An Explaination

I'm Baaaack!!!

It occurred to me that there is a distinct possibility that many of the Frogs came home from school yesterday (Friday, 3/25) talking about a raccoon in the dumpster. Do not be alarmed, we haven't been playing in or around the dumpster, nor have we had any close encounters with local wildlife. What they were referring to was a Frog Room legend, The Legend of the Raccoon With the Teeny Tiny Spoon.

During circle time, I had a few requests for a story "not from a book". I broke out this gem of a classroom legend from waaaay back in 2006, when the Frogs attempted to make muffins with disastrous results. Here's the daily news write up from that fateful day;

Thursday, December 21st, 2006

How to make Applesauce Muffins the Frog Room way!
INGREDIENTS
1 cup unsweetened applesauce
1/3 cup vegetable oil
1 eggs, beaten
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup white sugar
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup Raisins, soaked

DIRECTIONS
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease and flour a muffin pan.

In a small bowl, mix together applesauce & oil. Crack the egg. Sniff and realize that something is horribly wrong. Pass the bowl around the table so all of the frogs can see and smell the horribly rotten egg mixture. Pour mixture into double plastic bags and lead the procession out to the dumpster. Dispose of stinky package. Return to the classroom to discover that there is no more applesauce. Find a couple of apples, peel them, slice them & put them in a pot with water. Lead the procession to the kitchen and put the pot on the stove. While apples are cooking, entertain five children with a dramatic re-telling of the rotten egg experience. Embellish with tales of a raccoon who sneaks into the dumpster at night to eat the stinky egg mixture with a tiny spoon. Remove apples from heat. Return to classroom and take turns mashing apples with a potato masher. In a small bowl, mix together applesauce & oil again. Crack egg into a separate bowl and sniff to confirm that the egg is OK. Pass around the table for more confirmation. In a large bowl, combine flour, sugar, baking soda, cinnamon and salt. Make a well in the center, and pour in non- stinky egg mixture. Stir until just moistened. Fold in raisins. Spoon into muffin cups, 2/3 full.
Bake in the preheated oven for 25 to 30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Cool in pan for 2 minutes before removing.
Eat lunch, play outside, take a nap and enjoy for afternoon snack.

Inevitably, we wind up telling the story of this day- focusing heavily on the Raccoon with the Teeny Tiny Spoon- every single year. In the true spirit of storytelling, the Frogs often wind up adapting and re-telling their own versions.

Now here's the fun part; ask your child if they remember the story of the Raccoon with the teeny tiny spoon. If so, see if they can tell it to you.

We're dying to hear what they come up with!