Adult Report Night was Memorial Day weekend, making our new Family Report Night scheduled the following Sunday. But Mommy's bout of the stomach flu foiled those plans, so tonight, with Grandma & Grandpa Baker in town, we had our second Family Report Night.
First on deck was Elaine. Holding her Dora the Explorer doll as her visual aid, she sat on the ottoman in front of everyone (grandparents included, this time) and told us who Dora's friends are, who her family is, how she visits places like volcanoes, and how Dora the Explorer is good and an "Elaine show." She enjoyed reporting so much she wanted to interject in the middle of Daddy's report to say things she forgot to add.
Dad went next with his laptop on the ottoman showing a photo of a woman swimming underwater with the "telltale" bubbles indicating that she farted. This was the first of many visual images that helped explain to us what farting is all about (nitrogen, carbon dioxide, oxygen, methane, & hydrogen sulfide), who does it (everyone, including many animals with elephants farting the most), why they stink (sulfur in hydrogen sulfide), which foods cause the stinkiest farts (beans, cabbage, cheese, eggs--all sulfur-rich foods), and how they can be flammable (watch out!). Since our "adult" Report Night does not always guarantee a family-friendly topic, Mike chose well with this "family only" topic. (Elaine especially loved the photo of the fart on fire.)
Jackson had many visual aids with him, which Dad lovingly helped bring over to the ottoman area. The laptop screen was frozen on the famous blue words, "A long time ago in a galaxy far, far away..." He showed us his zip lock bag full of Lego Star Wars guys, his small toy bin full of Galactic Heroes, and his clear storage bin full of Star Wars the Clone Wars action figures. He also drew a picture of the most popular Star Wars characters in the style of Diary of a Wimpy Kid. (See the entry below for a link to this style of drawing.) He closed with a entertaining video:
This is precisely when the pizza man showed up, signaling our break. Jackson returned with another video after dinner, which you may view here.
Grandpa Baker, who was originally going to use his "free pass" and just enjoy listening, decided to do his report on laminin. ("Laminin?" you ask? Yes. Just wait.) We pulled up a video of speaker Louie Giglio, who is a Christian motivational speaker primarily to college kids. The video, like laminin, speaks for itself:
Now I knew what Grandma Baker's report was going to be on (the kids did not), and I planned on sharing her visual aid. However we were all too stuffed from dinner to dive into Grandma's (tasty) report just then, so I went. I used the same report from the adult Report Night and pulled up my power point presentation on sphenopalatine ganglioneuralgia. Naturally, a topic like this was a bit over the children's heads, so I breezed through the more scientific terminology and got straight to the layman's term: brain freeze. In short: brain freeze (or ice cream headache or sphenopalatine ganglionueralgia) is caused when the sphenopalatine nerve above the roof of your mouth quickly becomes cold. This "tricks" the brain into thinking you're in a cold environment which then restricts the blood vessels in the brain. The pain is caused when the warm blood forces the vessels back open. (I got most of this info from scienceblogs.com.) To avoid brain freeze, eat slowly with small bites or sips. If you do experience pain, put your tongue against the roof of your mouth to warm up that poor, confused sphenopalatine nerve.
Finally it was Grandma's turn. We all sat around the kitchen table with empty glasses and spoons. She gave us an interesting history on root beer floats (otherwise known as brown cows, black cows, and spiders), and then proceeded to show us the proper technique for making them (soda first, with the glass titled; ice cream; then a little more soda). In the 1800's a soda shop ran out of ice. The shop next door was an ice cream parlor, so the soda shop owner had the bright idea to cool everyone's drinks with ice cream instead of ice. It was officially introduced in Philadelphia on our country's 150th birthday bash, but only the teenagers showed interest. Eventually as it caught on, the government felt they needed to regulate the use of floats since root beer was used medicinally at that time. Therefore root beer floats were banned on Sundays. In order to serve delicious summer treats on this particular day of the week, legend has it that the ice cream sundae was invented.
And now you know the rest of the story....
(Stay tuned next month for more family topics!)
Sunday, June 6, 2010
Sunday, April 25, 2010
First Family Report Night
Once a month for almost a year now, Mike and I get together with a group of people and give 5-10 minute reports on any topic with a visual aid. (You can read more about that here.) While preparing my report yesterday for April's Report Night, Jackson asked if we could please have a Family Report Night. So less than an hour ago we wrapped up our very first Family Report Night. It was awesome.
Jackson asked that Dad or I would start in order to show how we do it, and I was the winner of eeny-meeny-miny-moe. Mike and the kids (minus the year-old, sleeping Helen) gathered on the sofa with popcorn and I pulled up the ottoman for the "reporter" to sit center stage. Mike went over the rules: no talking when someone is reporting, and no getting up and walking around. The kids were both great at keeping the rules.
My report for our "adult" Report Night was on the artist, illustrator, and storybook writer, Shaun Tan. Since he is the recipient of various awards in children's literature, I thought it an appropriate topic to do for the family. Beginning with a collection of his artwork on power point, I finished by reading the short story, The Nameless Holiday. I cannot recommend that story enough, or the Shaun Tan storybook it resides in, Tales From Outer Suburbia. ) The central theme of the story is about relinquishing what we hold most dear. When the story was over I said that I often like to imagine what object I would choose to give away. Immediately Jackson said, "I know what I would choose: Snoopy." (In case you don't know, Snoopy is the the special stuffed dog Jackson's had since he was two years old.)
Jackson went next. He held up a drawing of Ben 10 characters drawn in the style of Diary of a Wimpy Kid. He passed around the visual, and then he mysteriously held up a yellow balloon. He said there were three pieces of paper inside, one for each of us. He then took out his pocketknife and popped the balloon. Pinata-style, Elaine grabbed up the papers. We were instructed to read what each one said: Ben 10, Ben 10 Alien Force, and Ben 10 Ultimate Alien. This was his creative way of introducing the three Ben 10 tv series he follows. Needless to say, we loved his balloon idea! He was so poised when he reported, as if he's always done this sort of thing.
Elaine was adorable. Before we began she asked for papers and a pen to prepare her report. Mind you, Elaine is not quite three-and-a-half and cannot yet write. But she knew exactly what she was doing. She sat up on the ottoman with her two pieces of paper and said, "I do two ones. This first is a picture of a meebling. And this one is a picture of a meebling with two eyes and a mouth." (Meeblings are from a computer game Jackson plays here.) And then she hopped down. Jackson asked, "What kind of meeblings are they, Elaine?" She said, "One meebling be pink. The other is yellow." Again I say: Elaine was adorable.
Mike went last. Wisely opting not to use his report from last night (on 10 of the most disturbingly bizarre people on the planet), he did his report on the Bible. Instead of sharing a specific Bible story, he explained how the Bible is a big book with 66 little books inside, divided into the Old Testament and the New Testament. He also explained how the books are broken up, including the Gospels. Jackson was very proud to interject the Bible facts he already knew, such as the names of the four Gospel books.
In short, we had a really great time! We decided that we will do this the Sunday night after each month's adult Report Night. Months ago Mike said he wanted to find a practical way to instill our values of creativity and intelligence into the kids. I think we found our way. But long term goals aside, it was just plain fun!
Jackson asked that Dad or I would start in order to show how we do it, and I was the winner of eeny-meeny-miny-moe. Mike and the kids (minus the year-old, sleeping Helen) gathered on the sofa with popcorn and I pulled up the ottoman for the "reporter" to sit center stage. Mike went over the rules: no talking when someone is reporting, and no getting up and walking around. The kids were both great at keeping the rules.
My report for our "adult" Report Night was on the artist, illustrator, and storybook writer, Shaun Tan. Since he is the recipient of various awards in children's literature, I thought it an appropriate topic to do for the family. Beginning with a collection of his artwork on power point, I finished by reading the short story, The Nameless Holiday. I cannot recommend that story enough, or the Shaun Tan storybook it resides in, Tales From Outer Suburbia. ) The central theme of the story is about relinquishing what we hold most dear. When the story was over I said that I often like to imagine what object I would choose to give away. Immediately Jackson said, "I know what I would choose: Snoopy." (In case you don't know, Snoopy is the the special stuffed dog Jackson's had since he was two years old.)
Jackson went next. He held up a drawing of Ben 10 characters drawn in the style of Diary of a Wimpy Kid. He passed around the visual, and then he mysteriously held up a yellow balloon. He said there were three pieces of paper inside, one for each of us. He then took out his pocketknife and popped the balloon. Pinata-style, Elaine grabbed up the papers. We were instructed to read what each one said: Ben 10, Ben 10 Alien Force, and Ben 10 Ultimate Alien. This was his creative way of introducing the three Ben 10 tv series he follows. Needless to say, we loved his balloon idea! He was so poised when he reported, as if he's always done this sort of thing.
Elaine was adorable. Before we began she asked for papers and a pen to prepare her report. Mind you, Elaine is not quite three-and-a-half and cannot yet write. But she knew exactly what she was doing. She sat up on the ottoman with her two pieces of paper and said, "I do two ones. This first is a picture of a meebling. And this one is a picture of a meebling with two eyes and a mouth." (Meeblings are from a computer game Jackson plays here.) And then she hopped down. Jackson asked, "What kind of meeblings are they, Elaine?" She said, "One meebling be pink. The other is yellow." Again I say: Elaine was adorable.
Mike went last. Wisely opting not to use his report from last night (on 10 of the most disturbingly bizarre people on the planet), he did his report on the Bible. Instead of sharing a specific Bible story, he explained how the Bible is a big book with 66 little books inside, divided into the Old Testament and the New Testament. He also explained how the books are broken up, including the Gospels. Jackson was very proud to interject the Bible facts he already knew, such as the names of the four Gospel books.
In short, we had a really great time! We decided that we will do this the Sunday night after each month's adult Report Night. Months ago Mike said he wanted to find a practical way to instill our values of creativity and intelligence into the kids. I think we found our way. But long term goals aside, it was just plain fun!
Monday, July 6, 2009
Sunday, June 14, 2009
Friday, June 12, 2009
I am quite overdue for another update, but life has been beautifully busy lately!
First of all, Jackson had his 8th birthday party on June 6! His actual birthday isn't until July, but we like to host his friend party shortly after school lets out so he can pass out invitations in class. Mike came up with a Lego theme and ran the whole show. He made a cake that looked just like a blue Lego brick, acted as game master, referee, and bouncer when needed. :) Years past we have had trouble getting a turnout for Jackson's parties, so this year we invited many more than was realistic for our home. As a shocking result, many came! I think we had 12 boys and 1 girl (not counting Elaine). After the party Mike said, "At one point the noise-level of the boys hit a certain decibel that I could feel the sound waves beating off my chest." The party was a definite success, and I loved watching Mike serve as ringmaster as much as I enjoyed watching Jackson with his buddies. (I am kicking myself that we forgot to photograph the cake! I have it on video. Better than nothing.)
Jackson also began swim lessons this week and is doing fantastic! He has always had a more cautious personality, and swim lessons have always been like pulling teeth. But this year he has really pushed through his fears and discovered how rewarding that can be! He is swimming very well and looks forward to the lessons. In addition to swimming, he will attend Vacation Bible School at a friend's church next week, an awesome-sounding week long science camp at he AZ Science Center in July, and he has moved up to Level 1 gymnastics from his Boys Intro class. He seems to have a natural talent for this sport, and last month actually won a "cartwheel-athon" against all the other boys and girls classes, level 1 and lower. He did the most cartwheels in 2 minutes: 68!!
Speaking of gymnastics, Elaine's little dreams have come true: she's finally in a class of her own. Now Mike and I alternate taking her to the parent-tot class on Saturdays. She has been twice and it has proved much scarier to her than she anticipated. But both weeks Mike and I have had success in gently prodding her along and praising all her efforts. She is so cute to watch as she attempts maneuvers that are new to her: forward rolls, hops on the trampoline, lunges on a beam, etc. It is also a good exercise for her in listening and following directions in a group.
Jackson is the most amazing big brother to Elaine. I (Denise) am an only child, so this has been as heart-warming as it is fascinating for me to witness. Right now in fact, Jackson is in Elaine's room leading her in imaginative play. Her bed is the "bed-mobile," in which they have traveled to Disneyland, the zoo, Jackson's school, the store, and to Dora the Explorer's house. Each time they reach their pretend destination, they "get out" and take care of all the tasks they would do at each place. Jackson helps her think of any necessary gear (her purse, for example, or a map), and I think these are the highlights of her every day. Even Jackson said after playing with her the other morning, "That was the best game I've ever played!"
I have so many Elaine stories that have been stockpiling in my brain to be set free on this blog. Let's see what I can recall:
-When serving bananas to the kids, we always give the option to eat it "cut up or like a monkey." Now Elaine says that about all fruit: "Elaine eat apple like a monkey, please!"
-The other day Jackson was watching a Star Wars cartoon and Elaine came out of her room wearing a hat over her eyes. She came and sat on the couch by the tv with the hat over her eyes and said, "Too scary, Eggie." The hat saved her from seeing the "too scary" show. (Reminder: "Eggie" is her name for Jackson.)
-Tonight while in the bath she used the washcloth to "wash the dishes"--the giant Jack in the Box cup we use to rinse hair. She loudly sang a song during this, too: "WAAAAASH WAAAASH the DEEshiz..." After a moment she noticed "Jack" on the fast food cup she was washing and asked seriously, "Mommy, what that?" When I said, "Jack," she paused and said, "Jack a snowman?"
-Lately Elaine often says, "Mommy, look dat!" (Look at that.) I'll say, "What is it?," and she says, "Don't know." This seems to be her new way of asking what something is. This morning, for example, it was the white streak a jet leaves across the sky.
-Two days ago Elaine broke some sort of record for mischief in a single day: took the lid off her sippy cup twice and emptied the contents, poured Jackson's cup of juice into a different cup she got out of the cupboard for herself, "made chocolate milk" by getting the syrup out of the fridge and pouring it into a cup with a straw as well as all over herself and the tile (it must have been a parent who decided that carpet was not meant for kitchens--thank goodness for that!), gave me further motivation to crack down on potty training and to possibly invest in a steam cleaner (I'll spare you the details), and tried to "make toast" by getting the butter out of the fridge and the bread off the counter (Mom to the rescue before she achieved any success with this idea). All of this plus the usual mischief: hitting Eggie, jumping on the couch, touching the computer, etc. Meanwhile, as discipline repeats itself (based off this entry you probably have your doubts that we discipline our children--we really do!), Elaine would look at me with the most serious, furrowed-brow expression and cock her head and say, "I sorry, Mommy," and then lean forward to give me a hug and a kiss. I think this child has been sent to us not only for our utter enjoyment of her cuteness, but to humble us to our core. (Despite the challenge, I adore her "do-it-yourself" way of learning.)
Helen is the easiest baby we've had, so far. She just eats, sleeps, and smiles. It is not hard to make this sweetheart smile, either! I think Mike gets the most frequent grins out of her. I will post pictures, of course, so you can see for yourself. As I write this she is 7 weeks old already. Both kids love her, and Elaine is especially enamored with her lately. She wants to hold her often (with Mommy's help, of course), and when she cries she yells, "IT OKAY, BABY!! NO CRY, BABY!!" (Elaine only has 3 volumes: screaming, "normal," and whispering.)
Mike and I keep talking about how we're happier now than we can remember ever being, despite the exhaustion at the end of each day. The layout of the home we're in has reduced our stress-level more than we imagined it could, and that has freed up our energy to relax and enjoy ourselves more. Mike is learning to play his guitar and it is so peaceful in the evenings when the kids are asleep and Mike is practicing and I am reading or sewing. Oh yeah! I also learned to use my sewing machine recently which has been like getting a new toy. I've made a tablecloth, curtains for Elaine, I'm currently making myself an apron-style shirt, and I have two more projects in the pipe. I consider myself well blessed to know a retired home ec teacher who has taken the time to teach me!
On a sad note, though, some of our very best friends are moving to New York this summer. To add difficulty to the grief, he is also our pastor! But despite the difficult times ahead for our church and the noticeable loss of the proximity of their friendship, it has been amazing to see God drawing all of us closer together as we weather the same storm as a collective group. Our pastor made this announcement around the time of Helen's birth 7 weeks ago, and in that short amount of time I have gotten to know so many people in our church on such a deeper level. We feel excited to be a part of whatever it is God is doing in our little church, because it is evident He is moving.
This took me days to write--hopefully it didn't take you days to read! But we record this for our own history, too. If you read it, we loved having you in the "living room" of our life!
First of all, Jackson had his 8th birthday party on June 6! His actual birthday isn't until July, but we like to host his friend party shortly after school lets out so he can pass out invitations in class. Mike came up with a Lego theme and ran the whole show. He made a cake that looked just like a blue Lego brick, acted as game master, referee, and bouncer when needed. :) Years past we have had trouble getting a turnout for Jackson's parties, so this year we invited many more than was realistic for our home. As a shocking result, many came! I think we had 12 boys and 1 girl (not counting Elaine). After the party Mike said, "At one point the noise-level of the boys hit a certain decibel that I could feel the sound waves beating off my chest." The party was a definite success, and I loved watching Mike serve as ringmaster as much as I enjoyed watching Jackson with his buddies. (I am kicking myself that we forgot to photograph the cake! I have it on video. Better than nothing.)
Jackson also began swim lessons this week and is doing fantastic! He has always had a more cautious personality, and swim lessons have always been like pulling teeth. But this year he has really pushed through his fears and discovered how rewarding that can be! He is swimming very well and looks forward to the lessons. In addition to swimming, he will attend Vacation Bible School at a friend's church next week, an awesome-sounding week long science camp at he AZ Science Center in July, and he has moved up to Level 1 gymnastics from his Boys Intro class. He seems to have a natural talent for this sport, and last month actually won a "cartwheel-athon" against all the other boys and girls classes, level 1 and lower. He did the most cartwheels in 2 minutes: 68!!
Speaking of gymnastics, Elaine's little dreams have come true: she's finally in a class of her own. Now Mike and I alternate taking her to the parent-tot class on Saturdays. She has been twice and it has proved much scarier to her than she anticipated. But both weeks Mike and I have had success in gently prodding her along and praising all her efforts. She is so cute to watch as she attempts maneuvers that are new to her: forward rolls, hops on the trampoline, lunges on a beam, etc. It is also a good exercise for her in listening and following directions in a group.
Jackson is the most amazing big brother to Elaine. I (Denise) am an only child, so this has been as heart-warming as it is fascinating for me to witness. Right now in fact, Jackson is in Elaine's room leading her in imaginative play. Her bed is the "bed-mobile," in which they have traveled to Disneyland, the zoo, Jackson's school, the store, and to Dora the Explorer's house. Each time they reach their pretend destination, they "get out" and take care of all the tasks they would do at each place. Jackson helps her think of any necessary gear (her purse, for example, or a map), and I think these are the highlights of her every day. Even Jackson said after playing with her the other morning, "That was the best game I've ever played!"
I have so many Elaine stories that have been stockpiling in my brain to be set free on this blog. Let's see what I can recall:
-When serving bananas to the kids, we always give the option to eat it "cut up or like a monkey." Now Elaine says that about all fruit: "Elaine eat apple like a monkey, please!"
-The other day Jackson was watching a Star Wars cartoon and Elaine came out of her room wearing a hat over her eyes. She came and sat on the couch by the tv with the hat over her eyes and said, "Too scary, Eggie." The hat saved her from seeing the "too scary" show. (Reminder: "Eggie" is her name for Jackson.)
-Tonight while in the bath she used the washcloth to "wash the dishes"--the giant Jack in the Box cup we use to rinse hair. She loudly sang a song during this, too: "WAAAAASH WAAAASH the DEEshiz..." After a moment she noticed "Jack" on the fast food cup she was washing and asked seriously, "Mommy, what that?" When I said, "Jack," she paused and said, "Jack a snowman?"
-Lately Elaine often says, "Mommy, look dat!" (Look at that.) I'll say, "What is it?," and she says, "Don't know." This seems to be her new way of asking what something is. This morning, for example, it was the white streak a jet leaves across the sky.
-Two days ago Elaine broke some sort of record for mischief in a single day: took the lid off her sippy cup twice and emptied the contents, poured Jackson's cup of juice into a different cup she got out of the cupboard for herself, "made chocolate milk" by getting the syrup out of the fridge and pouring it into a cup with a straw as well as all over herself and the tile (it must have been a parent who decided that carpet was not meant for kitchens--thank goodness for that!), gave me further motivation to crack down on potty training and to possibly invest in a steam cleaner (I'll spare you the details), and tried to "make toast" by getting the butter out of the fridge and the bread off the counter (Mom to the rescue before she achieved any success with this idea). All of this plus the usual mischief: hitting Eggie, jumping on the couch, touching the computer, etc. Meanwhile, as discipline repeats itself (based off this entry you probably have your doubts that we discipline our children--we really do!), Elaine would look at me with the most serious, furrowed-brow expression and cock her head and say, "I sorry, Mommy," and then lean forward to give me a hug and a kiss. I think this child has been sent to us not only for our utter enjoyment of her cuteness, but to humble us to our core. (Despite the challenge, I adore her "do-it-yourself" way of learning.)
Helen is the easiest baby we've had, so far. She just eats, sleeps, and smiles. It is not hard to make this sweetheart smile, either! I think Mike gets the most frequent grins out of her. I will post pictures, of course, so you can see for yourself. As I write this she is 7 weeks old already. Both kids love her, and Elaine is especially enamored with her lately. She wants to hold her often (with Mommy's help, of course), and when she cries she yells, "IT OKAY, BABY!! NO CRY, BABY!!" (Elaine only has 3 volumes: screaming, "normal," and whispering.)
Mike and I keep talking about how we're happier now than we can remember ever being, despite the exhaustion at the end of each day. The layout of the home we're in has reduced our stress-level more than we imagined it could, and that has freed up our energy to relax and enjoy ourselves more. Mike is learning to play his guitar and it is so peaceful in the evenings when the kids are asleep and Mike is practicing and I am reading or sewing. Oh yeah! I also learned to use my sewing machine recently which has been like getting a new toy. I've made a tablecloth, curtains for Elaine, I'm currently making myself an apron-style shirt, and I have two more projects in the pipe. I consider myself well blessed to know a retired home ec teacher who has taken the time to teach me!
On a sad note, though, some of our very best friends are moving to New York this summer. To add difficulty to the grief, he is also our pastor! But despite the difficult times ahead for our church and the noticeable loss of the proximity of their friendship, it has been amazing to see God drawing all of us closer together as we weather the same storm as a collective group. Our pastor made this announcement around the time of Helen's birth 7 weeks ago, and in that short amount of time I have gotten to know so many people in our church on such a deeper level. We feel excited to be a part of whatever it is God is doing in our little church, because it is evident He is moving.
This took me days to write--hopefully it didn't take you days to read! But we record this for our own history, too. If you read it, we loved having you in the "living room" of our life!
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