turkeys in the straw...

by karen #1965 third grade teacher...okay, so when i was in 5th grade, we had a thanksgiving play...we had pilgrims and Indians...and i was told to dress like a grandmother...so my mama and grandmama get this black robe and make me a bonnet and an apron...and spray my hair gray with something...i am talking...i was an amazing pilgrim grandma...so i get to school on the day of the play...i guess we didn't do dress rehearsals in the 1970s...the teacher looks at me and says, why are you dressed like that?...i said, "you said dress like a pilgrim grandmother."...she said, "i said dress like a grandmother."...she said there was nothing we could do about it and i would just have to be a pilgrim grandmother with the "regular looking" grandad...so i did and i have the pictures to prove it.........since i teach, i just have questions about this...why the heck didn't she take off the pilgrim garb?...why did she let me look like i had multiple personality disorder?...was multiple personality disorder even around in the 1970s?...maybe we were on the cutting edge of psychology?...why didn't she use this?....

and type my mama a note?...so many questions that can't be answered...that was just soooooo not cool.....................................

turkey idea...i have been working on plurals in the third grade...so we did "turkeys in the straw"...u make turkey plural by just adding an "s"...cause if there is a vowel before the y, that is all u need to do...so we did that and the kids made these...

during this school year, i have a class that just can't get the art thing together...sure i have some that get it and can do it, but for the most part, every art activity is an ordeal...i keep trying tho, because i just love art so much...when we did this turkey, oh Lord, it was a disaster...you can imagine with all these pieces of stuff to cut and paste...so i was feeling pretty good, and doggone if one my sweet boys didn't cut his finger and have 2 handfuls of blood...he was cool and calm...thanks goodness...and we had to send him to the office to get all bandaged up and such.......but is just one of those times when u think...wow...no words...just one...wow...

"turkey in the straw", 1820s



here is a cool folksy version by Tennessee Mafia Jug Band...

As I was a-goin' down the road
With a tired team and a heavy load,
I cracked my whip and the leader sprung.
I says day-day to the wagon tongue.

Chorus:Turkey in the straw.
Turkey in the Straw,
Roll 'em up and twist 'em up a high tuck a-haw,
And hit 'em up a tune called
Turkey in the Straw.
Went out to milk and I didn't know how.
I milked the goat instead of the cow.
A monkey sittin' on a pile of straw
A-winkin' up at his mother-in-law.

Chorus 2X

I came to the river and I couldn't get across,
So I paid five dollars for a big bay hoss.
Well, he couldn't go ahead
and he wouldn't stand still,
So he went up and down like an old saw mill.

Chorus

Did you ever go fishin' on a warm summer day
When all the fish were swimmin' in the bay
With their hands in their pockets
and their pockets in their pants?
Did you ever see a fishie do the hootchykootchy
dance?

happy sunday, november 13, 2011!