We caught glimpses of a rainbow in the fountain at Seattle Center this afternoon. In fact, it looked like the rainbow ended right in the fountain. But being studied up on rainbows like we are, we knew that the "end" is nothing but an optical effect. SPIN A STORY: It is clear to me that we haven't been doing enough pencil to paper writing. We need to write daily, just like we do math daily.
We returned to an old favorite tool for getting the writers' juices flowing - the Scholastic Story Starters. With a click of the mouse, the kids "spun" the machine's four wheels. Like a slot machine, the wheels stop spinning and your fate is revealed.
For Bee, the wheels spelled out "Write a quick fairy tale about a hopping queen who gets locked in the classroom overnight."
CJ's task: "Write about a day at the amusement park with a crazy donut who lives next door to you."
CJ didn't stray from the assignment. He wrote, "I was at the amusement park with a crazy donut. We rode on some rides. We liked those rides. The last one was the spider!"
Bee got a bit more creative. "A hopping bunny queen named Bueen was walking down the hallway. Suddenly Bueen saw a classroom and desided to go in. All the kids saw Bueen, so Bueen desided to stay. But accidentally Bueen got locked in the classroom overnight."
VITAMIN D: It was yet another lovely day so we spent an hour plus outside tending to the yard (sowing some more grass seed, mowing the lawn) and getting some P.E. The kids practiced throwing a Frisbee at targets.
ART IN THE AFTERNOON: This afternoon we made our way to Seattle Center. We parked faraway to save $, as usual, and had a nice walk to the Children's Museum. There, the kids spent most of their time playing in the Clifford the Big Red Dog exhibit. They were really into playing mail persons today. They sorted dozens of letters at the post office and then delivered them to the proper boxes around "Birdwell Island" (where Clifford lives).
They also played in the island's restaurant, and messed around with a conveyor belt that moved bones to and from Clifford's big bowl. When visiting the Birdwell Island music studio (a couple of drums and a marimba). Without prompting, CJ started playing "Hot Cross Buns" - a song from Musikgarten classes - on it by ear. Cool!
Come 3 p.m. it was time to report to the Museum's "Art Club." It's a 1-hour art class for ages 6 to 10, and Annabelle's finally old enough. Based on when it's offered, it's clearly aimed at the homeschool crowd. Today, there was just one other student there - a homeschooled girl I'd guess to be about 9. Today's art activities involved leaves. The kids painted leaves (by spraying on watercolors), they used leaves to paint, they used stencils and dripped paint onto the paper beneath them.
Annabelle really enjoyed it. CJ was super glad when it was over.
WATER DANCE: When we came out of class it was still downright balmy. We made a beeline back to the spectacular fountain and, of course, I let the kids get wet. (I mean, how often are you going to be able to splash around in a fountain in NOVEMBER in Seattle without freezing?) 
Can you see the kids? They're right up against the center of the fountain.
HAIRY SITUATION: Tonight as I was prepping dinner in the kitchen, Annabelle did something really, well, hmm, how to put it ... stupid?
She was in her bedroom and apparently thought it would be fun to crawl in her empty wicker laundry basket. While doing so, she apparently got her hair caught in it somehow. Then she apparently thought the best way out of her predicament would be via scissors. She asked CJ to get her some scissors. Dutiful brother that he is, he did so. And then, Annabelle whacked off a huge patch of her hair, right at the scalp.
Christian noticed it first. Now that she was free, Annabelle could walk around. As she was strolling through the living room, Christian noticed a HUGE hunk of Annabelle's hair hanging off her still-attached hair.
Great.
We certainly talked about how that was a very radical, ill-advised, semi-permanent solution to a very temporary problem (tangled hair).
Most of tonight Annabelle's been walking around the house wearing a hood and a few tears have been shed. I did get a smile out of her when I suggested she might want to consider wearing Rick's Halloween wig for the next few months.
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