Thursday, 11 August 2022
Grow Up, Little Finn
Bluey Season 3 On Disney+!
I.B.F.F Diaries: Bedroom Support For Learning Base Activity Guide
1.Read the first chapter of I.B.F.F Diaries: Bedroom to your students.
2.Ask your students what their worst fear is, like Bingo’s fear of losing Floppy to Lola.
3.Students can draw their worst nightmares down on a piece of paper. Bring out three hollow buckets, or one for each child.
4.Next, encourage your students to rip up their drawings and sprinkle them into the buckets so that they can go away.
5.Explain to students that when we get new things, confronting something new is the scariest thing we are ever to do in our lives, but luckily we managed to find a solution, like taking a comforter to the dentist or doctor, or leaving on a nightlight by their bed every night.
6.Next, encourage your students to write down their best memories from when they were at preschool or when they were babies or toddlers, inspired by my baby photos from the story.
7.Have each student share their story with the group.
8.Ask students how they felt during this activity, and how it helped them confront their fears. Confronting fears is a normal part of mindfulness, and can help us reason with what we fear most whether it’s an upcoming doctor’s appointment or a trip to a noisy restaurant.
I.B.F.F Diaries: Bedroom
Saturday, August 1st
Dear Bluey,
I’m writing this diary entry to make sure you know that I love you. I knew that from the moment you took your first steps. I was in the kitchen washing the dishes when that happened. I felt like nothing happened for the whole day, except for stinky cloth nappies, mushy baby food and drool-covered baby toys. But suddenly, this milestone happened that’ll change how I view your life forever. You were crawling backwards into the kitchen while I was doing the boring dishwashing task. You reached your hand up and grasped the bar on the kitchen cabinet, your eyes aimed at me like a Nerf gun aiming for its target. You stood up on your wobbly legs while your bones were still strong, and then you let go. There was no looking back. You walked one step at a time towards me. When I turned, my expression was unexplainable as I watched you walk towards me. I was moved to tears as I picked you up and whirled you round, ending with a big hug. Regressing to the times you were a baby may be the times I learnt to be the one who loved you the most, but now I’m clearing out your nursery just for you.
We discovered it sometime yesterday while you were at school. There were so many baby toys - squeaky bath toys, your old yellow rubber duck, your favourite tummy time gym and a ukulele which I used to help sing you to sleep. You, Bingo and Bandit helped me clear it out, as we had never been in this room for three years. Everything was dusty and needed a good clean out, but it still had that lemon baby powder smell, even if there was a changing mat and table in there. I remember when Bandit tried to change your nappy - he hated the task, even when your nappy was filled with poo. It was disgusting to him, and I’m laughing a bit just thinking about it. Watching you strum the ukulele I used during bedtimes in the past makes a slab of butter fall onto my heart and melt like a fried egg in a frying pan.
And now, I’m staring at your cot, in tears over such memories that have come back to me. I remember the bedtimes that were as memorable as the days I spent playing with you and taking you to the mother-baby group. I’d give you a nice warm bath with lots of bubbles and your favourite yellow rubber duck, as the scent of lavender filled the air. I would then massage you with lotion and pamper you with baby powder whilst I fetched you a clean, natural nappy. Then I’d take you into your nursery and read you a bedtime story or sing a lullaby using my ukulele. I would sing this song to you, and I still remember it to this day.
“Lullaby, hushabye, rockabye bed,
Close your eyes and rest your head
Someday I will soon let you see
That no one will love you more than me.”
Bandit would attempt to sing the song, but he’d forget and sing some silly lyrics, and you’d burst into fits of laughter. I’d do too. I’d kiss you goodnight and turn out the light, leaving you sleeping peacefully. Now, the time has come to turn your nursery into your very own bedroom, just for your sake, to see how much you’ve been gifted.
Love,
Chilli.
Next door, Sybil and her siblings Luke, Resus and Cleo were looking through old baby photos. Sybil took out a photo of her with Dig. “That was from when Dig was getting used to me.” said Sybil. “Yeah, he was a friendly dog. He liked new friends.” said Cleo. “And I remember when you first met Lulu,” said Luke, “You were frightened at first, but then you saw that Lulu was the friendliest leech ever.” Sybil next took out a photo of her without a nappy, and Alston trying to change her nappy. Resus blushed, and Cleo and Luke laughed. “Don’t laugh at me, it’s just that whenever my dad changed her I would look away. Changing nappies is all about poo and bottoms.” “That’s what changing nappies is for,” said Cleo, “It’s all about poo and bottoms.” “I remember when Niles tried to change my nappy too - he kept wearing my nappy on his head!” laughed Sybil, then she took out another photo. It was of Luke with her and baby Bluey. “Wasn’t Bluey cute back then?” asked Luke. “And…and…that’s me.” “You were an excellent big brother to me,” Sybil smiled, “I feel like you were the strongest, most protective of the family, and you still are. The way you touch, kiss and cuddle me is beyond what any big brother could do.” In fact, Luke was heartwarmed by all of them. “I loved those times. Resus and Cleo helped me make these possible.” Luke grabbed Sybil and cuddled her. She felt like she regressed 5 years and was back to being a baby in Luke’s arms, being bathed in a little tub with lots of bubbles, being cradled in the parents’ arms and playing with her new siblings.
The heartwarming moment was broken by the sound of the telephone ringing. Sybil ran to answer it. I was on the other end of the phone, next door. “Hi, Bluey’s mum!” Sybil said. “Hi, Sybil, I just wanted to tell you that Bluey has just got a new bedroom. It wouldn’t be much of a problem if you and your siblings came over to visit it. Besides, I don’t mind visitors coming to our house, especially some of Bluey’s friends when they go on a playdate.” “Bluey’s got a new room? That’s great!” Sybil squealed. “Well, I’ll see you in a few minutes. Bye!” I said, and we both put down the phone. Sybil raced up to Luke, Resus and Cleo and told them everything. They were excited to hear that Bluey got a new bedroom, so they asked their parents if they could come over to Bluey’s house. When they said yes, the four kids raced over to our house and ran upstairs to see the new bedroom.
When they approached the two rooms that lead into Bluey’s new room and Bingo’s bedroom, they couldn’t believe it. The sun was shining into the bedroom - Bluey’s yellow duvet covers shone like new, and the watermelon rug glowed a bright red in the light. The chair in the corner of the room stood wise yet new. Nearby, Bluey was tucking one of her soft toys into a cardboard box. “Hi, Bluey!” Sybil called. “Hi, mate!” called Bluey, “Have you checked out my new room yet?” “We already did!” said Resus, “And it’s beautiful, not to mention there’s just the right amount of sunshine to make your room like any other playroom.” “It’s a big improvement turning your old nursery into your own room.” Sybil said. She breathed in the air. “And it smells of lemonade, too.” “You like it?” said Bluey. She reached up to the window and took out a bottle of body spray titled ‘Lemonade Sweetness’. “That’s because my body spray, which I use as an air freshener, does smell like lemonade.” “Is it me or does it smell of strawberry lemonade?” asked Luke. “There’s another body spray ont the windowsill.” “This one’s called Strawberry Lemon.” “Maybe we can use it to mark Bingo’s room with the scent too!” said Cleo. “Mark?” I said. “But only dogs mark their territory. Dig never wees, although he has exposed wee that he uses to mark his territory.” Sybil took the Strawberry Lemon body spray and ran into Bingo’s room yelling, “Wheeeeeeeeee!!”
Bingo didn’t notice Sybil arriving. “Wheeeeeeee!” she cried, and aimed the body spray all around the place like she was a mad gunner on the track of killing people. “This is for you, Bingo!” “Sybil! Yay!” cried Bingo, jumping up and down and clapping her hands. I’m telling you, she is the best six year old anyone had ever seen, especially when she acts as crazy as Bluey and Bingo with Bandit. She waved her body spray around in the air screaming and yelling while from Bluey’s room, Luke, Resus, Cleo and Bluey cheered her on. When everyone had calmed down, Sybil knelt down to Bingo and said, “Now, I’m spraying your room so that Bluey would recognise your scent.” “Mmm-hmm,” muttered Bingo. “You sure you’re putting Floppy in your room?” “Of course,” said Bingo, “Why couldn’t I? Floppy is my favourite toy.” “You’ve been telling everyone about your dream where you and Floppy were floating around through Space.” Sybil smiled, “And did you know about the time when you got confronted by a killer rabbit called Lola?” “A little,” said Bingo. She got a little frightened. “It almost turned into a nightmare, but I moved all the rabbits that were floating around Saturn to a fresh green pasture, and they turned into real rabbits.” “What’s she on?” asked Resus. “Don’t worry, Bingo, Lola only appeared once. She’ll never appear in your dreams again.”
Sybil looked around and saw a drawn picture of Lola on Bingo’s wall. He was an aggressive, grey and black rabbit with red, evil eyes and sharp teeth, and a pocket knife in his hand. “Luke!” called Sybil, and Luke ran into the room and partially transformed his hands into werewolf paws. He tore up the drawing and ripped it into a million pieces. He lifted the pieces up into the air and howled. “Hooray!” cried Bingo. “This is for all the times you’ve tormented Floppy, Lola, don’t you dare bother her in her dreams ever again!” Luke ran over to the window and was about to throw them out when he saw a kookaburra in his nest. “Sssssshhh,” said Bingo, “This is a symbol of motherhood.” Everyone walked up to the window and watched the kookaburra sleeping in its nest. It was the most beautiful thing they had ever seen. Memories of birth and babyhood came back to Bingo, as from the day she was born she was a friendly addition to the Heeler family.
“Isn’t it beautiful?” Sybil whispered. “Not as beautiful as my new room.” said Bluey. Her face fell. “I’ll never see pretty sights like this again.” “I’ll draw a picture for you and put it up on your bedroom wall tomorrow. It is the Summer holidays after all.” “To think of a kookaburra,” said Bluey. They all held out their pinky fingers and held each other by them. “To think of a kookaburra,” they all said softly. Suddenly, Sybil heard her mum calling. “Sybil! Kids! Time to come in!” “Coming!” Sybil called, and she raced downstairs and out the door with her siblings as Bluey, Bingo and I waved goodbye to them. Bingo went upstairs and placed Floppy on her bed. She stared at Floppy for a long time, then she glanced at the kookaburra in its nest outside. She thought about Lola chasing her and Floppy all across a dark void, and just as the thought of Floppy being sliced down her chest reached her mind, Bingo grabbed hold of Floppy in tears and hugged her. She remembered the pinky promise she made with her friends, and knew there was nothing to worry about. Outside, Bluey saw the photo of her as a baby with Sybil as a baby and Luke by their side on our neighbours’ doorstep. She ran inside to show us.
At dinner, Bluey told us everything. “I just found one of Sybil’s baby photos, and I saw that she used to hang out with me and her big brother Luke.” Bluey was sitting on the photo so it could be a surprise to her family. “Oh yeah, I remember these times,” I smiled, “Those were happy ones.” “Happy is as happy goes,” said Bandit, “I remember when I was a pretend Steve Irwin, looking for koalas in our house.” “I thought he hunts crocodiles,” said Bingo. “He hunts koalas, I knew it, I knew the truth the moment I saw him on the telly.” Bandit replied. “Koalas are endangered, they don’t get hunted.” I said in a concerned manner. “Oh yeah?” said Bluey. She sat up and took out the photo. “That’s you?!” squealed Bingo, “Aaaaawwww, you were so cute!” “And Sybil was such a sweetie.” said Bandit. “Luke was a good help too, even though he’s a werewolf, he does show a little soft side.” He prodded his tummy to show how soft it is. “Bandit!” I hissed, “Don’t poke your bellybutton, we’re eating!” “Yeah, don’t you know your manners?” said Bluey, “I got this photo and I think I’m going to put it up on my wall the moment I go to bed tonight.” “I don’t think so, it must be Sybil’s. We should return it in the morning. For now, you can keep it by your bedside.” I announced. “Let’s continue eating.”
At bathtime, I washed Bingo with shampoo to keep all the nasty nits out, while Bluey blew bubbles that floated around the bathroom. Bluey held her nose and ducked down into the bath. She pretended she was swimming under the sea, exploring a paradise that was only found under the vast, blue ocean and nowhere else in the world.