Know When to Fold 'Em

PAPER PROJECT: First thing this a.m. we got busy on our Shoreline science class homework. We're in the midst of a paper unit there and our first assignment was to fold a 'pirate' hat out of newspaper. (Man, how long have kids been doing that?)

The directions were good and the kids had donned their hats in no time.
Next up was an experiment to see if it was possible to fold an 8.5 x 8.5 square inch square of paper into a cup that would hold water. This one was a little bit more complicated - the kids both needed my help to make it happen.

They filled up their cups, and the cups held water. They did a quick toast and then took a sip. Annabelle's water wound up everywhere. CJ was able to drink his, but he wasn't happy with it. He did not like the feel of the paper in his mouth/on his teeth.

LEAFY: Midday we walked up to the neighborhood park a half a block away. It's funny - it's so close but we haven't been there in what seems like weeks!

We were on a mission to find a leaf or two for an afternoon art project. We did that and the kids enjoyed some fresh air and free time in the process. When we got back, we started our craft project - making maple leaf shaped coasters from cork and felt. MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE: This evening CJ asked us what "Mission Impossible" means. No doubt he discovered the words while doing exhaustive research on video games (there have been several Mission: Impossible video games made).

We told him it originated with a television show, and later there were movies. I told CJ the show had one of the greatest themes of all time, and hopped onto YouTube to find it. Believe it or not, the very first version I found was one someone had done using the Mario Paint program.

Of course, I had to play him the original version, too.

11/11: It's library day today, which means we had to read down the "due" stack. One of the books due back was "Veterans Day" by Marlene Targ Brill.

What a great book! It had a thorough yet concise account of the history of the holiday, which started at the end of World War I. Troops laid down arms on Nov. 11, and that day was celebrated as Armistice Day for years. However, after World War II and the Korean War, the holiday took on new significance. In 1954, Armistice Day was changed to Veterans Day.

The book also covered the significance of the Tomb of the Unknowns, and shared information about Remembrance Days in other countries, which I thought was a nice touch. (After all, we're certainly not the only ones who value and honor our veterans.)

The book even included a list of Veterans Day resources to consult, such as the Department of Veterans Affairs' VA Kids, Enchanted Learning.com Veterans Day crafts, and even a Veterans Day School Play.

BYE-BYE BILL: Today, we finally finished the Bill Gates biography. You can't argue with his success (she says as she 'types' this on a computer with a Windows operating system). And the Gates Foundation (which is building impressive, expansive digs about 6 minutes from our house) does many great things round the globe. However, I'm not sure that I'm a huge fan for the direction he wants to take the U.S. educational system, and based on what I've been reading for the past several months, I can't help but wonder if he has his sites set on Seattle Public Schools as his testing ground.

BOOK IT: Today was ballet-library. While Bee did her dance thing, we three (four if you count Kirby) jogged to the library and then back past the Community Center where Bee's class is and over to Albertsons. That makes 45 minutes go pretty darn quickly.

When we got home, coat, boots, tight, leotard and skirt and ears still on, Annabelle was right back to a puzzle book she had to leave before her lesson.EASTER EGG HUNT: Tonight we watched the wonderful "Toy Story 3" on DVD. We saw it once before, in IMAX, but it's definitely worth a second look. Plus, now we know the movie is full of (virtual) Easter Eggs, so we used the DVD remote to do a little Easter Egg hunting after watching it.