Stomp Rockets in the Park

Benji and his friend Myles had a playdate last weekend and decided to play with Benji's "stomp" rocket in the park. This is a toy with a rubber inflator that the kids jump (or stomp) on to launch a light rocket into the air. They were able to send it pretty high!

It's hard to see the "rocket" but it's the little yellow line with a red dot on top in some of the later photos.

--Victoria
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Things Tamar Says (on books and reading)

On Friday evening, just before bed, Tamar informed me: "I god a book. But I can'd read it. Because it's Tuesday."

So much comedy!

--Victoria
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Benji's Homework (diorama about lions)

Sadly, I do not have a photograph of the diorama itself, just the outline he used for his presentation. I've transcribed it in case it's hard to make out in the photograph.

--Victoria
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Diorama Presentation Outline

My animal is a: lion

Some basic facts about this animal are:

∙    males have manse
∙    females have no manese
∙    a mane is hair around lions head
∙    lions eat other animals

Three interesting facts about this animal are:

A group of lions
is cold a prid. They
live in grasslands.
allso they love
each othr.

Little Ones Sleeping Peacefully

Benji The Leader

Benji's class has been learning about George Washington and leadership. The homework assignment was as follows:

We learned that George Washington was a great leader. How can you be a leader? Write at least 2 ways you can be a leader at home or in school. Try to add a closing sentence. Draw and label a picture to match.

Benji wrote:

"At home sometimes I am the line leder for my little Brother and sister. I make sure they are safe. At school I am the reeding group captain. The reeding group captain helps at Liberrey Circle when somwon is stuck on a word."

I love the drawings he made to go with the assignment. In the first picture, Daniel is saying "ba!! boo!! be!! be!!" and Tamar is saying "thank you" while Benji smiles and leads them by the hand. In the second picture, he is sitting at a table with two classmates and saying "I'll help you" while one of the other students says "thanks!"

I love my sweet boy and I love his school.

--Victoria
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Twins in the Wagon

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Benji's Homework (failure to write about pig's feelings)

I shouldn't laugh...  but sometimes it's really hard not to.

--Victoria
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More Puppet Theatre

Benji's Aftercare Activities

Twice a week he goes to karate classes. After karate, sometimes the Art room is open. On the day these photos were taken, he was still wearing the top of his karate outfit while working on his art project.

--Victoria
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Benji's Homework (Black History Month & Martin Luther King, Jr.)

Here are Benji's renditions of Dr. King (as a zombie, apparently???) and the "I Have A Dream" speech, in which every member of the audience was provided with their own chair.

--Victoria
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Playing and Dancing

Good Hand Washing Habits

It's much easier when you can reach the sink!

--Victoria
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Benji and Tamar

I've been asked to include more photos of Benji on the blog, instead of posting so many of Tamar and Daniel. To be honest, I do try but it isn't easy -- Benji has become somewhat camera shy in the past year or so and often leaves the room when the camera comes out, or ducks his head (like he did in the "Brothers" post from Tuesday, or today's post (where you can see the progression of him pulling away as he realizes I'm taking pictures). Don't worry, I'll keep trying!

--Victoria
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Dinner Outdoors

The weather has been so mild lately that we've had dinner on the patio several times!

--Victoria
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Brothers

Daniel's ponytails again

He is so cute, how can I resist posting these photos???

--Victoria
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Cousins Time

We visited New Jersey several weekends in a row to visit Aaron's Aunt Carole, who was very ill, and then to visit and support Aaron's mother after Carole passed away.

The silver lining of these visits, sad as they were, was that the children got to spend time with their cousins Sundar (age 12 -- in the first photo with Tamar and Daniel) and Steele (age 17 -- in the second photo with Benji) who were wonderful with them.

--Victoria
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Benji with the "Golden Key of Respect"

One day I picked him up from school and we went into the principal's office to get a tissue for me. Benji asked me to take a photograph of him with this key. I asked what it was and he told me it's the "Golden Key of Respect" and explained that it means that people at the school respect each other and are nice to each other. What a great idea for an elementary school!

--Victoria
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Twins Playing Together

Like their big brother, they both LOVE trains.  --Victoria

Black History Month (Benji as the inventor Granville T. Woods)

All the students in Benji's first-grade class did presentations about famous Black Americans for Black History Month. They were each assigned one famous Black American to research and learn about and the capstone of the project was a few weeks ago when each child came to school dressed as the famous person they had been learning about. Benji was the inventor Granville T. Woods (1856-1910), a mechanical and electrical engineer who made key contributions to the development of the telephone, street car, and held more than 50 patents. 

When I dropped Benji off in the school cafeteria that morning, I took some photos of these famous characters. In the afternoon, students from other grades came to the first-grade classrooms to learn about the Black Americans each child was portraying. Benji said he talked to 312 people about Granville Woods! I love his school and I am so happy that he seems to be doing well there.

--Victoria
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Benji's Theater Day Camp (when school is closed)

When school was closed a few weeks ago, Benji went to a day camp that put on a series of small shows or vignettes at the end of the day. The children collaborated to choose the topic, plan the script or outline, and make the costumes and props. The topic was "bathroom time" and Benji's group put on a short play about a mom who asks her kids if they need to use the toilet (which they all deny) then has to stop every minute or so because the kids all change their minds and realize that they do have to use the toilet after all. Click on the video links to see the whole thing on youtube! They even have a punch line!

Part 1 of The Play

Part 2 of The Play

--Victoria
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