A peek into Third Grade

Every week, Reina writes a letter in her school journal and brings it home.  We are supposed to write her a response that she can read later in the week.  By "we" I usually mean "me" but since Glenn is upstairs having a nerf gun fight with the monsters while I sit here by the fire with a warm blanket and all three pets, that's a trade-off that I'll take.  For posterity, here are a few letters that Reina has written us this year.

10-13-17
Dear Mom/Dad,

I've been waiting for Friday Wohoo.  For reading, I learned to look for the author's purpose.  And also find evidence in your story to prove your thinking.  For math we solved SUB equations and counting up strategies.  For writing we graded our work and write with a goal in your mind.  For science we made a paper bridge and put pennies on it and learned pillars and arches are the best.  For word work we learned adle mean's can be bone. (Mom note - I don't know what that means.) And homophones like meat and meet.  So can't wait to hear your letter.  Love, Reina.  Cat drawing.  (Mom note - naturally)

12-1-17
Dear Mom,

Today in science we found out that gravity pulls downward and friction stops you.  In reading we revise our thinking that is wrong and we read non-fiction texts.  For math we did some division and did a bar model.  For writing we did nonfiction texts that we wrote and researches.  Well and the goal I wrote was to add more detail and to practice periods.  Your right I would be a good detective and I am an expert on CAT's (wink wink).  😊
In music we did a dance like a irish dance in gym we did gymnastics cool.  How is Coco, did she rip our elf's arm off? I don't think she did well happy Friday wo-hooooooooooooo.
Love, Reina.  Cat drawing (again)

2-23-17
Dear Mom,

You are right it was fun for you when I was sick.  Well off to math.  For math we learned how to divide by ones and zeros.  And the A also B rule.

For writing we revised our opinion writing or you could say we typed our mistakes.

For science we learned that fossils teach us about animal behavior.  For reading mood or tone of poetry and the rhyme scheme (the pattern) and we also did haikus = 5 syllables/7/5.  Whoa. 

That was a lot oh yeah.  HAPPY Friday I was about to write Happy Birthday.

Love, Reina (sleeping cat picture)

President's Weekend and Flu-like Symptoms

Good grief.  How many times have I blogged about this family and illnesses on a three-day weekend?  Too many to count and regardless, it happened again.  The kids had Friday off and had a fun day, feeling healthy, shooting baskets outside, playing video games inside, etc. Glenn and I were going to go on a date Friday night but decided to postpone for one night because he had to work a little late.  (Spoiler alert, we still haven't had that date.)  On Saturday morning, Reina woke us up a little early because her stomach hurt.  She was feeling puny so I took her temperature and she had a mild fever.  She complained that her legs hurt a little bit and I started to see the rest of our weekend mapped out in influenza-land.  As Saturday went on, her fever got higher and she was basically glued to the couch.  I called her doctor's office to see if we needed to get her tested for the flu and they recommended that we just keep her at home with pain medicine and lots of cool drinks.  Cool as in cold, not as in trendy or stylish.  I'm not sure why I need to make that point. 

So that's what we've been doing since Saturday.  We did catch Will's last basketball game and went to church in stages.  Will had acolyte training which was very exciting (for me anyway!) and he'll be on the list to acolyte soon.  Today was cold and snowy and luckily we all had the day off so no one is missing school or work, yet. 

Reina seems to be over the worst of it today and I'm hoping one more day of rest will get her back on her feet.  In the meantime, I'm playing that fun game of "how do I feel?"  I think I feel fine?  My nose is little runny but I'm mostly fine.  I'm fine, right?  Oh Reina just sneezed in my face?  I'm fine!  Glenn's fine.  Will's fine?  Will's stomach hurts?  Oh I'm sure it's something completely unrelated.  He's fine.  Everyone's fine! 

We are also disinfecting everything in sight and Glenn commented that he's been washing his hands so much they almost hurt.  But everyone is fine! 

Saturday.  Reina and her cat nurse who is concerned about her symptoms and only slightly cold and wanting to snuggle something overly warm.  

Will suggested I B&W this photo for a better effect.  We were wanting to document the number of people and pets on one couch.  2 + 2.  Look at that handsome kid!  

Coco sitting on my work laptop.  She doesn't approve of working on a state/federal holiday.  She's also hungry.  

A letter to the birthday girl

I started this letter on Sunday night but our wireless was wonky and then it was wonky again on Monday night and then Tuesday night we had volleyball so here it is Valentine's Day and Reina's annual birthday letter Day.  
 

Dear Reina:

Yesterday, you celebrated your 9^th birthday.  Nine years ago this morning, I woke up, dropped your brother off at daycare and drove to the hospital with Dad and your two Grandmas.  After a few hours delay, we welcomed you into the world and my life hasn’t been the same since.  All weekend, I’ve been struck by the thought that in nine more years, we’ll be celebrating your 18th birthday.  But let’s not go there yet, okay? 

On the morning of your birthday, you came busting in our room at 6:30 and announced that you could get up now because Dad said you had to wait until 6:30 and it was 6:30 and let’s open presents!  I told you to go get my phone and bought myself a few more minutes reading you previous letters I’d written to you on your birthday.  Unfortunately, I couldn’t talk you into going back to sleep.  We all

got up, you opened your presents and we headed off to a birthday breakfast.  I hope on your 18^th birthday, I can read all of these letters without bawling my head off, sweet girl. 

Reina, you are such a delight. There’s really no other word. You firmly march to the beat of your drum and you surprise me every day with some funny comment, interesting observation or fashion choice. You have a wide variety of interests. At school, you’ve read books about everything from Anne Frank to the Loch Ness Monster to cartoon cats from Japan. You like cartoons, murder mysteries, wildlife documentaries (as long as none of the animals die) and are developing a slight interest in chic flicks on the Hallmark Channel. (I blame/credit Grandma H for that one.)

Reina - you fill up my camera with Reina selfies like this one.  

Marching to the beat of your own drum in these snazzy purple glitter boots you tried to talk me into at Target. Instead of tennis shoes.....  

You are a good little sister and big cousin. Your patience for your little cousins is a little more endless than the patience for your brother but that's probably how it should be.  You and Will have invented your own game involving a balloon, the rug in the living room and a complicated scoring system that seems to usually benefit Will but you don't mind and your giggles fill up the house, along with the sounds of breakable stuff hitting the floor.  

A few weeks ago, you woke up on a school morning a little earlier than usual and came running in to get me to wake up and look at the moon.  You said it was amazing!  I tried to buy a few more minutes of sleep by suggesting that you get my phone and take some pictures.  You took about 10 of these shots before you came back to get me and said that I needed to see it in person.  Reina, I hope you never lose that unbridled enthusiasm for weekday morning moon sightings and everything else that appears outside your window.  Happy birthday sweet girl, you are so loved.  

The Moon by Reina

Basketball

We are in the thick of basketball season around here.  There's college ball on the tv most nights when Will has control of the remote.  The Wyo Cowboys are having an entertaining season.  Will knows more about the NBA than I've ever known, except for that one season when the Nuggets were fun to follow.  Closer to home, we have a lot of 5th Grade basketball to watch.  Will's playing on the school team whose practices and games are right after school.  He also plays on a city league team and those games are Saturday afternoons.  When he's not on the court, he's dribbling the ball in our den or shooting baskets outside (when the wind isn't howling and the temperature is tolerable).  He's making great strides on the court, too.  He's shooting the basket more and has already beaten his point total from last season.  He's more confident dribbling and passing and he plays some tough defense. I know, I know, enough Mom.  It's fun to watch Will play basketball. 

My sports photography continues to need work.  

Dribbling an invisible basketball or just running up the court?  

Sweaty and serious. 

Hanging with his good friend, waiting for their turn to sub in.