote of the Day - Astrid Lindgren

 

Astrid Lindgren/Photo: Den Store Danske

A childhood without books – that would be no childhood. That would be like being shut out from the enchanted place where you can go and find the rarest kind of joy.”



Astrid Lindgren

What Children say -

 

 

 

 

"I don't fink my pyfon cares about this wittle wabbit...."

 

 

Wittle Wabbits

 

A little girl walks into a pet shop and asks in the sweetest little lisp,
"Excuthe me, mithter, do you keep wittle wabbits?" And the shopkeeper bends way down and puts his hands on his knees so that he's on her level, and asks, "Do you want a wittle white wabby or a soft and fuwwy bwack wabby? Or maybe one like that cute wittle bwown wabby over there?"
She in turn puts her hands on her knees, leans forward and says in a quiet little voice,
"I don't fink my pyfon weally cares."






photo market place : gb

What Children Say.............

 
















One day the first grade teacher was reading the story of Chicken Little to her class. She came to the part of the story where Chicken Little tried to warn the farmer. She read, ".... and so Chicken Little went up to the farmer and said, "The sky is falling, the sky is falling!" The teacher paused then asked the class, "And what do you think that farmer said?" One little gir l raised her hand and said, "I think he said: 'Holy Shit! A talking chicken!'"


A mother was preparing pancakes for her sons, Kevin, 5, and Ryan, 3. The boys began to argue over who would get the first pancake. Their mother saw the opportunity for a moral lesson. "If Jesus were sitting here, He would say, 'Let my brother have the first pancake. I can wait.'" Kevin turned to his younger brother and said, "Ryan, you be Jesus.  

TEACHER: Harold, what do you call a person who keeps on talking when people are no longer interested?
HAROLD: A teacher. 

 
A little girl asked her mother, "Can I go outside and play with the boys?" Her mother replied, "No, you can't play with the boys, they're too rough." The little girl thought about it for a few moments and asked, "If I can find a smooth one, can I play with him?"

 
On the first day of school, about mid-morning, the kindergarten teacher said, "If anyone has to go to the bathroom, hold up two fingers." A little voice from the back of the room asked, "How will that help?"


A wife invited some people to dinner. At the table, she turned to their six-year-old daughter and said, Would you like to say the blessing?" "I wouldn't know what to say," the girl replied. "Just say what you hear Mommy say," the wife answered. The daughter bowed her head and said,"Lord, why on earth did I invite all these people to dinner?" 


A Kindergarten teacher was observing her classroom of children while they were drawing. She would occasionally walk around to see each child's work. As she got to one little girl who was working diligently, she asked what the drawing was. The girl replied, "I'm drawing God." The teacher paused and said, "But no one knows what God looks like." Without missing a beat, or looking up from her drawing, the girl replied, "They will in a minute."




photo: gb
 

Charlie Brown's Christmas, Für Elise

 Für Elise

Schroeder: This is the music I've selected for the Christmas play.
[Schroeder plays Fur Elise]
Lucy Van Pelt: What kind of Christmas music is *that*?
Schroeder: Beethoven Christmas music.
Lucy Van Pelt: What has Beethoven got to do with Christmas? Everyone talks about how "great" Beethoven was. Beethoven wasn't so great.
[Schroeder stops playing]
Schroeder: What do you mean Beethoven wasn't so great?
Lucy Van Pelt: He never got his picture on bubblegum cards, did he? Have you ever seen his picture on a bubblegum card? Hmmm? How can you say someone is great who's never had his picture on bubblegum cards?
Schroeder: Good grief.

What Children say.............

When the driver stopped the school bus to pick up Chris for preschool, she noticed an older woman hugging him as he left the house. "Is that your grandmother?" she asked. "Yes, "Chris said. "She's come to visit us." "How nice," the driver said. "Where does she live?" "At the airport." Chris replied. "Whenever we want her, we just go out there and get her."

The mother returned from the grocery store, and her small daughter pulled out the box of animal crackers she had begged for. She spread the animal-shaped crackers all over the kitchen counter. "What are you doing?" her Mom asked. "The box says you can't eat them if the seal is broken," the girl explained. "I'm looking for the seal."

A man was pushing a cart in the supermarket - the cart contained a screaming, bellowing baby. The gentleman kept repeating softly, "Don't get excited, Albert. Don't scream, Albert. Don't yell, Albert. Keep calm, Albert." A woman standing next to him said, "You certainly are to be commended for trying to soothe your son Albert." The man looked at her and said, "Lady, I'm Albert."

A three-year-old girl went with her dad to see a new litter of kittens. On returning home, she breathlessly informed her mother, "There were two boy kittens and two girl kittens." "How did you know that?" her mother asked. "Daddy picked them up and looked underneath," she replied. "I think it's printed on the bottom."


A Mom tells this: While working for an organization that delivers lunches to elderly shut-ins, I used to take my four-year-old daughter on my afternoon rounds. She was unfailingly intrigued by the various appliances of old age, particularly the canes, walkers and wheelchairs. One day I found her staring at a pair of false teeth soaking in a glass. As I braced myself for the inevitable barrage of questions, she merely turned and whispered, "The tooth fairy will never believe this!"

A five-year-old boy and his playmates had found a dead robin in the yard. Feeling that proper burial should be performed, they got a small box with cotton batting, then dug a hole and made ready for the disposal of the deceased. The five-year-old was chosen to say the appropriate prayers and with sonorous dignity intoned his version of what he had learned in Church. He said: "Glory be unto the Faaaather. And unto the Soonnn.......and into the hole he gooooes."




A little girl had just finished her first week of school. "I'm just wasting my time," she said to her mother. "I can't read, I can't write, and they won't let me talk!"

The children in Sunday school class were being taught the concept of getting to heaven. Teacher asked them, "If I sold my house and my car, had a big garage sale and gave all my money to the church, would that get me into Heaven?" "NO!" the children answered. Teacher asked them, "If I cleaned the church every day, mowed the yard, and kept everything neat and tidy, would that get me into Heaven?" Again, the answer was, "NO!" Teacher smiled. "Well, then, if I was kind to animals and gave candy to all the children, would that get me into Heaven?" I asked them again. Again, they all answered, "NO!" The teacher was just bursting with pride for them. "Well," she continued, "Then how can I get into Heaven?" A five-year-old girl shouted out, "YOU GOTTA BE DEAD."


Mary Anne: No matter how hard you try, you can't baptize cats.

Michael: Never ask your three-year-old brother to hold a tomato.

Allison:  You can't trust dogs to watch your food.

Jonathan: You can't hide a piece of broccoli in a glass of milk.

Steve: The best place to be when you're sad is Grandpa's lap.







Source: Kids say the darndest things.

What Children say - about School

I've found something for you about the funny kids. The children have now began school after the holidays - they have began school this week here in Denmark - I don't know if it's the same in every country, but nearly almost I presume.
The stuff about kids below shows how their brains work, and I think they are wonderful. I'm sure we could all have selected material from our own children and their friends and from our grandchildren - if only we wrote it down!  But some people write it down for us to see and for us to have a little fun.
So have fun!
Grethe




Just before school begins: 

I' m looking forward to math because it makes me smarter and smarter. I'm not looking forward to recess because I'm afraid I'll be out of energy before I get home.
Molly, 8

I'm looking forward to math. I like numbers. I'm not looking forward to lunch, especially the chicken nuggets. They're usually burnt.
Katie, 8

I'm not looking forward to math and homework because I can't watch TV.
Julia, 7

I'm looking forward to writing in cursive. I want to learn it because I only know how to write my name! I'm not looking forward to a new teacher. My teacher is having a baby so I will have a substitute for almost the whole year!
Kari, 8

I'm looking forward to meeting some new friends. I'm not looking forward to the rules there are so many to remember, and bullies.
Finbar, 7

I'm not looking forward to being bad and getting sent to the principal.
Emily, 8

I'm looking forward to math because I like adding. I'm not looking forward to science because I don't like making stuff.
Kiley, 7

I'm looking forward to seeing my friend Jordan because I haven't seen him all summer. I'm not looking forward to homework.
Nathan, 7

I'm looking forward to going back to school. It's cool. There's nothing I'm not looking forward to. I like it all.
Kian, 12

I'm looking forward to meeting new friends. I'm not looking forward to homework because I have to stay up almost the whole night.
Darian, 7


Proverbs

A Virginia teacher presented each child in her class with the first half of a well-known proverb, a different adage to each child, asking that they complete the adage at home. The following were among the replies she received.

1. Don't change horses - until they stop running
2. Never underestimate . . . the power of termites.
3. You can lead a horse to water but . . . How?
4. Don't bite the hand that . . . looks dirty.
5. You can't teach an old dog new . . . math.
6. If you lie down with dogs . . . you'll stink in the morning.
7. An idle mind is . . . the best way to relax.
8. Where there's smoke there's . . . pollution.
9. Happy the bride who . . . gets all the presents.
10. A penny saved is . . . not much.
11. Two's company, three's . . . the Musketeers.
12. Don't put off till tomorrow what . . . you put on to go to bed.
13. Laugh and the whole world laughs with you, cry and . . . you have to blow your nose.
14. There are none so blind as . . . Stevie Wonder.
15. Children should be seen and not . . . spanked or grounded.
16. If at first you don't succeed . . . get new batteries.
17. You get out of something only what you . . . see in the picture on the box
18. When the blind lead the blind . . . get out of the way.
19. A bird in the hand . . . is going to poop on you.
20. Better late than . . . Pregnant

 History
It has been reported to us that the creativity you read in this box came from an anonymous 6th grade class during various history tests throughout some academic year. If so, we are sure that the names have been withheld to protect the guilty. You might think some enterprising teacher collected these mistakes over a longer period and collated them in the collection below. Even if this is the case, the ring of authenticity from them is true and in perfect tune.

• The greatest writer of the Renaissance was William Shakespeare. He was born in the 1564, supposedly on his birthday. He never made much money and is famous only because of his plays. He wrote tragedies, comedies, and hysterectomies, all in Islamic pentameter. Romeo and Juliet are an example of a heroic couple.

• Writing at the same time as Shakespeare was Miguel Cervantes. He wrote Donkey Hote. The next great author was John Milton. Milton wrote Paradise Lost. Then his wife died and he wrote Paradise Regained.

• Delegates from the original 13 states formed the Contented Congress. Thomas Jefferson, a virgin, and Benjamin Franklin were to 2 singers of the Declaration of Independence. Franklin discovered electricity by rubbing two cats backward and declared, "a horse divided against itself can not stand." Franklin died in 1790 and is still dead.

• Abraham Lincoln was America's greatest precedent. Lincoln's mother died in infancy, and he was born in a log cabin which he built with his own hands. Abraham Lincoln freed the slaves by signing the Emasculation Proclamation . On the night of April 14, 1865, Lincoln went to the theater and got shot in his seat by one of the actors in the moving picture show. They believe the assinator was John Wilkes Booth, a suposingly insane actor. This ruined Booth's career.

• Johann Bach wrote a great many musical compositions and had a large number of children. In between he practiced on an old spinster which he kept up in his attic. Bach died from 1750 to the present. Bach was the most famous composer in the world and so was Handel. Handel was half German, half Italian, and half English. He was very large.

• Beethoven wrote music even though he was deaf. He was so deaf he wrote loud music. He took long walks in the forest even when everyone was calling for him. Beethoven expired in 1827 and later died from this.

Science class:

"Water is composed of two gins, Oxygin and Hydrogin. Oxygin is pure gin. Hydrogin is gin and water."

"When you breathe you inspire.  When you do not breathe, you expire."

"The body consists of ghree parts -  the brainium, the borax and the abominable cavity. The brainium contains the brain, the borax contains the heart and lungs, and the abominable cavity contains the bowels, of which there are five: a, e, i, o and u."

" HO2= is hot water and CO₂ is cold water."

"The pistol of a flower  is its only protection against insects."

"A myth is a female moth".

What children say -

 What do children say about summer?

 I've found some stuff about kids and their summer holidays. They are American kids, but they are like kids all over the world, and I think their thoughts and wishes about the summer holidays are the same. The guy Hyder who wants to take his mom with him to Norway because he loves her very much - and the little girl Ashlei, who won't take anyone with her on vacation, because she wants all the chocolate for herself. I think they ar marvellous!



Tiannah, 11, said her best trip was to Vermont, the home of Ben & Jerry's ice cream. In addition to the ice cream, she liked lying on a comfortable hammock and sleeping under the stars.

Sophie, 11, liked her trip to Colorado best because she learned to cast a fishing rod in a wobbly canoe. She also learned the backstroke in the hotel pool.

Hawaii was a favorite spot for a number of kids:
Diana, 11, liked it so much she wants to move there. "I went to the beach, saw snakes, fish, and a sailfish in the ocean, ate great food, got sunburned, and rode in the new rented car we got."

Where you vacation is important, but as kids described their favorite trips, it was the people that seemed to matter most. In fact, more than half of kids said fun people were the most important ingredient — more important than a great place or fun stuff to do.

Mabembe, 12, said her best trip was a couple years ago when her family took a very long drive to Toronto for a wedding. "What made the trip sooo fun was that we drove," she said. "Yes you heard right, we drove! Two and a half days long. I tell ya, it was all worth it because we did it together as a family."

Lucie, 11, said her best vacation was when her family went to Tanzania in Africa. "I went not to have a safari adventure, but a family one. We went because all my family lives there except my mom, dad, my brother, me, and my sister. That was the best part because I could meet my distant family."

Family and friends also were important as kids described where they'd go on a dream vacation. Some kids chose popular vacation spots, but others said they wanted to visit other planets or go back in time!

Jen, 12, wants to visit 1960s. Why? To see the Beatles live in concert. "I am a big fan of the Beatles and am disappointed that I wasn't even alive when they were together. I'd take my parents so they could tell me about the '60s so I would know how to act in a different decade!"

Nina, 15, would take her best friend, Kathy, to the moon so they could float around in zero gravity.
Madeline, 8, wants to take her dog, Captain, on a trip to Saturn.

Megan, 10, would like to take her family and her cats, Marcie and Buster, on a trip to see volcanoes. She'd stop in Hawaii and Yellowstone National Park — two volcanic spots — to get a head start on her career. "I want to study volcanoes when I grow up," she said.

Hyder, 12, wants to go to Norway to see how it stays light for 6 months of the year and dark for the other 6. Who would he take? "My mom because I love her very much."

Matt, 10, says he wants to go to Washington, DC, to see his uncle and to see the new Major League Baseball team, the Nationals. He'd take his family "because they have done so many things for me."

Alaina, 13, says she's always wanted to visit Queensland, Australia. She'd visit the Sydney Opera House and explore Australian culture. Who would she bring? "My mom, dad, and . . . no one else. Ha-ha, just kidding. I'd take along my little brother, too."

It's hard to tell if Ashlei, 10, was kidding when she said she'd take no one with her on a dream vacation to Hershey, Pennsylvania.
 Why go alone? "I want all the chocolate to myself," she said.


























Photo Strands, Mols, 2007: grethe bachmann

What Children Say....

Parents' Sweet and Funny Stories:  

Public Outcry

Ever notice how a 4-year-old's voice is louder than 200 adult voices? 

Several years ago, I returned home from a trip just when a storm hit, with crashing thunder and severe lightning. As I came into my bedroom about 2 a.m., I found my two children in bed with my wife, Karen, apparently scared by the loud storm. I resigned myself to sleeping in the guest bedroom that night.
The next day, I talked to the children, and explained that it was O.K. to sleep with Mom when the storm was bad, but when I was expected home, please don't sleep with Mom that night. They said O.K.
After my next trip several weeks later, Karen and the children picked me up in the terminal at the appointed time. Since the plane was late, everyone had come into the terminal to wait for my plane's arrival, along with hundreds of other folks waiting for their arriving passengers. As I entered the waiting area, my son saw me, and came running shouting,
"Hi, Dad! I've got some good news!" As I waved back, I said loudly, "What is the good news?"
"The good news is that nobody slept with Mommy while you were away this time!" Alex shouted. The airport became very quiet, as everyone in the waiting area looked at Alex, then turned to me, and then searched the rest of the area to see if they could figure out exactly who his Mom was.

Children in Church

A little child in church for the first time watched as the ushers passed the offering plates. When they neared the pew where he sat, the youngster piped up so that everyone could hear: "Don't pay for me Daddy, I'm under five."

Kissing on the Playground

An honest seven-year-old told her parents that Billy Brown had kissed her after class. "How did that happen?" gasped her mother. "It wasn't easy," admitted the young lady, "but three girls helped me catch him." 

That Baby in There

For weeks, a six-year old lad kept telling his first-grade teacher about the baby brother or sister that was expected at his house. One day the mother allowed the boy to feel the movements of the unborn child. The six-year old was obviously impressed, but made no comment. Furthermore, he stopped telling his teacher about the impending event. The teacher finally sat the boy on her lap and said, "Tommy, whatever has become of that baby brother or sister you were expecting at home?" Tommy burst into tears and confessed, "I think Mommy ate it!" 

A Wise Little Girl

A certain little girl, when asked her name, would reply, "I'm Mr. Sugarbrown's daughter." Her mother told her this was wrong, she must say, "I'm Jane Sugarbrown." When the minister spoke to her in Sunday School, and said, "Aren't you Mr. Sugarbrown's daughter?" She replied, "I thought I was, but mother says I'm not." 

Pippi Longstocking's Horse

"Pippi-horse"

The other day I saw one of those horses we in Scandinavia call a Pippi Langstrømpe-hest. Pippi had this white horse with a lot of spots and she was able to lift it one-handed.  The books about Pippi are loved by every child in Sweden and the rest of Scandinavia.

I guess that most of you know Pippi (Peppi) Longstocking. Astrid Lindgrens books are translated into 64 languages. 

Astrid Lindgren's first three Pippi-books were published from 1945-48. Pippi was named by Astrid Lindgren's then nine-year-old daughter Karin. Pippi is unconventional and has superhuman strenght, she is able to lift her horse, she mocks and and dupes adults, but she reserves her worst behaviour for her most pompous and condescending of adults. Her anger is reserved for the most extreme cases, such as when a man ill-treats her horse, Like Peter Pan Pippi does not want to grow up.

Pippi claims her full name is Pippilotta Delicatessa Windowshade Mackrelmint Ephraim's Daughter Longstocking (Swedish: Pippilotta Viktualia Rullgardina Krusmynta Efraimsdotter Långstrump). Her fiery red hair is worn in pigtails, so tightly wound that they stick out sideways from her head.
Pippi lives in a small Swedish village, in an exciting house Villa Villekulla with her monkey hr. Nilsson and her horse, but no adults or relatives. She's got two friends Tommy and Annika, two children who live next door. Pippi's two main possessions are a suitcase full of gold coins (which she used to buy her horse) and a large chest of drawers containing various small treasures.
Pippi is the daughter of seafarer Ephraim Longstocking, captain of the sailing ship  Hoptoad (Hoppetossa in Swedish), from whom Pippi inherited her common sense and incredible strength. Captain Longstocking is the only person known who can match Pippi in physical ability. He originally bought Villa Villekulla to give his daughter a more stable home life than that onboard the ship, although Pippi loves the seafaring life and is a better sailor and helmsman than most of her father's crew.

Villa Villekulla

The story goes on and on with Pippi  and Tommy and Annnika, and Astrid Lindgren is one of the most loved authors of children books. She is the world's 18th most translated author and has sold roughly 145 million copies worldwide.The best-known books by Astrid Lindgren: The Pippi Longstocking series, Karlsson-on-the roof-series, Emil of Lönneberga, The Bill Bergson series, Madicken, Ronia the Robber's Daughter, Seacrow Island, The Six Bullerby Children, Mio, my Mio, The Brothers Lionheart.(some of the books are on film and TV).

Astrid Lindgreen died in 2002, 94 years of age.

What Children Say.....

  
I have tried to find something children might say about Easter, but these are funny too! Maybe you know it already! Anyway- have fun!

A little girl became restless as the preacher's sermon dragged on and on. Finally, she leaned over to her mother and whispered, "Mommy, if we give him the money now, will he let us go?"

  Casey asked her Sunday school teacher a question: "If the people of Israel are Israelites, and the people of Canann are Canannites, are the people of Paris called Parasites?"
     
  A Sunday school teacher was telling her class the story of the Good Samaritan, in which a man was beaten, robbed and left for dead.
    She described the situation in vivid detail so her students would catch the drama. Then she asked the class, "If you saw a person lying on the roadside all wounded and bleeding, what would you do?"
    A thoughtful little girl broke the hushed silence, "I think I'd throw up!" 



A boy was watching his father, a pastor, write a sermon. "How do you know what to say?" he asked.
    "Why, God tells me."
    "Oh, then why do you keep crossing things out?"

A father took his five-year-old son to several baseball games where The Star-Spangled Banner was sung before the start of each game. Then the father and son attended a church on a Sunday shortly before Independence Day. The congregation sang The Star-Spangled Banner, and after everyone sat down, the little boy suddenly yelled out, "PLAY BALL!!!"

~~~~~~

Finding one of her students making faces at others on the playground, Ms. Smith stopped to gently reprove the child. Smiling sweetly, the Sunday School teacher said, "Bobby, when I was a child, I was told that if I made ugly faces, it would freeze and I would stay like that."
    Bobby looked up and replied, "Well, Ms. Smith, you can't say you weren't warned."

       An exasperated mother, whose son was always getting into mischief, finally asked him, "How do you expect to get into Heaven?"    The boy thought it over and said, "Well, I'll just run in and out and in and out and keep slamming the door until St. Peter says, 'For Heaven's sake, Jimmy, come in or stay out!'"

       After a church service on Sunday morning, a young boy suddenly announced to his mother, "Mom, I've decided to become a minister when I grow up."
    "That's okay with us, but what made you decide that?"
    "Well," said the little boy, "I'll have to go to church on Sunday anyway, and I figure it will be more fun to stand up and yell than to sit and listen."

 One Sunday morning, the pastor noticed little Alex was staring up at the large plaque that hung in the foyer of the church. The plaque was covered with names, and small American flags were mounted on either side of it.
     The seven-year old had been staring at the plaque for some time, so the pastor walked up, stood beside the boy, and said quietly, "Good morning Alex."
     "Good morning pastor," replied the young man, still focused on the plaque.
     "Pastor McGhee, what is this?" Alex asked.
     "Well, son, it's a memorial to all the young men and women who died in the service."
     Soberly, they stood together, staring at the large plaque. Little Alex's voice was barely audible when he asked, "Which service, the 8:30 or the 11:00?"

A six-year-old was overheard reciting the Lord's Prayer at a church service: "And forgive us our trash passes as we forgive those who passed trash against us."

~~~~~~

The Touch of Nature............

 
Look deep into nature and then you will understand everything better.
Albert Einstein.


"Children must go out in Nature",  says the Danish brain scientist and physician Kjeld Fredens. He is not wrapping up his message when he's talking about the consequences of that children of today so obviously   rarely go out and feel nature at first hand.

According to a new survey children of today go out in nature only half as much as their grandparents when they were children. Compared with today's children nature was far more used as an everyday pastime or playground when the generation of grandparents were children. Back then children often moved about on their own. 

Kjeld Fredens says that the children's senses are being under stimulated - the creativity in the right brain hemisphere is only rarely awaken and the learning has got difficult conditions.


"If we are alienated to nature we lose it and therefore we lose ourselves. " But when the children are out in nature they sense the shades in the autumn forest,  they listen to the richness of bird species or to the silence, they feel the rough and wet bark, when they climb the trees and they notice and smell the moist earth after rain. Children are learning through experience, action and understanding. Nature promotes children's curiosity because it constantly amazes them. 



" Without sensuality we lose the closeness with our environments", Kjeld Fredens says and continues. "When we are indoors or walk in a city, everything we see are of linear structures. This stimulates only the left brain hemisphere, where our analytical abilities are - and then we get too focused on details and not on the wholeness. We'll be easy to manipulate, and we'll have a large need of being in control. In nature we are part of a large whole, and it is important to the children to be aware of this and to be humble towards it".


Kjeld Fredens is worried about how much children are occupied by fx mobiles and computer games. He calls it focused attention. This constant focus is burning off glucose in the brain so the child gets tired and uneasy. The nature in all its unpredictability calls upon the open or involuntary attention of the children, and this is the place where they should go out to recharge their batteries and relax.

New survey: Through the latest years four big Danish hospitals have experienced an increase of between 10 and 30 % in the number of children who were so sick of stress that they had to be hospitalized.  

"Last Child in the Woods".
Richard Louv, an American author and journalist, published in 2005 a book "Last Child in the Woods". He says among many things that parents of today overlook that children's play in nature is vital to their mental and intellectual development. He tells them that if they want their children to go to Harvard University one day, then they'll have to send them out in nature now. He links the deficit of nature in today's children to something like the obesity epidemic, behavioral disorders and depression. Richard Louv is not against the technology. He wants to promote a larger balance and a new environmental movement. The more technology we are surrounded by, the more we need a destressing nature. We'll have to use our creativity to create still more nature, a still better world, which increases our Quality of life . "Someone says we'll have to go back to nature," says Richard Louv. "Instead we'll have to go ahead with nature".


More Nature for more Children.
A leader of Dansk Naturfrednings school service, Ole Laursen, is working professionally with creating and inspiring nature experiences for children and adults. He points to the importance of nature coming to the children, since the study shows that few children are going out in nature. First of all the parents, the teachers, the educators, the politicans and the grandparents must start realizing that nature is the basis of our lives.

If it is difficult to go come out in nature, then nature must be invited closer to us  - and the everyday nature in gardens, parks and around schools and institutions must be utilized. The parents have often got a lack of time, this can be a problem, says Ole Laursen. But it might partly be solved by watching less TV or making less updates to Facebook. Something has to be deselected in order to give the children the best childhood and at the same time help nature in the long run. It is not possible to abolish TV and computer games, but it is possible in between to give the children a free space in nature, where they are disconnected from the world , where they enjoy peace for thought, motion and to use all their senses.

If the parents watch too much out for the children and if they make too many schedules, then they remove the children's possibility of meeting the challenges themselves and in this way develope their self confidence. Ole Laursen suggests that there might be a way in which the mobile or the GPS could give the children a possibility to be in places, where the parents else won't allow them to be for a short or longer time.


Source: Theme: Children in Nature, by Maria Lykke Andersen, Natur og Miljø, nr. 6, December 2011, Danmarks Naturfredningsforening.  

photos, children: grethe bachmann

What children say about Christmas

Letters to Santa from various children: (5-7 years)


I know I behaved badly this year but I promise to behave much better next year so will it be okay if you still come and visit me with presents?

Can Mrs. Santa come instead of you? I'm very sorry but I'm scared of you.

Don't worry if our dog Jack barks.


Mummy will leave out biscuits and milk for you but you have to share with the reindeers as well. They  must be very hungry.

Dear Santa. Hope you have a good life at the North Pole. How deep is the ice?

Dear Santa. Please may I have a Unicorn.
I love you
Jessica


 **************************************************************



Jesus's Mummy and Daddy are called Mary and Jovis.
Debbie, 4.


We celebrate Christmas because Santa comes and gives us lots and lots of presents.
Ben, 7.

The Angel Gabriel is a big white fairy. He helped Mary and Joseph look after the baby - kind of like a doctor.
Erin, 6.

I am not really a Christian. I believe in unicorns and pixies.
Ellyshia, 9.

I don't know what presents the wise men brought Jesus, but a Lego set would have been better.
William, 7.

They brought Jesus gold and myrhh, but I would have brought him a nice warm blanket.
Rebecca, 5. 


******************************************************************


Where was Jesus born?

A long way away from Liverpool.
Dominic, 6.


Two boys talking:

Do you believe in the devil?

No, I'm sure it's just the same thing like Santa Claus, it's just my dad.


Happy Christmas time to all of you!
Grethe ´)

What Children Say

"World's Best Mom":

First Moms think it's fun to have children, until they can walk.
Nicolai, 10 years.

My mom never drinks beer, and she never smokes. She is only eating salad.
Firat, 8 years.

I want to have a big bum like you, for then I don't fall down into the toilet.
Julie, 3 years,  to her Mom.


It is not that important to have a TV. Because your parents always want to watch something else.
Kasper, 5 years.

______________________________________________________________________

"Lovely Children":

Mom, if a baby comes out from your stomach one day, then I think we should tell daddy.
Arthur, 4 years.

Look, I think the weather has gone into pieces...
Thea, 4 years. (about rain)

When it is autumn, the trees take off their clothes and people put on their clothes.
Aurora, 8 (about God)

photo: gb

What Children Say.....

 
First here's Søren and Jimmy:

I'd rather have a pet than a girl-friend. I think cats are prettier than girls.
Søren, 8 years

....rabbits are prettier than girls too.
Jimmy, 9 years.

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Boys don't look like angels. Not even when they smile.
Cornelia, 7 years.

Every time you get married you'll have a ring. So you can only get married ten times.
Kirstine, 7 years.

A grandma is someone the whole family has come through. It is not so strange that she's got a  slabby skin.

Fainted people are often very relaxed.

Ladies are softer in their corners than men.

If you've got nosebleed you'll stop bleeding if you stand on your head until your heart stops beating. 

If you are out walking and the brain falls out then you cannot find home for then you cannot think any longer. 

The brain is swimming around inside your head.

Grandmas have large bottoms, for they have had so many on their lap that their lower parts have been squashed out.

If your skin is itching, then you'll just have to smear it in Tiger Balm. It works at once, for a mashed tiger is very strong.

If you had no bones you would be very flat and as soft as a snail or a soft ice.

Body language is when you fart.

The lungs are protected by the bra.

When someone dies, he'll be put into the earth and the vicar says: "Earth to earth and you'll have to stay there." And then he empties a bucket of earth down on your head.

I know a lady who is so Christian that it is called religious. She is as pious as a cat.
Anne Merete, 8 years.  

The muscles are small balloons filled with spinach.

Some women have beard, but you must not say it loud, as they react.

Some women have large breasts, others are almost topless.

Some men have got hair on their back, especially criminals and life guards.

When my mum found a boyfriend she invited him home. Then he stayed for a little while, until he found a girlfriend.
Kim, 7 years.

I never understood why my ears have to be washed that much.
  
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And here we meet Jimmy again, this time together with Claus: 

If you go and ask them if they'll be your girlfriend, then they say either "yes" or "no".
Claus , 8 years
 
..........or they don't answer at all.
Jimmy, 9 years.



I have taken this from a Danish source, and if I have translated it in a clumsy way, then please forgive me. I hope it is understandable after all!
Grethe ´)

In His Father's Golfsteps...

Let's see, how is it.....

 Skanderborg golfklub is situated in a pretty landscape close to Skanderborg lake with a fantastic view across the lake to the town of Skanderborg.

It was on an early spring day and some golfers had started the season. What was most entertaining was a little boy who was practising on the training area with his father. He noticed nothing else but being a golfer. He did well. 

first the ball.....

The traditional golfers looked very relaxed. I don't think they were out to win a contest or something.

No! the boy took it seriously. He'll be good!

then I'll have to hit it...........

oh! I hit the ball, how far did it go........

I'll try again, this is better than Play Station............

At Skanderborg Golfklub

All this heavy equipment needs some muscles....

I can wait as long as you want....

Business meeting perhaps?

the clubhouse

photo Skanderborg golfklub 2011: grethe bachmann

Goodbye to King Winter..........

 

Norsminde

On the 19th of February was still snow everywhere and spring seemd to be far, far away. The small harbour of Norsminde south of Århus was ice-free though, and the sky and water had a lovely strong blue shade. A clear cold winter's day brings fine colours!

Skovmøllen on a foggy day.

 The next week-end was foggy and raw and the sun seemed so far, far away. It was nice to see that the people at the restaurant of  Skovmøllen (the old Water Mill-restauurant) saw to that the little birds were fed with Danish bread and fat-bowls. There was also morning bread with cinnamon and the birds seemed to like it!  Notice the little blue tit. It is so ruffled. I hope it will cope.

Great tit and a ruffled Blue tit eating Danish morning bread with cinnamon.

Mossø Lake

Torup Lake

dike at the army road (in the old days used for cattle-fence)

icy paths

A clear day on the 5th of March in the lake district in the middle of Jutland. There was a thin layer of ice on the big lake, Mossø, and a thicker layer on the small lake Torup, where we usually take a rest in summer. But the path along the meadows was icy and not advisable to walk on this time. The army road along the heath was better, but still lots of ice on the side-walks. How different it looks from the summer season. The colours are dark and brown, umbra and sienna. Not a sound from the birds, not an insect in the air.

winter aconite

a forest path!

icy feet

fresh kid

On the 6th of March my usual little walk down to the park between the sea and Marselisborg Castle. At the Donbæk cottages were still ice on the ponds, where the duck stood freezing- or are they freezing? I hope they don't feel the cold as much as we do. The first winter aconites. Still ice in the forest paths - and on the goldfish-pond. Where are the goldfish in winter? Probably well looked after in another warmer place.....

After a long unwilling pause I have reached the 24th of March on my daily walk, and suddenly I saw a fine spotted woodpecker in the Forst Botanical Garden. It was very busy and did not notice the disturber. Snowdrops and winter aconites en masse. The duck pond was almost ice free - only a small layer in the farthest corner. King Winter, get lost........

Mols Bjerge

Mols Bjerge

Mols Bjerge

snowy showers far away

And the last camera trip was to Mols Bjerge in the National Park on Djursland on the 26 of March. It was easy to see that the snow had covered the hills for a long time. The grass was yellow and withered, but soon the hills will be green again. It was very, very cold and windy that day, and there was snow in the air. Everywhere in the horizon we could see the snow showers fall over the landscape from dark clouds - and on our way home we drove through snowy weather. The last time this year I'm sure!

The next trip is to-morrow, the first Saturday of April, and the weather forecast says 20 degrees Celsius - a giant difference from the beginning of the week with 3 degrees Celsius. Welcome spring, oh! you don't know how welcome you are! The birds are singing - and I saw the first butterfly yesterday! Goodbye king Winter.     

photo in February and March 2011: grethe bachmann

This post was one of the recipients of the 2011 Prairie Sagebrush Awards, created by Jack Matthews, nature writer, historian, and creator of the truly fine blog Sage to Meadow.