In Review

REINFORCEMENTS: Today we did some follow ups to topics we've covered over the past couple of days. For instance, in math, we reviewed writing and saying dollars and cents. I was a bit bemused that the kids both missed the same problem in their exercise today. They were suppose to use numbers to represent fifty five dollars and five cents. Each of them wrote $55.5 WRONG!!

Naturally, I didn't yell, "WRONG!!" at them. Instead, we talked about the importance of the decimal point and how when talking dollars and cents, if the number is just to the right of the dot, it's in the tens, not the ones. They saw the error of their ways. And we'll give it a go again tomorrow.

We also revisited our recent readings about solstices and equinoxes - or should it be solstii and equinox? Or ???

And, thanks to a hot tip from a definitely-in-the-know MPA reader, we checked out a really awesome BrainPOP video about bridges. How in the know was our tipster? Well it just so happens she WROTE the lesson for BrainPOP. Bravo, Firstmute! I have to say, CJ and Annabelle were wildly entertained by the bridges video and they learned something too, as evidenced by their acing the related quiz.

DEAR DIARY: To get a little bit of creative writing in, I had the kids crack open their "Diary of a Wimpy Kid D-I-Y" books.

I asked CJ to write and illustrate a cartoon. He didn't waste any time getting it done.
In case you can't read it, it says, "Bet you can't survive this jump! - Dude."

"Oh! Sure I can!" says the skateboarder, followed by "See!" in the final frame, with the other skateboarder replying, "That's I-I-I-Impossible?!" CJ was very pleased with himself for thinking to add the word "Dude." He thought it sounded a lot more authentic. :)

Annabelle's writing prompt was to fill out her backstage/pre-show demands list for when she's famous and on tour. What a fun idea! Her demands are as follows:

• 30 pounds of Pepsi


• 20 pepperoni pizza


• 1 gumball machine


• 1 ice cream maker**


• 25 pairs of sunglasses


• 1 popcorn machine


• 1 neon "Snacks" sign


• 1,000 ice cream cones (because, duh, I have an ice cream machine)


• 1 giant big-screen TV

**ice cream flavor must be triple chocolate

Sounds reasonable, don't you think?

42: Yes, it's Jackie Robinson's jersey number but it's also the answer to life, the universe and everything - if you believe what you read in "Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy."

CJ came across the 42 reference when trying to beat the aptly named "Impossible Quiz" (an online video game). I explained to him the book tie-in and told him the story of the first time I read the book.
I was around 17 and had just started a new temp job doing data entry. I took Hitchhiker's with me to read on breaks. What a mistake! I remember reading it and basically blowing Diet Pepsi out my nose I was laughing so hard. I told CJ I was sure everyone thought, "What's wrong with the new girl?" He thought that was hysterical.

CRAFTACULAR: Annabelle was on a crafting tear today, from 7 a.m. until bedtime around 10:30 p.m.

One of her creations was a train, made from a box we got at Costco today. Truth be told, after I emptied the box, I tossed it out on the porch, to carry down to recycling on my next trip to the alley. When Annabelle saw me do this, she looked at me like I shot the dog.

"But, but, I can MAKE something out of THAT!" she protested.

Back in comes the box.

And so she made a train, on which CJ was a reluctant passenger.
Today she also put a few touches on her revolutionary PFD (personal flotation device). It's made out of her popped bike innertube (which she patched with duct tape and reinflated). She attached recycled water bottles for added buoyancy, and on the front is half a recycled milk jug, to which she taped a whistle. (On the inside the jug there's a small sign that says 'for emergency use only.')
Nice work, Miss Bee!

GOOD NEWS/BAD NEWS: Today we got a very special delivery - a Famicom Disk System we'd bought via eBay.

The good news is it came quickly, and looked to be in good shape. It fired right up to the system power up screen, with good video and sound but ...

when we inserted game disks, the fun was over. The unit made an awful buzzing sound and it wouldn't load the data.

These units are notorius for their rubber drive belts failing and we're pretty sure that's what's going on here. The good news is they're readily available for about $15 and we're pretty handy and could likely replace it successfully. The bad news is I bought this unit because it said it was tested and works. And it didn't. I wrote the seller and I have to give him props for responding within an hour and offering a refund. CJ was SO excited to get the box, and so disappointed that it didn't work right out of the gate. But he's done enough research ahead of time to be aware of the belt problem and he understands it's old and in need of service.

We're going to mull over our options - whether to return it, or offer to accept it for some $$$ back. Stay tuned ...