A Gift From The Ancestors (pt.1)

Watch out, Penelepaw!  Penny and her magical teddy bear, T.A., are playing a game of bounce, bounce, pop, jumping on the bed, pretending to be hot, buttery popcorn kernels!

This family fun day includes a conversation as T.A. and Penny explore feelings of thankfulness and gratitude.

Remember to click on A Gift From the Ancestors (pt.2) to hear the rest of our story.

Hi there, Trusted Adult!
If you would like more resources to help talk to your Brownstone Buddy about Gratitude and Family Treasures, check out these books: Peeny Butter Fudge by Toni Morrison & Slade Morrison, The Seven Silly Eaters by Mary Ann Hoberman, Cora Cooks Pancit by Kristi Valiant, Who Am I? by Julie Buchholtz, Happy Adoption Day by John McCutcheon, Family Like Ours by Frank Murphy & Alice Lee, The Star: A Story to Help Young Children Understand Foster Care, by Cynthia Miller Lovell, The Bench by Meghan, The Duchess of Sussex 

Transcript

SPEAKER_00 0:00

Hi there. Thanks for stopping by. My name is Miss Toni, and I'm the creator and host of your favorite podcast about a little girl, a magical poem, and her amazing family and extraordinary friends who live in this big city brownstone. Hey, I think that makes us all brownstone buddies. Brownstone buddy, are you ready to join me on an adventure? Let's go. What's

SPEAKER_02 0:42

poppin' in me? Penny girl, it's Saturday and you know what that means. It's family fun day all day.

SPEAKER_05 1:02

This episode of What's Popping Penny is called A Gift from the Ancestors. The Saturday afternoons are the best time for jumping on the bed. Don't you think so too, Penelopaw? Don't be afraidy cat. Come on, Penelopaw. Jump with me. Penelopaw, come back. Go ahead and hide in the closet. I know the perfect friend to come play with me. OTA! OTA! Little bear holding my hand, can you help me understand?

SPEAKER_01 1:57

What's poppin', Penny? Give me a

SPEAKER_05 2:03

hug. T.A., you're here. Hop up on the bed with me and let's play popcorn. I'll be the colonel and you be the pauper.

SPEAKER_01 2:12

You got it, Penny girl. Where's Penelopaw?

SPEAKER_04 2:19

T.A., you're back. And so is my human voice.

SPEAKER_01 2:24

Penelopaw, do you want to jump up here on the bed and play popcorn with us?

SPEAKER_04 2:34

No, thank you. I think I'll take a nap on this sunny windowsill instead. It's my nap time.

SPEAKER_01 2:42

Penelope, when isn't it your nap time? Hold on to your hat, Penny Girl, and prepare to fly into the air, my little curly-haired curdle.

SPEAKER_05 2:58

But T.A., I'm not wearing a hat.

SPEAKER_01 3:02

Well, I guess you better hold on to your elbows and knees. Three, two, one, blast off. Popcorn, popcorn, sizzling in the pan. Shake it up, shake it up, bam, bam, bam. Popcorn, popcorn, now it's getting hot. Shake it up, shake it up, pop, pop, pop.

SPEAKER_05 3:33

Higher, TA! Bounce me higher! Popcorn, popcorn, sizzling in the pan! Shake it up, shake it up, bam, bam, bam! Popcorn, popcorn, now it's getting hot! Shake it up, shake it up, pop, pop, pop!

UNKNOWN 3:53

Pop!

SPEAKER_05 3:54

Pop! Pop! This is fun. Whoa, whoa, whoa. This is way high.

SPEAKER_01 4:07

Don't worry, Penny girl. I'll catch you. Whoops. Sorry, Penelopon. I didn't mean to send you flying off the windowsill. When my arms were reaching forward for Penny, I guess my legs were reaching backwards. I didn't mean to kick you.

SPEAKER_05 4:27

T.A., a little help here?

SPEAKER_01 4:29

Gotcha! Are you both okay?

SPEAKER_05 4:34

I'm okay,

SPEAKER_04 4:35

T.A. I'm not hurt. Luckily, cats always land on their feet.

SPEAKER_01 4:42

Penelope, are you sure you're okay?

SPEAKER_04 4:46

I'm perfectly fine, T.A.

UNKNOWN 4:50

Phew!

SPEAKER_01 4:50

That's a relief. I'm grateful you weren't hurt.

SPEAKER_05 4:54

Is grateful like feeling happy, T.A.?

SPEAKER_01 4:58

It's more like a feeling of thankfulness. But of course, when you're feeling thankful, it makes you feel happy.

SPEAKER_03 5:09

Penny girl, it's your grandma Spicy. Knock, knock. Can I come in?

SPEAKER_05 5:14

T.A., it's Spicy. Hide. She'll see you if she comes in. No, she won't, Penny girl.

SPEAKER_04 5:24

Remember, when the magic of the poem transforms T.A. from a little bear into a big talking bear, only you and I can see or hear him.

SPEAKER_01 5:35

That's right. And because the magic works on Penelopaw, too, she can suddenly talk like a human. But only you and I can understand her. Everyone else just hears her meowing like a regular cat.

SPEAKER_05 5:50

Oh, yeah! I forgot. In that case, come in, Spicy.

SPEAKER_03 5:56

Look at you, rolling around on your bed with your grandpa's old teddy bear. You two have been inseparable since you found it in a box of your grandpa T.A.''s old things. Have you ever seen such a cute little bear? Yep, he's a little bear, all right. From all the noise you were making in here, I thought for sure you were having a dance party on the ceiling.

SPEAKER_05 6:25

T.A. and I were playing popcorn.

SPEAKER_03 6:31

T.A.? Did you name your new friend after your old grandpa, T.A.? Oh, he must be pretty special.

SPEAKER_05 6:41

Oh, he's very special.

SPEAKER_03 6:45

Come here, little guy. I want to take a closer look at you.

SPEAKER_05 6:50

Can I hold him, Penny Girl? Sure, Spicy. Here. I think he would like that a lot.

SPEAKER_03 7:00

You certainly seem special enough to me, T.A. Teddy Bear. Is that a twinkle I see in your eyes? It is, Spicy. It is a twinkle. Just like your grandpa. And you two sure are having fun playing together. Oh, he's my bestest

SPEAKER_05 7:20

friend.

SPEAKER_03 7:20

Then the name suits him perfectly. Welcome home, T.A. Teddy Bear.

SPEAKER_04 7:28

Move over, T.A. It's my turn to snuggle with Spicy. She always has the most wonderful scratches behind the ear for me. Hi,

SPEAKER_03 7:39

Penelope. How's my favorite kitty doing today? Here, Penny Girl, you hold on to T8 Teddy Bear, and I'll give Penelope a good scratching behind the ears.

SPEAKER_04 7:55

Yes.

SPEAKER_03 7:59

The reason I came up to your room to see you was to ask if you would like to come downstairs to my apartment and share a slice of homemade lemon cake with me.

SPEAKER_05 8:13

Your Lily's Lemon Drop Cake made from your secret recipe? That's the one. Did you ice it with the lemon buttercream frosting I like?

SPEAKER_03 8:26

It's dripping with it. So, are you coming?

SPEAKER_05 8:31

You bet I am. Can Penelopon and T.A. come too?

SPEAKER_03 8:36

I think it's best they stay here. You wouldn't want to accidentally get buttercream frosting on T.A. or have Penelopon get into our cake, would you?

SPEAKER_05 8:47

Um, no, I guess not. That would make T.A. all sticky and our cake all cat hairy. Yucky! Penelopon, you can wait on the windowsill. And T.A., you can wait on my bed. Don't worry. I'll bring you back a slice of cake. Let's go, Grandma Spicy.

SPEAKER_03 9:13

I'm right behind you, Penny Girl.

SPEAKER_02 9:18

Walking

SPEAKER_05 9:19

feet! Okay, Mama!

SPEAKER_00 9:25

Hi, Brownstone buddies. It's Miss Toni again. I hope you're enjoying Penny and Tia's adventure. Before going on to part two of our episode, we're going to pause right here so you can take a potty break or grab a snack. Adults, are you enjoying the episode too? Did your brownstone buddy learn a new word or phrase? Let us know on Instagram at heywhatspoppinpenny or email us at whatspoppinpenny at gmail.com. We'd love to hear from you. Now back to our show.