Bon soir!

Just Made This Little Cheat Sheet for my Wallet!

We Had a Grand Time

Since it was also the last day before winter break, we all gave our awesome teacher, Mr. V, holiday gifts.

Getting Ready for a Friday Field Trip

Parent/Teacher Conference

"Boylee's math test scores have been high throughout the trimester.  He is reading above grade level and demonstrates great fluency and understanding.  When engaged in whole group discussion, Boylee shares a unique and informed perspective.  Writing is a bit of a chore for him, and he should consider it a goal to share his wonderful ideas and thinking, neatly, in writing.  Boylee is mature for his age and his joyfulness is a great contribution to the class environment."

"Winner, Do a Funky Dance!"

More Party Pix!

Getting Ready for Nana's 70th Birthday Party!

T-Day at Our House

Boylee:  "This looks really nice."

Me:  "What looks nice?"

Boylee:  "This whole setup."  (Gesturing around at the house, newly cleaned for all of our guests, and all the food I've been cooking.) "You do a lot for the family."

And then I gave him an enormous hug.

Our Little Gymnast

Sad News

He wasn't elected to the Student Council.  There were 19 kids in the running -- out of just 26 or 28.  And the teacher privately confided that the kid selected only needed 4 votes to win!  Poor Boylee.  He was sad -- I could see that as he told me, but we were at school so he hid it from everyone else.  Maybe next year.

School Project

Boylee worked with two other boys to create a model of a city landmark -- and here it is, The Getty Center:

Not the best pix (I forgot my camera; these were taken by another 3rd grader!), but in the top pic you can make out some buildings in the back right section.  On front of the buildings is a fountain with rocks -- just like the real one at the museum.  The bottom pic shows the tracks for the tram that takes you up the big hill from the parking lot to the museum.

Today at Disney Hall

We got there early, which turned out to be great because there were tons of activities happening:  an art project, Scottish dancing lessons, and storytelling.   But the most fun part was exploring the very cool Disney Hall.  It was drizzling, so hardly anyone was lingering outside.  We checked out the front, then climbed up to the topmost levels and got some great views of downtown.  

There was also an instrument petting zoo -- we were bummed to not hear about that in time to check it out.

I LOVED the concert.  Boylee liked it a lot.  It was only 45 minutes long, and interspersed music, dancing and acting.  And bagpipes, so how could we not love it?

And the best part is that we have three more concerts in our series.

Our Favorite Veteran

Weekend Highlight

A few months back we bought tickets to the Philharmonic's youth series of concerts.  The first one is this weekend, featuring the music of Mendelssohn:

When the young Felix Mendelssohn sets out on his first adventure to Scotland, his beloved sister Fanny is heartbroken that she has to stay home. Fanny breathlessly awaits Felix's letters, which sometimes include lines of new music. And through his music -- inspired by crumbling castles, lively bagpipes, violent ocean waves, and the enchanted Fingal's Cave -- Fanny is transported to her brother's side. If we really listen, we get to go to these mystical lands, too.

We Loved It

Boylee laughed his fool head off, and the rest of us did, too.  

Our favorite line -- when Puss in Boots and Humpty Dumpty are arguing about whether to not to steal the baby goose that lays golden eggs, Kitty Softpaws sets everyone straight:  "Guys!  Guys!  It's a gold pooper.  We're taking it."  Boylee hasn't stopped saying that all day.

Our Little Legolas

If You Have Nothing Better To Do

This is a little random, but...

Boylee's school has a crap playground and we're trying to win $25,000 from Clorox to improve it.  This contest is purely about who gets the most votes -- and we're currently in 12th place.  You can help, all you crazy random people who read this blog!  (My site meter shows me that about 40 people per day visit.  I don't know who you are, but welcome!)

Here's what you do:

Text "clorox3905" to the phone number 44144.

That's it!  That's all you have to do.  And you can do it once a day, every day until December 9th.  Let's get these kids a playground!

(Bonus points if you share this info with your friends.)

If you're not the texting type, you can also vote here:  http://www.powerabrightfuture.com/gallery/detail/?nid=1172

THANKS!

Two Updates

#1: Boylee lost his third tooth of the week at school today. This one wasn't swallowed or lost!

 #2: As part of our Paris preparation we've been reading books and watching movies that take place in France. The latest was the movie version of The Phantom of the Opera. The movie's kind of dull and draggy, but by the end Boylee was thoroughly caught up in it, which meant there were plenty of tears.

The Teeth are Departing!

The first one fell out -- and was swallowed -- while he was at school. The second was apparently scared out of him during a visit to the school's Hauntitorium. He didn't even notice losing it at all, so maybe it was swallowed, or maybe it just dropped out as he screamed? And now there's another one loose!

Halloween Carnival Highlight!

For Nana

It's Legolas, one of the elves from Lord of the Rings!

Another Clue

A Clue to his Halloween Costume

A Lice Shave Isn't Too Bad

I think they both look cute, even though Boylee wasn't in the mood to smile.

Between the lice and the vomitous migraine, our Very Busy Weekend got almost entirely cancelled: a visit from Nana, a visit from Papa, a new gymnastics class, the regular gymnastics class, a friend sleeping over -- all were cancelled. Today we did piano, and then we absolutely, positively must figure out Boylee's Halloween costume -- his school fair is next weekend and he'll want to wear it, whatever he chooses. And then we're meeting a kid down the block who, as it turns out, goes to our school. Maybe a carpool is in our future?

Boylee's Story

(I don't know why I can't rotate these pictures! Aargh!)

Ball Time

 This book is detetacated to Mom and Dad

 Once when I was at Legoland at the pharos quest atration shooting balls out of a cannon. I spoted a man Just then a idea poped into my head I could almost imagine a lightbulb hovering above my head My idea was: shoot the man! So I grabbed my last ball

 but I decided to take a risk so I aimed and puled the triger and with a bang the ball sard throue the air and hit his back i wached as he fell to the ground. I stood in confidence because I knew my next victom would be a sucses! the END!

(Some comments are from adults and some are from kids.)  "I like your story and your colorful illustrations."  "I like the details."  "I liked how hour personality shows through in your writing!  And, bonus points: you made me laugh! : )" "I love your cericers and roun pictures."  "I like your drawing."  "Sounds like you had fun with the imagination. I love that."  "The end was cocow." (?) "I loved the slow motion description of the ball flying through the air. I could see it!"

           

Writing Celebration

Yesterday we had a little class gathering to celebrate the students' first "published" writing of the year! We got to see the book that each kid created.

The orange paper is where classmates and adults could write "put ups" mentioning what they liked about each student's work.

We strolled around the classroom and looked at everyone's books.

In another section of the classroom, I found Boylee's contribution to a board about hurt feelings:

Then as we left school we found a big display of what the 3rd graders have been doing in art class lately. This project is about "A Recipe of Me."

Toothless Again

He lost it at school -- and swallowed it. Unhelpful (but sweet) friend Lukus said that meant that Scott and I would be getting divorced!?! I've never, ever heard of that superstition before.

3rd Grade Highlights

Here's a project we can really look forward to:

Students will research, investigate, and become an expert on one landmark in Los Angeles. Students will work in cooperative groups for this project. However, over the next few weeks, you may want to enrich your child’s learning in one of the following ways: researching the landmark and pictures on the Internet, visiting the location, taking photos of the location, possibly finding books about this location. No pressure to participate in this project, but if time permits and you are interested, enjoy learning with your child! He/she will be able to tell you what location.

Double Rainbow!

It's gorgeous...but I don't have a lens wide enough to capture it all.

Starting To Get Excited!

This is the place we rented in Paris!