JT's Dinosaur Report

JT was assigned to do a dinosaur report. He chose the Velociraptor. I helped him navigate how to open the windows on the computer and guided him as he did his own research. He had the option to hand write the 5 paragraphs on this informational report or to type it. He chose typing. We sat there and I had him place his hands on the home-row keys. (He knows a little about it since he's started learning to type thanks to a fabulous and free BBC website!) I walked him through most letters... T, index finger, left hand up, H, index finger right hand out, E, middle finger left hand up... You get the idea. But he typed every bit himself.

He also had to put together a diorama. We spent an afternoon and went to the book store in hopes of finding something in the clearance area that we could cut up and use pieces of but we had NO luck! We did find some fun things at Michaels, river rocks, glitter glue, confetti and desert plants (thank you California Mission Project kids). So Mr. B picked up some sand paper from lowes and we printed out a desert landscape picture and glued that to the back. Our pair of velociraptors came courtesy of Amazon Prime. I penciled out the layout for JT and gave the boy a glue gun. There were only a few things I had to re-glue but he did it! It's really important for me that he does his own and takes responsibility for his own projects. They don't always come out as cool as "I" would want them but they are his own work and he can be proud of that. I think there's more to be taken away from that for him in the long run than something pretty that his parents did for him. Way to go JT, he got an excellent grade on his project and we got to see it displayed at Open House.

Field Trip Fun. The Aquarium with 2nd Graders.

Once a month, I help teach and art lesson in JT's class. It's the best getting to know these kiddos. I love that they say, "Hi Mrs. Booth!" on the playground. I love it. I love seeing their faces and knowing their names.

JT's teacher asked if I would like to be a chaperone on a field trip to the Aquarium of the Pacific. I readily accepted, we had the best time. My group had 5 children, we went through the whole aquarium, by the end of the day I was completely exhausted.

Love to see this boy interact with his friends. Love that my job gives me flexibility to be able to participate in activities like this. Love to watch them laugh and play. Love to see them grow and learn. Love being a mom.

Only to children children sing, Only to youth will spring be spring. -Ralph Waldo Emerson

 Spring break is in full swing this week. I had to work yesterday so I'm making up for it by jam packing every other day... This morning JT went to a Spring Workshop at the El Dorado Nature Center called "Potions, Lotions, and Strange plant notions". 

HeaBaby and I picked him up and then went home to grab Auntie Nini and the camera (which I had to drop off at home to charge since I grabbed by bag and lenses and spare cards to find that my battery had died!) and headed up to Exposition Park. 

We explored the California Science Center, learning and playing. We got to see Born To Be Wild in IMAX (which was amazing). 

Afterwards, we took my little butterfly whisperer and his sister to the Butterfly Pavilion at the Natural History Museum. It was magical and amazing. 

Trying to attract butterflies by pretending to be trees. JT even rubbed the leaves on his hands so that he would smell like a tree. I love how awesome kids are.

If nothing ever changed, there'd be no butterflies.

JT has the official best Kindergarten teacher in the world. As a class, they had caterpillars  in a habitat and watched as they went through their different cycles finally emerging as painted lady butterflies. His teacher, Mrs. S. had a tent that they put the butterflies in so that each student in his class could go inside one at a time and get a close look. It was awesome!

Spring Break Adventures

When I realized JT was about to be on spring break I was daydreaming of days that I let him watch movies while Hea Baby napped and I got to maybe read a book... Then I realized that this was his first ever spring break and I wanted to make it (and all the ones to come) a really cool week of doing things and going places that we normally don't either have time to do or don't take time to do!

We visited the Natural History Museum with cousins and friends and then picnicked on the grass (yay for taking Subway Sandwiches!)

(lol @ Hea baby's mad face)

We went to the Beach (it was Hea baby's first time!). There were lady bugs ALL OVER!! The water was cold but the sun was warm. All the kiddos loved it and we were glad to get more QT with the Schlarbs <3.
(lady bug in Yana's hair!)


We went out for pancakes then hiked the trails at the El Dorado Nature Center with our Kamae cousins and then visited with the animals at the SPCALA animal village. (Thanks Mari)




We did science experiments with citric acid and baking soda, JT got a lot of creative freedom here and I didn't even mind mopping up the purple puddles that resulted.



We had a picnic at the duck park and then played Hide and Seek.


(she wasn't too happy about being caught by her brother...)

We went to the movies with our favorite "other Booths" and had fun learning "How to train your dragon"!


We squeezed in a few movies and a baseball practice and on Sunday night before school JT said, "Mom, this was the best spring break ever".

Mission accomplished.