AJ has taken to playing a game he calls "Animal School," where he gathers all the animals from his toy farm and zoo for a day in the classroom (taught by Mr. Scarecrow) for assorted educational activities. There seems to be a lot of mayhem in the classroom -- I suppose I shouldn�t be surprised that a pig, cow, sheep, elephant, lion, polar bear and assorted fowl are conducting themselves less than perfectly � which often results in the singing of a song, �There�s something going wrong in this classroom� at top volume.

This morning, however, was relatively quiet Carrie Cow was talking to Harry Horse at recess. This is an approximate transcript.

Cary Cow: Do you like my sweater? It's pink with white dots.
Harry Horse: It's very nice. Is it new?
Cary: Yes. My grandma made it for me for my birthday.
Harry: That was very nice of her.
Cary: Yes it was. I am missing my grandma all the time.
Harry: Where is your grandma?
Cary: She lives in [names place AJ�s real grandma lives]. We go there for vacation sometimes.
Harry: What do you do there?
Cary: We bring games to play in a car and sometimes we stay in a hotel where I get to sleep on a bed that pulls out of the sofa and we go to grandma's and play on the beach.
Harry: That sounds like fun.
Cary: Yeah. And sometimes the waves knock you down and your feet go in the air like this. [Cary flips over on her back and then flips back]. Or sometimes just one foot goes in the air.
Harry: That sounds fun. I love the beach.
Cary: My grandma sometimes lets a friend come with me.
Harry: Could I go?
Cary: Sure! Let's go!

Sometimes I really hate it that my family is so far away.

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