Jazz Hands

IN REVIEW: This morning, I asked the kids to write a review of the Star Wars exhibit we saw at the Pacific Science Center yesterday. We talked about what a review is (heaven knows they've watched enough movie and game reviews on YouTube), and what info it should contain. We agreed that it should name the show they were reviewing and give info about what they liked and didn't like about it.

They pretty much phoned in their first review attempts. Annabelle wrote, "Star Wars @ PSC (Pacific Science Center). I like: Everything! I dislike: I couldn't make a droid."

CJ wrote, "One time we went to the Pacific Science Center to see the Star Was Exhibit. I liked ridin' the land speeder! Like(s) seeing nackid C-3PO! Dislike(s) Jawa Camp."

I told them both I was disappointed in them for not using complete sentences and that it's really not enough to just say what you liked or didn't like, but you should explain why you feel that way.

They weren't very happy when I told them they had to do their reviews over, but their second go-round was improved.

CJ wrote, "There is a limited time exhibit in the Pacific Science Center and that exhibit is the Star Wars Exhibit. There were lots and lots of models, but most of them were from the first three episodes. I like the nakid C-3PO because you can see all of those circits and how much work it took to make him!"

Much better.

Annabelle wrote, " *Star Wars Music Plays* I went to the 'Star Wars' exhibit yesterday and here is what I like and dislike. I liked building LEGO(TM) landspeeders and I also liked the Millennium Falcon! But I also dislike some things and they are, 'I couldn't make a droid because I didn't have some of the parts I needed.' "

As a side art project, Annabelle did make a droid. I was impressed with the thought she put into it. You'll have to click on the photos so that they enlarge and you can see her descriptions of its parts. SHAKE YOUR BOOTY: Today a Facebook friend posted a horrifying and hysterical dance video called "Double Dream Feet," proclaiming it to be his new workout regime. I really can't describe it to you, just do yourself a, er, favor (?) and watch the first 30 seconds of it. The kids thought it was very funny and had a fun time trying to replicate his moves. After we were done, they saw that there was a predecessor, "Double Dream Hands." Of course we had to watch that and try that one, too.

After that, we had to watch something that professed to be a parody of Double Dream Hands. Unfortunately, it was just a guy in a lame costume alongside the original dancer, mostly doing the exact same moves.

"How is this a parody?" CJ scoffed. "At least he should be accidentally hitting the other guy. Or maybe when they lift their hands up, he should give the finger."

(Jaw hits floor.) CJ sees this and qualifies, "I didn't say I would do that."

Oh, of course not.

WHODINI?: Out of the blue today, CJ said, "So, can we talk about Houdini?"

Well, of course!

I hopped on Biography.com and found a 5-minute video about the master magician. We learned that he was born Erich Weisz in Hungary in 1874. He knew what he wanted to do by his early teens and made it happen. We'll be back to Biography.com for more Houdini learnin' - they have a ton of info about him.

DANGEROUS DANCE: When I arrived to fetch the kids from Musikgarten today, they were doing some floaty dance, fluttering sheer fabric. Annabelle was enjoying it more than CJ. ;)
For the parent participation part, we were partnered up to do some kind of circle group dance where we had to do sideways gallops and such. I was with Bee and CeeJ was with a younger, smaller classmate. They were a bit of an odd couple and were having trouble navigating. In fact, CJ managed to navigate his head right into a post in the classroom. :(

Tears came to his eyes and he said, "I'm sorry, Miss Nancy, but I'm going to have to sit this one out," and he took himself to a corner to try to recuperate. Poor guy. :(

BEAT HIM TO IT: We picked up another "Diary of Wimpy" book for CJ - this time at the library (which seems like a good idea, since he only takes about two hours to read them). CJ started it and is a few chapters into it, but he set it down long enough for Annabelle to snatch up. A bit after dinner she announced that she'd finished it!

RUBY TUESDAY: We revisited our crystal growing project today. We're calling it done and a success. They are crystals and they are ruby.
I think tomorrow we'll try breaking them up a bit!

CHOOSING WORDS CAREFULLY: After yoga today, CJ's teacher told me that he won a game called "musical mats." CJ explained that it was much like musical chairs, and said that at the end it was down to just him "and the big black girl."

:o

I immediately said, "You need to learn all of your yoga friends' names," and he went to the teacher and asked what the student's name was, and practiced saying it a couple of times.

When we got to the car, I told him that when describing a person and you don't know their name, you want to choose your words carefully. "For instance," I began, "I would predict that there are not a whole lot of women or girls who like to be called 'big.' " We talked about how he could have, alternatively, said the girl was older, or taller, but big isn't probably the best word choice.

And then we talked about how it's probably best not to use a person's skin color as their Number One identifier. Certainly it's a noticeable characteristic, but there's more to a person than the color of their skin.

The best bet, I told the kids, is to take the time and effort to learn people's names, so you don't have to use other labels to describe them.