This is a short chapter. Hope you like it.

Chapter 33

The Frog

Elizabeth spent a lot of time getting her classroom in order. She found some new posters in Hamilton that she thought would be helpful. She got them hung. Her parents were leaving tomorrow. So she didn't want to be gone for to long. She knew they would be having church tomorrow and hoped that the pastor wouldn't mind.

She went home and started her dinner. She had planned to have roasted chicken with new potatoes, peas and homemade bread. She had put the dough to rising before she left for school. She worked the dough and got it into the two loaf pans. When they were done she made her famous lemon cake. As soon as it was baked she put her two chickens in to roast along with the new potatoes.

Her mother and Charlotte put the tablecloth on her new table and set it. They put the candles on the tables but didn't light them yet. Elizabeth says, oh it looks lovely mother and Ma! Jarrick's high chair was moved to the side at the end, in between Elizabeth and Jack's chair. There was a plate put on Jarrick's tray with a spoon. Mother I'm not sure he'll use that spoon yet. He used one at our house but if he doesn't want it then we'll take it off. Thanks mother! Your welcome dear!

Dinner was absolutely delicious and they enjoyed themselves! Jack and Charlotte cleaned up the kitchen, giving Elizabeth and her parents time together.

Jarrick came out of his room and yelled Nonny….Nonny… w'ere ou at? Elizabeth laughs and asks, who taught him that? No one Beth, mother replied. He started that in Hamilton one afternoon. Nonny…Nonny…w'ere ou at, he asks again? I'm in here Sweetie! He came running and jumped into her arms.

She picked him up and kissed the top of his head and said, I'm going to miss you! I no go, Nonny! I hewe! Not this time Sweetie, Nonny and Nonno are going home to our house tomorrow. He grabbed her neck and said, no, no, no go! He was starting to cry. Ou tay hewe wif me…peeze? It broke Jack and Elizabeth's heart. This was his first emotional outburst. Jarrick just clung to Nonny begging, no go peeze. Oooh Sweetie we'll be back and you, mama, daddy and Granma will come for Christmas!

You know what, we're going to have a giant Christmas tree with lots of presents under it. And we can go outside and make snow angels and build a bunch of snowmen! He had no idea of what she was saying but she was happy about it so he was too! Welwy, he asked? Yes Sweetie we can! Ou til go? Yes Sweetie we are still going tomorrow. He looks at his daddy and asks, we go kismas? Jack picks him up and replies, yes we will go for Christmas!

Kiss Nonny, Nonno and Granma good night. It's bedtime. He put him down and Jarrick kissed them all even his mama. She says, mama is coming with you, silly boy! He giggles and repeats, I silwy boy! Everyone laughs at him as he runs off to his bedroom.

Daddy gets his night clothes out and mama changes him into his night clothes. Mama reads him a book while daddy rocks him. They took turn rocking and reading. After he fell asleep daddy laid him in his big boy bed with the guardrail so he didn't roll off.

Jack and Elizabeth joined her parents and Charlotte back in the living room. Charlotte had set the tea on the coffee table. Jack fixed hers and poured his. They sat around talking about the Christmas wedding coming up. Charlotte couldn't believe that her two boys had fallen in love with two Thatcher girls!

Mother says, everyone will be staying at the house, right? Ma, you're staying aren't you? Yes Lizzy, I won't miss my grandson's first Christmas that he can enjoy! Last year he was still a baby but this year will be a joyous occasion!

After church they hitched up Lady to the buggy, saddled Sargent. Father, mother, Charlotte, Elizabeth and Jarrick rode in the buggy while Jack rode Sargent into town. They dropped their trunk at the station and went to the restaurant to have lunch. Their train wasn't leaving until three o'clock. After spending an hour eating lunch they went to the ice cream shop. Elizabeth saved her roll so Jarrick could feed the ducks after they had their ice cream.

They walked down to the pond to feed the ducks. Elizabeth tore a piece off to show Jarrick what to do with it. He laughs and says, mo mama, mo! He didn't want to throw it so he just watched and laughed every time a duck grabbed the bread.

It was now time for Nonny and Nonno to board the train. Nonno picked him up to kiss and hug him. Nonny had her turn but didn't want to let go. Elizabeth stepped up and hugged her and said, it's time mother just as all aboard was said. She took her son and hugged her parents and said they would see them for Christmas! I love you were said and hugs given. Jarrick says, wuv Nonny! Wuv Nonno! Nonny cried as she boarded the train. They watched until the train left the station and out of sight.

The next morning Elizabeth fixed breakfast and packed hers and Jack's lunch. Kissed him goodbye before he headed to work. Jarrick came out before she had to leave. He said, I pody mama. Ok let's go. She took him out to the outhouse and brought him back in and put him in his high chair to eat his breakfast. She put his eggs on his plate and sat it on his tray. He asked, me poon mama. She replied, I'm sorry baby and hands him a spoon. He picked his eggs up and put them on his spoon and stuck the spoon in his mouth. She chuckles, ruffled his hair and said, if that's what it takes!

After she cleaned him up she called to Charlotte out in the barn to let her know she had to leave now. Charlotte came in and kissed her goodbye and said, have a good day Lizzy! She said thank you and walked out the door.

Jarrick ran to his room to play. Charlotte cleaned up the kitchen and put the dishes away. She called Jarrick and asked, do you want to go for a ride with me? He jumped up and ran out to her. Me wide Gama? Yes, you can. She took some sandwiches and some water and put them in her saddle bag and said , let's go. Charlotte saddled Daisy, put the saddle bags on the back, put Jarrick up in the saddle and climbed on behind him. She held the reins with one hand and held him with the other.

Good morning children! Good morning Mrs. Thornton they replied! We will spend a bit of time on an essay first. I want at least two paragraphs on what you did this summer! They got their paper and pencils out and went to writing. She wrote their spelling words on the board.

She walked to the window just in time to see Charlotte and her son heading for a ride. She walked to the door just as they were about to pass. Charlotte pulls Daisy up to the steps and says, I figured we would go for a ride today. I brought us a lunch. That's fine, enjoy yourself little man, be good for Granma, ok? Es mama! Me good! I know you are baby! Mama loves you! Have a good time! Charlotte turns Daisy to walk down the road.

Elizabeth steps back inside and walks around checking on all the children's work. She had three new children this year, they were all five. They were drawing a picture of what they did. Jimmy Ethridge was drawing what looked like he was fishing. Haley Delaney was drawing what looked like a her riding a horse. Timmy Collins was drawing nothing. She stepped over to him and got down to his level and quietly asked, why aren't you drawing Timmy? He hangs his head and whispers, I didn't do anything. She asked, surely you did something, you didn't just sit around and do nothing did you? No ma'am but I didn't do anything intresting, it's interesting she corrected. Well it doesn't have to be interesting. Did you play or help your Pa or Ma? Yes ma'am I helped Pa build a fence by handing him the nails. There you go, draw a picture showing you handing your Pa the nails to build the fence. He was excited and said, yes ma'am, thank you ma'am!

After everyone was finished with their essay she told them to pass them up to the front and get started writing their spelling words down. Thomas will you pass out the dictionaries out to the ones that can read? Yes ma'am. When you get your dictionary please write the meaning and a sentence using the spelling word. I'll give you thirty minutes and then if you're not finished you will take it home to finish.

Jimmy, Haley and Timmy I want you three to come up to the front desk please. They did as she said. She handed them each a piece of paper with the letter A at the top. Now I want you to copy the letter A across the page and try your best to stay within the lines. She stood and watched them for a few minutes to make sure they understood what she meant. When they were finished she told them to go to the next line and repeat it all the way across.

She asked, children have you written down all the spelling words? Yes ma'am they said. She went to the board and erased it. She then put four addition problems, and four subtraction problems on the board. She had made multiplication and division problems on paper for the older children. When the thirty minutes were over she asked them to put that away. Ok.

Now Sally I want you to hand these sheets out to the names on the top. Everyone else except for you three I want you to copy these problems down on a clean sheet of paper and work on them. She takes the three pages from the youngest and handed them a sheet with the number 1 on it and told them to repeat it all the way across and all the way to the bottom and to stay in the lines. She walked around the room checking to see if anyone needed help.

Later she rung the bell dismissing for lunch. She took her lunch out and sat on the steps with the girls to eat. They were giggling about something that one of their brothers had done over the summer.

Jenny said, you should have seen him, he was running around trying to get away from the bees. Pa yelled for him to run to the pond. He did and finally, the bees left. Ma and Pa ran to him as he was coming out of the pond. Ma asked him, what in the world son? Pa found that he only had a few stings, nothing bad but Ma wanted to know what he was doing to get them bees after him? He looks at her and says, I was trying to get you some honey Ma. Oooh son, don't you know that you have to smoke them before you get their honey? Yes ma'am he says but I thought they were gone because I didn't see any around the hive. Pa chuckles and asked, they were inside wasn't they? Yes sir they sure was. By the time I started hearing the buzzing they started coming out. I got to the pond like you said Pa before they got me to bad. The girls all laughed.

At the end of the day Elizabeth dismissed them but reminded them to take their homework with them. Whatever you didn't finish take for homework. She told the three new children to practice writing the letter A and the number 1 and bring it tomorrow. She wiped the chalkboard off and gathered her basket with the papers from today to grade tonight.

She walked in the house and placed her basket on her desk. Jarrick rushed up to her and hugged her legs. She picked him up and asked, did you have a good day with Granma? Es, me go wide. Me go wader. You went for a ride and went in the water? Esss, me good! I'm proud of you! You're such a good boy! Mama loves you! Wuv mama! He wiggles to get down. She put him down and went to the kitchen to get a cup of coffee, she knew Charlotte would have it made because she drank it all day long.

She set down at the table and asked, did you have a good time today? We did. I took him down to that little stream right down the road. He found a frog and asked, fwat is? I told him it was a frog. It hopped up and he just died laughing every time it hopped. It jumped in the water and he asked, fwere go! I told him it jumped in the water to take a bath. He started taking his clothes off to take a bath with the frog. I let him get in. He was butt naked and didn't care.

I let him play in the water for about and hour then got him out and we had lunch. By the time we were finished he was dried off so I put his clothes back on. We started home and he fell asleep on the way home. We rode for about an hour before we came home so he would sleep. He woke up long enough to get off Daisy. I brought him in and put him in his bed, he went back to sleep. I went out and unsaddled her. I came back in and read for about another hour until he woke up.

That night Jarrick had to tell his daddy what he did that day. Granma had to fill in the information Jarrick couldn't say. You took a bath with the frog he asked? Ess me baf wif fog! Wow! Did you have a good time? Ess me good! Maybe we can go back when daddy doesn't have to work, would you like that? Ess dada good! Yes we'll have a good time!

He kissed and blew a raspberry on his cheek! Jarrick giggles and says, no, dada, no berwy! His daddy tickles him and asks, can I tickle you then? No,dada, no tittle!

Elizabeth put dinner of leftovers on the table. Jack put Jarrick in his high chair. The conversation around the table was funny and entertaining. Charlotte and Elizabeth cleaned the kitchen while Jack took Jarrick out to do the evening chores. After the kitchen was cleaned Elizabeth went to her desk to grade today's papers. There wasn't much just math and the summer essays.

By Friday all homework was completed and turned in. Spelling test was given and collected. History test was given and collected. There was no science test just reading and answering the questions at the end. The rest of the afternoon was spent on art. They could draw anything they wanted but had to explain it on Monday. After the children were finished with their pictures they were passed to the front and she dismissed them with no homework. She washed the chalkboard and cleaned the room. She turned the desks to just the pews. Her an Lydia would come back tomorrow and wash the windows and pews and scrub the floor.

Lydia and Phillip came over the next day. Him and Jack would keep Jarrick occupied while her, Lydia, and Charlotte cleaned the school to get it ready for church tomorrow. Jack and Phillip took Jarrick for a ride. Jarrick asked, me go wader? You want to go to the stream, his daddy asked? Ess me go fog! You want to go see the frog too? Ess me go! Ok, I guess we are going to the little stream right down the road, Uncle Phillip! Let's go then, we don't want to keep little man waiting!

As soon as Jack got him off of Sargent Jarrick started taking his clothes off. Jack says, whoa there bud, what are you doing? Me baf wif fog! Did Granma let you do this? Ess me baf wif fog dada! He shrugged his shoulders and said, I think I need to have a talk with my Ma! Don't worry about it Jack. We let ours do the same thing. Really, you're girls too? Yeah until they were about three. Then we made all of them leave their bloomers and underpants on. They don't know any difference.

After a couple of hours Jack and Uncle Phillip rode back up. They put the horses away and went in the house. Charlotte noticed Jarrick's head wet. Bathed with the frog, she asked? Yes, as soon as we got there he started taking his clothes off saying, me baf wif fog. At least he knew to take his clothes off, Elizabeth said. I guess he knows that whenever he takes a bath we take his clothes off. They all sat down to dinner of chicken stew and biscuits with chocolate cake for dessert that Lydia had brought. They sat and enjoyed each other's company while eating their cake and coffee.