NOW I KNOW MY ABC'S: Dedicated to the Little People of the JCC Hourly Childcare

By Kathleen Cahill Banaszak, a/k/a “Miss Kathy”
E-mail: kathybanaszak@wi.rr.com


“A B C D E F G…H I J K L M N O P…Q R S…T U V…W X …Y and Z. Now I know my ABC's. Next time won’t you sing with me?” (They all know this one.) The choir of tiny voices slowly catches the melody.

And we’re on to the next tune, “The Wheels on the bus go round and round, round and round, round and round, all through the town…”

“Yikes! Ethan just dumped his cottage cheese out!” (Again). “Uh-oh, Spaghettios…” What a squishy, hunky little guy! Those sky blue eyes crinkling up into that coy little smile…who can resist it? (“Cookie” to his Mom, the nickname fits like a glove.) He walks by and kisses your hand. The sweatshirt says it all: “Future Heartbreaker”.

“Hurry! Brody is going for it!” Cheerios, raisins, blueberry yogurt and soggy tangerine pieces adorn that handsome argyle sweater. (Again.) A burly little guy with gorgeous blonde locks and cornflower blue eyes, his boundless energy is matched only by pure sparkle! (No wonder Mom gets here so early!)

“Quick, grab Noah!” He’s on top of the table. (Again). Oh no, do you smell that? (Again!) “Dora, Dora, Dora…DORA!” (He really does know other words, “Doggie, “Ball”.) A midget dynamo, you can tell he’s got a Daddy who plays a lot of goofy guy games. (Mom pleads on the way out the door, “No naps, I need a break at home!”)

Tears, giggles, and whines echo out into the hallway. (What must they think? I hope Susan isn’t walking around out there!) The familiar toddler gibberish morphs into its own magical rhythm. A strangely comforting rhythm at that.

Squabbles over those glitzy Cinderella slippers. Bickering over the only two doll strollers in the room. (Can someone please get us a couple more of these?) Over in the corner a fight breaks out over who gets the brand-new shiny dump-truck. (Time-Out guys!)

Paulita peaks her head in the doorway. A “big girl” with a silly side, she still loves her baby-dolls. Sporting her shiny signature black braids and dressed in pale pastels, "Lilo" is the picture of exotic beauty. Off she goes to Gan Ami: “See you later alligator…After while crocodile…Okey-Dokey Smokey Pinokey. See ya’ Toots!” J

Ami jumps off the slide as she waits for Jen to take her down the hall to school. A “Spider Man” girl at heart, Ami is a natural athlete as well as a natural beauty, with a spunky, adventurous side that will definitely take her places! (Hang on to your hat Jen!)

On the other side of the room, Isaak waits patiently for his bottle to arrive. As usual, he’s all smiles. (Thank you God!)

Little Baby Johnny studies the pattern of the carpet beneath him. As mellow yellow as ever. (Thank you again God!)

Little Samuel. It literally seems like just yesterday that Samuel sat in his little seat for the better part of his stay with that precious look of awe and wonder on his sweet little face. (Totally mesmerized by the hustle and bustle, and “coolness” of those big kids!) Today Samuel is off in every direction, busy making his own mark on the world. There he is over in the corner with all those big kids, studying the intricacies of a miniature race car.

“Hey everyone, Nathaniel’s here!” He barrels his way over to Miss Kathy. What a Snuggle-Bunny! Huge brown eyes, that famously naughty smile, the faint almost-healed scab smack-dab in the middle of his forehead. Nathaniel is using lots of words today! Then in a flash, he’s on the move again…what a boy!

And Miss Abigail is right behind! Oh, the challenges of parenting: shaping the will without breaking the spirit…And what a spirit! A truly free spirit, a strong will and a mind all her own. (All the makings of a natural born leader.) She will definitely be a leader, not a follower. (But for now, brace yourself Mom!)

“Look, Brynn’s here!” She runs to get her hugs. First, Miss Maria. Then Miss Kathy, then Miss Shaneika, and finally Miss Jen. Those big beautiful brown eyes, rose petal pink cheeks and sandy little fringe peak out of the brown and pink ski cap. A sight for sore eyes. She wants to get started painting. But first, let’s check on Baby Brother Warren. We all knew Brynn would be a fabulous “Big Sister”. What a girl!

And Warren, our own precious little “Cabbage Patch” doll come to life in the Hourly! What a cutie pie. Finally out of his hip-brace, he’ll be raring to go in no time!

“Hey Quentin! Hey Sophie!” Tentative at first, Quentin is reassured by his big sister’s confidence. A pale blonde wavy-haired beauty, Sophie is effervescent and oh so grownup. (She goes to “real school” you know.)

Quentin interrupts himself from chowing down on his leather snack to run back (again) to the craft table with Miss Jen. Miss Jen is cracking out her famous homemade play dough, and gluing cotton balls everywhere! Quentin’s world is good.

“Hey guys, it’s Izzy!” (“Princess Izzy” if you please.) Dark hair, dark eyes, she has an aura of poise and grace all her own. She totes around her ballerina gear. Today is her very own “Princess Class”. The Ballerina Girl and Artist-in-Residence. Izzy is a classic.

“Look who’s here, Dara and Liam!” Dara runs straight to “Ria” (his obvious favorite), while Liam heads straight for the Lego Table (a future engineer we think).

They are a study in contrasts: Liam with that thick shock of dark black hair, dark eyes, and intense curiosity; and Dara with those beach boy blonde locks, dreamy pale blue eyes, and whimsical smile.

Dara paints some Hanukah candles, and adds a little extra dash of purple paint to his face for good measure. (That purple moustache is just the right touch!) Hurry up and catch him with that jar of purple paint somebody! Time to scrub down at the sink before Mom gets back.

“Hey look, it’s Nina’!” “Nina-Panina” is a one-of-a-kind girl for sure. A beauty all her own beneath that tiny impish exterior, her hazelnut little mane flies every which way. Nina can definitely hold her own with anyone in the room, and has recently developed a penchant for the pink high heels. Yes, she’s definitely a toddler-version of the gal from “The Closer” (what’s her name again?) Watch out world!

Charlotte arrives looking anxiously for Miss Kathy. But in the end, Miss Shaneika will do just fine! Charlotte is definitely finding her groove. Along with her blanket and bears, she snuggles into the corner pillows, picks out her favorite books and waits patiently for some “special time”. She makes a visit to the art table to color yet another “Elmo” picture - a special surprise for Mommy.

Annie and Mabel finally arrive. Two petite perfectly matched sisters, with neat pony-tails holding back their newly sprouted blonde cork-screw curls. So grown-up, so independent, they head directly to the baby dolls to pack them up in strollers. With purses and diaper bags in tow, they are off. They wave Daddy goodbye. (Get going already!) What a pair!

“Shayna’s here everybody!” Looking too cute again today in her flashy rainbow-colored skirt and sweater combo, she is the picture of confidence in her sparkly ruby red shoes. Her shiny black hair swings and glistens in the morning sunlight. (You gotta know that Mom loves dressing this girl!) Before you know it, Shayna has started her “strength-training”: balancing on a ball, hanging from every which way, this girl is totally strong! I’ll go on the record right now: we’ll be seeing her at the 2020 Olympics. You Go Girl!!

Ezra is next in the door. (Shayna’s best buddy.) Full of mischief and good cheer, Ezra reminds me of TV’s “Dennis the Menace”. And what a smarty-pants he is! I can totally see him all grown up as a best-selling author with a flare for witty satire, making people laugh and think at the same time.

And then there’s Audrey. Quiet and earnest, Audrey has a mysterious, almost ethereal essence about her. I have also never seen a child who looks exactly (and I do mean exactly) like Mom. And for sure, there is no better eater in the room. (Except for maybe Ethan, Justin and Noah…okay, I admit that is a pretty big “except”!)

Adlai, the Senior Boy of the Hourly marches in at last. He needs no help, and can do everything on his own. (Thank you again God!) He just needs to make sure that none of those little kids steal any of his food. (Good luck with that!) Off he goes to build bridges, malls and airports. Definitely a “tool guy”.

“Stella! Hey Girl!” The tallest and most grown-up girl of the Hourly arrives. (Mom is on the run!) Stella needs no long goodbyes, and runs straightaway to the arts and crafts table. She can be trusted to keep all the “messy stuff” away from the littler ones, and gets right to work on her newest creations. Stella is Jen’s right-hand lady for all those cool Hourly art projects. She carefully lines up her artwork work, each one a new treasure for Mom.

“Jake’s here everyone!” Our latest arrival strolls in with Mom. In what literally seems like the twinkling of an eye, Jake has grown from that adorable little toddler into this handsome little preschooler with the floppy chestnut brown mop and dark smiling eyes.

Jake is into monkeys of all sorts, including “Curious George”. (That would explain all that silly “monkey-business” Mom!) Jake (like every other kid in the Hourly) knows just how to push his Mom’s buttons on cue. But while with us, he’s the perfect little gent. Jake turns on the charm for Miss Maria, who simply cannot resist his special magic!

Over at the crafts table sits Jonah, Patricia’s son, quietly at work on his latest work of art. Almost, seven, he is a gem of a young man. We all watch with wonder as he creates from scratch his own masterpieces. He never tires of drawing, and he never runs out of things to draw. I want to keep one of his pictures for that day down the road when I know I will say, “I knew Jonah when…”

It’s 9:30 on a Friday morning, the Gang’s all here, and the JCC Hourly “Breakfast Club” is just hitting its stride. Fifteen more minutes until we break out the Challah Bread and head off to “Shabbat Sing”.

Finally, a Sabbath Rest on the horizon.

Whew!