Pampering & Puppets

Our family night lesson this week is based on a story I've found several places centering on manners. I've renamed it "Princess Polite and a Rainbow of Rudeness." 

 We've been dealing with a lot of rudeness lately--pouting, tattling, the works.  I was so fed up yesterday with the incessant whines (mind you, the kids were sick) that I seriously was ready to book a hotel and bolt for a weekend of solitude!! Fortunately, my sweet hubby surprised me this morning with a full day of pampering--75 minute Swedish massage, 60 minute facial treatment, lunch, manicure, spa pedicure, etc.--just in time!  (He's so wonderful to me!)

Back to the puppets, though.  To go with the Princess Polite story, we made sock puppets for each of the story characters.  The kids had so much fun helping me (and making their own puppets on the side--they both possess unlimited creativity).  We're going to use these puppets for our Kindness theme at Princess Power Training in April, and all the girls are going to make sock puppets of Princess Polite. Lorelei's already called dibs on the socks and hair that she wants for her project :o)

 Here's the story:

This is GREEDY GREEN.  He always wants the most, and the best, and to be first.  When there is just one cookie, he wants it.  When the kids play baseball, he wants to bat first.  GREEDY GREEN never thanks anyone or thinks about what others like.  He only thinks about himself.  I hope he doesn’t live at YOUR house!

Now, I want you to meet RUDEY RED.  RUDEY RED is a good friend of GREEDY GREEN, because she also thinks only about herself.  She doesn’t like to take time to say “please” or “thank you.”  She stands right in front of the TV when people are trying to watch and makes lots of noise when people are trying to talk or to rest.  She is so rude that she whispers and rattles her papers when everyone else is quiet.  I’m sure RUDEY RED doesn’t live at YOUR house!

Next, is TAN TATTLE.  Her favorite thing to do is tattling.  She tattles if someone makes a face at her.  She’s always whining that somebody hit her or that the other kids won’t play with her.  By nighttime, she’s all worn out from running back and forth tattling and her friends and family are worn out for listening to her!  Does she live at YOUR house?

Oh, here is BOSSY BLUE.  She spends her time bossing everyone around.  She always has to be in charge and she always must be first.  She bosses others around telling them what to do, how to do it and when to do it.  She always chooses the very best for herself.  It is very sad that she hasn’t learned how much fun it is to share.  I hope she doesn’t live at YOUR house.

And we can’t overlook YELLING YELLOW.  When she’s around, you can’t even hear anyone else.  She’s always yelling and running and making a big racket.  At the dinner table, she talks louder and longer than anyone else.  In a crowd it is easy to find her – just listen for the loudest voice. Even at church you can see her running and yelling during story time. Let’s hope YELLING YELLOW doesn’t live at YOUR house.

Now, I want you to meet POUTY PURPLE.  Poor POUTY PURPLE uses her weak and whiny voice to always complain that she has to do more jobs than her brother, and that she never gets a turn to say anything when he wants to talk.  POUTY PURPLE is always feeling sorry for herself that she can’t do things as well as everybody else.  POUTY PURPLE never has any fun – she is too busy pouting.  Does POUTY PURPLE live at YOUR house?

Here is BUTT IN BROWN. I’d better hurry and tell you about her, or she will butt in and I won’t get a chance. Whenever someone starts to talk, BUTT IN BROWN interrupts and talks louder. If a friend tries to tell about somewhere he went, BUTT IN BROWN butts in and starts telling where she went. When someone in class tries to answer a question, BUTT IN BROWN hollers out the answer. People wish BUTT IN BROWN would butt out! I hope she doesn’t live at YOUR house!

Ooooops! We almost forgot POKEY PINK.  She ALWAYS comes in late, because she pokes around until the last minute and then can’t catch up in time.  Her mom  has to call and call to get her up every morning.  POKEY PINK pokes around and plays until time to leave for school, and then makes everyone else late because she can’t find her shoe.  Of course, she never finishes her homework on time and usually ends up handing it in late.  She pokes around with her work until her playtime is over.  Poor POKEY PINK.  She almost poked along too late to get in this story.  Have you ever seen a POKEY PINK?  Not at YOUR house, I hope!

Last of all, I want you to meet PRINCESS POLITE. You will like getting to know her. She makes others happy by being polite. She isn’t selfish like GREEDY GREEN and never rude like RUDEY RED. PRINCESS POLITE doesn’t enjoy tattling like TAN TATTLE and isn’t bossy like BOSSY BLUE. You won’t hear her running inside and hollering like YELLING YELLOW, or see her with a long grumpy face like POUTY PURPLE. 

PRINCESS POLITE is very careful not to butt in like BUTT IN BROWN and never comes in late with POKEY PINK.  PRINCESS POLITE always tries to think of others, and because of this, she has lots of friends. PRINCESS POLITE is a model of kindness: she is Loyal to the Royal within herself and others! I hope she lives at YOUR HOUSE!

 They play constantly with their new puppet friends and put them to bed tonight.  See the cute little slumber party on Lulu-B's floor?  So fun!

Let's just pray Princess Polite pays a visit to our home soon, and decides to move back in.  We've sure missed her smiling face!