I haven't been writing much this fall. I think its because I somehow got it in my head that my blog should mean something, have a point, or a purpose. Something other than me whining about laundry or relating the most recent kids' tale.
Know what? Neener neener. My blog. I keep forgeting this. My point when I started this blog a few years ago was just to give me a chance to reflect and chronocle my life. (And why doesn't blogspot have a spellcheck as I type? hmmm? For that matter, why doesn't it have a spell check at all?)
The point of this blog entry is just for me to brag on my babies.
Every year at Christmas, we drive up to Canton to visit with family and friends up in the frozen north. We stay with the Jedi's parents, and spend the rest of the time squeezing in as many visits with others as we can. This year, the Jedi's father (no, that doesn't make Dad a Sith Lord, thanks for asking), this year Dad went into the hospital right before Thanksgiving. After a worrisome week, he was diagnosed with AFib. After another week or so, they finally got medications to even out his heart. He was sent home on oxygen and with a host of meds. He had just started to regain his strength and begin slowly creeping back up towards a healthy weight when he went back into the ER on Monday, four days before Christmas. He had a kidney infection, but his body just didn't have any reserves left to fight off any kind of illness, and the infection just knocked him flat. When Mom called and first described sequence of events and the symptoms, I was worried he must have had a stroke. The doctors put him on antibiotics, but even standing and making it two steps to a portable potty chair sitting beside his hospital bed was a major accomplishment for him on Tuesday afternoon. He wasn't going to be discharged by Christmas, and likely, not even by the end of our stay in Canton.
On the drive up to Canton on Wednesday the 23rd, we weren't yet aware of how long his hospital stay was going to be. I knew how much it meant to Dad to get to see the kids open their presents on Christmas morning. The thought of him not being there for that made me all choked up and teary eyed. We held a family meeting in the van and it was agreed upon (with just a little strong arming by the Mommy), that Christmas morning was not happening until Bapa was there to share it with us, even if that meant we might have to wait until another weekend when we could drive back up to Canton after Bapa was back home and feeling better.
Christmas Eve morning we went to the hospital to see Bapa. Mom got special clearance for the kids to be permitted to go up to visit him (since normal flu season precautions prohibbited minors under the age of 18 from visiting). The kids each made him a drawing to hang in his room. (At one point during the visit, the kids and I had to leave the room because OT had arrived. We headed to the visitor lobby on that floor and worked a puzzle together. We also shared the lobby with a very large extended Amish family, and so were surrounded by gentle German speech as we put our puzzle together.) We grabbed KFC to eat for lunch back at the house, and a plan was hatched to bring Christmas to Bapa the next morning.
Christmas Eve held a party with Mama Mad's family, which was a great deal of fun. The Brunswick elves and all their kin are kind, generous, and funny, and I feel more and more at home with them every time we get together. I would love to relay the "science" quote of the evening, but have been forbidden to do so by Sweetling. The kids slept in the car on the way home from the party. After the Jedi had carried them each into the house and tucked them in bed, we helped Mom wrap gifts and stuff stockings.
On Christmas morning, both children already knew the plan to take Christmas to Bapa. Neither child once asked about opening presents or checking the stockings. (Though Toa of Boy did go stand by the tree and make a visual survey of the gifts.) We all had breakfast and the kids got dressed and ready for the day and then waited patiently for three grown-ups to get showered, dressed, and ready. We put all four stockings in one bag and we put the kids' gifts in another bag (they each had one gift each from Nana and Bapa, so it wasn't like trying to load their entire Christmas haul.) We put on our Santa hats and headed up to the hospital.
In Bapa's room, Christmas greetings were exchanged, and the kids settled into a chair to check out their stockings first. They had each dug out their treasures, when OT arrived again. Dad was very disappointed. He asked, couldn't he please do his OT later? But no, the therapist was going home for Christmas soon, so it was now or never. I told Dad not to worry, we weren't going anywhere and we'd come right back in the room after OT. So, I took the kids, and we headed out.
Neither child expressed the slightest bit of disappointment whatsoever about the interuption. Out in the hallway, I suggested we go check on the puzzle we started yesterday, to see if anyone else had put more of it together. Both children were excited about this idea, and Toa of Boy had to be reminded not to go running off down the hall. The Jedi joined us, and we sat contentedly in the lobby clicking puzzle pieces together. We finished the puzzle and took a picture, and the Jedi went back to check on how Dad was doing. Dad's lunch tray had arrived, so the Jedi suggested the four of us head down to the cafeteria to get something for us to eat as well.
As we sat at the square table on Christmas day with our plastic trays of hospital cafeteria food and bowed our heads to say grace, both children, without any prompting, gave thanks for "seeing Bapa" and "this wonderful Christmas together". Once again, Mommy was all choked up and teary eyed. We put together a chicken salad from the salad bar for Nana, and headed back up to the room. Bapa had saved two cookie packs from his lunch and yesterday's lunch, so that he would have a treat to give to each of the kids. Cookies were happily consumed, and then presents were opened, thanks said, hugs given. Happy children hung out in an arm chair recliner while grown ups visited for a little while longer.
It meant so much to Dad that we came and shared Christmas with him. It meant so much to me that my children did so with patience, kindness, gratitude and selfliness. I think we all came closer to the heart of Christmas this year than we have on any other year.
Monday, December 28, 2009
Monday, December 21, 2009
Cleaning Truisms
If you read my overly wordy post this weekend, you'll know we've been busy. Another way you might be able to tell we've been busy would have been to walk into my house. After three weeks of non-stop projects and activities, my house was beginning to look like a candidate for a "Clean House" episode.
The only reason we've had clean dishes to eat off of for the past week or more is that the Jedi quietly took over dish duty. The Jedi hates clutter, but he knows the Xuan loves Christmas, so he's been suffering in silence while chaos reigns around him.
Last night I announced that Monday would be a house cleaning day. Nothing else was getting done until the house was clean. I think the Jedi felt like cheering. He didn't. He just calmly affirmed me by reminding the kids that this meant no computer, no ds, and no wii till they helped Mommy get the house clean.
So, last night, I wrote a list for each of us on the whiteboard in the kitchen. It was a simple list that, for the kids, read like this...
1. put away laundry
2. clean bedroom
3. clean living room
4. clean school room
5. dust living room and bedroom
6. sort laundry
7. shower and get dressed
My list was similar and went like this
1. Empty and reload dishwasher and water plants
2. Clean kitchen (table, counters, stove, floor) and hang up new Christmas cards
3. clean living room
4. clean downstairs (schoolroom and master bedroom)
5. vacuum
6. sort laundry and start laundry
7. clean bathroom, scrub tub, shower and get dressed.
This morning, I announced that we would set the kitchen timer for 15 minutes and at the end of each 15 minute segment, I would check on everybody's progress. When the kids got one item done on their list, they could either move on to the next item, or they could have a few minutes of free time until I was ready to move onto the next item on my list. It was a good system. It kept everyone on track and broke the work into bite sized chunks.
We got all the cleaning done by 12:40. As we worked, I discovered a few fundamental truths that I felt worth sharing.
The only reason we've had clean dishes to eat off of for the past week or more is that the Jedi quietly took over dish duty. The Jedi hates clutter, but he knows the Xuan loves Christmas, so he's been suffering in silence while chaos reigns around him.
Last night I announced that Monday would be a house cleaning day. Nothing else was getting done until the house was clean. I think the Jedi felt like cheering. He didn't. He just calmly affirmed me by reminding the kids that this meant no computer, no ds, and no wii till they helped Mommy get the house clean.
So, last night, I wrote a list for each of us on the whiteboard in the kitchen. It was a simple list that, for the kids, read like this...
1. put away laundry
2. clean bedroom
3. clean living room
4. clean school room
5. dust living room and bedroom
6. sort laundry
7. shower and get dressed
My list was similar and went like this
1. Empty and reload dishwasher and water plants
2. Clean kitchen (table, counters, stove, floor) and hang up new Christmas cards
3. clean living room
4. clean downstairs (schoolroom and master bedroom)
5. vacuum
6. sort laundry and start laundry
7. clean bathroom, scrub tub, shower and get dressed.
This morning, I announced that we would set the kitchen timer for 15 minutes and at the end of each 15 minute segment, I would check on everybody's progress. When the kids got one item done on their list, they could either move on to the next item, or they could have a few minutes of free time until I was ready to move onto the next item on my list. It was a good system. It kept everyone on track and broke the work into bite sized chunks.
We got all the cleaning done by 12:40. As we worked, I discovered a few fundamental truths that I felt worth sharing.
- Any product that claims it "cuts through kitchen grease" is a bold face liar. I personally believe that the bricks which hold up the gates of hell are mortared together with kitchen grime because its nigh industructable.
- Extraverted 6 year olds are incapable of working independently for 15 minutes without interrupting their mother at least twice.
- "Put it away or I will throw it away," is a great motivational phrase.
- It is possible for a pre-teen girl to clean her bedroom without turning the proceedure into a soap opera.
- Questioning whether one's mother is in danger of violating child labor laws might just get you assigned to a research report on the history of child labor laws. Just saying.
- An aspiring young artist can quickly accumulate a pile of papers in his bedroom that could be pieced together into enough blankets to supply the entire homeless population of a small city.
- You probably don't want to know what the large clunking object was which your vacuum cleaner just sucked up. The important thing to know is that the machine is still working.
Saturday, December 19, 2009
Grown-Ups Make the Rules
It's good to be the grown-up in the house, cause you get to make the rules. (Some of my readers might want to debate the fact that I count as a grown-up. However, by the above definition, I am indeed a grown-up, cause I get to make the rules. Whether the rules that I make represent mature decisions is an entirely different debate.)
We had planned to open our family Christmas presents this morning. We aren't in town on Christmas itself, so we have always had a separate day for a family gift exchange, several days in advance of leaving for Canton so that children had a few days to enjoy and play with their new gifts at home.
The kids have been counting down to this Saturday morning gift exchange for a couple of weeks now. On Wednesday, the Jedi decided Saturday was too far away. Grown-ups make the rules, right? Without telling the children, we decided to bump up the gift exchange to Friday evening and surprise the kids with opening presents a day early.
Let me step back a few days and ramble about all the Christmas preparations that we have been engaged in. First, it was my year to chose how to decorate the tree. (In our family, we take turns chossing the tree decorations each year. The person whose turn it is has complete autonomy and authority in deciding what goes on the tree and how it goes on.) I decided we would have a Jesse tree this year. We've had a Jesse tree before, when it was the Jedi's turn to choose the tree decorations. Our co-op did a Jesse tree ornament exchange last year. Each family picked one day, one ornament, and made enough of that one ornament to give to every other family at the exchange. Each family went home with 24 different homemade ornaments. So, we participated in the Jesse tree ornament exchange this year. There weren't as many participants this year, so each family made two ornaments. We made a whale (from Jonah) and a embroidered heart to represent Ruth's devotion to Naomi.
Twenty-four homemade Jesse tree ornaments, plus a few extra to give to grandparents, was the first extra Christmas project. Additionally, in co-op the sixth grade science teacher had to step out of co-op, and I temporarily took over her class in addition to the 6th grade comp class. And of course, for the last day of co-op, cookies and rice krispie treats needed to be made and goodie bags assembled for the sixth and first grades.
Despite my multiple proclamations that I was NOT doing my usual mass holiday baking, I caved on Wednesday and started baking cookies and treats to go to the adult Tae Kwon Do class and to neighbors. After a baking disaster which had me contemplated throwing away my cookie sheets and buying new ones rather than trying to chisel the ruined mess off of them, I got 10 containers of assorted baked goods ready to go to class with the Jedi Thursday. I still have a batch of snickerdoodles to make today to finish off the containers for neighbors.
While I was baking on Wednesday afternoon, Sweetling put together a cinnamon crumb cake to take to the white elephant exchange at youth group. It was a hot commodity. She was rightly pleased with her efforts and results. The cake went through many hands, despite the ruling that gifts could only be stolen once.
The Saturday before that --last Saturday, time travel with me-- had been the junior high girls' party at Telephone's house. We had a white elephant exchange there as well, where toe socks were present in abundance. The girls also made snowman sugar cookies...which quickly became making sugar cookie representations of the Seasame Street characters.
Because the socks were so popular, Telephone and I went shopping together during the week, after we had spent the morning at church working on one of the dances for the Christmas program. We purchased little gifts to give to each of our junior high girls. The first thing we bought was cool toe socks. Then I found little charm bracelets and earing for my bags and Telephone found lip gloss for her bags and both sets of bags were finished off with candy.
So, Christmas parties, cookies, homemade ornaments, and extra dance practices weren't enough on our holiday plate. I also wanted to do something in place of Christmas cards. So, the kids, Mom, and I made around 90 small Ojo de Dios. We still need to finish coloring the little gift envelopes for each of them so they can all go to church with us tomorrow morning.
Thursday (we're almost back to the proper space-time continuum, hang in there), Thursday we went to Tia Missy's house for a gift exchange. Sweetling got the new Mario Brothers Wii and Toa of Boy got a lego set which builds a oriental dragon, a european red dragon, or a large ogre warrior. He has been busy putting it together since Thursday.
Friday, (see, told you, we are so back on track now), we spent most of the day at church sorting, organizing, and packiing up loads of food for our food pantry to give away. The kids were an amazing help and I am ever so proud of their efforts. We worked from 10 in the morning through lunch till 2 in the afternoon. To reward everyone's efforts, the Jedi got us some Panda Garden for a late lunch, early dinner.
Which brings us all the way back around to the family gift exchange. Let me say that the kids have been counting down the days till present time....but they were JUST AS EXCITED to have others open the presents they bought with their own money as they were to receive presents themselves. As often as they mentioned how many days it was till present time, they also would say things like "You're going to love my present Mommy!" and "I can't wait till (insert name here) opens my present!" So, I'm also very proud of them for being eagr to give gifts, carefully purchased out of their own allowance, for others. (And, in addition to gifts for the family which they bought on their own, they also each bought gifts for our giving tree at church).
So, Friday evening we read the Jesse tree scriptures and put the Jesse tree ornament up, and then the Jedi made the announncement that we would be opening gifts one day early. This news was eagerly received by two children. Mama had told us about an old German custom called "hide the pickle." On Christmas Eve, after children had gone to bed, a green, wooden pickle ornament was hidden on the tree or among the presents. The first person to find the pickle on Christmas morning got to open the first present. We didn't have a pickle ornament, but I had hidden one of our Ojo de Dios ornaments on the tree. Toa found it first, so he got to open the first present.
His first present turned out to be a remote control plane and a remote control helicopter that Mama got for him. The helicopter claims it can be flown indoors. Joy. He also got a couple of DS games, a DS case, a puffle, a loud talking mouse, a Very Monkey Christmsas movie, art supplies, and from Sweetling...a Mario t-shirt and a new bionicle.
Sweetling received a fashion design clothing decorator, a couple ds games, a ds case, a set of hammer bro bling to decorate her ds with, a set of chipmunk jammies, Wii speak, and from Toa she got Merry Madagaskar jammies and Kowalski slipper socks.
Now, for my presents, cause that's what Christmas is all about. Well, that and foot tall lego ogre warriors. I got my netbook from the Jedi the night before the last co-op, so I could take it to co-op with me. My present to the Jedi was to get my hair straightened. Both presents were much appreciated. (The Jedi also appreciated the sweater dress which I received from Smurf.) From Mama I got two more decorated birdhouses to hang in my kitchen and a blokus game, which I've been itching to play again ever since the women's retreat. From Toa, I got a Webkinz guinea pig, which shall be named Giggles. And from Sweetling I got a webkinz reindeer charm AND a fleece penguin blanket which she MADE for me. She bought the fleece with her own money, she brought it home, she measured it and cut it and tied all the tassels and made me this awesome penguin blanket.
Really, this whole long rambling post's sole purpose was for me to say, my Sweetling made me an awesome penguin blanket.
We had planned to open our family Christmas presents this morning. We aren't in town on Christmas itself, so we have always had a separate day for a family gift exchange, several days in advance of leaving for Canton so that children had a few days to enjoy and play with their new gifts at home.
The kids have been counting down to this Saturday morning gift exchange for a couple of weeks now. On Wednesday, the Jedi decided Saturday was too far away. Grown-ups make the rules, right? Without telling the children, we decided to bump up the gift exchange to Friday evening and surprise the kids with opening presents a day early.
Let me step back a few days and ramble about all the Christmas preparations that we have been engaged in. First, it was my year to chose how to decorate the tree. (In our family, we take turns chossing the tree decorations each year. The person whose turn it is has complete autonomy and authority in deciding what goes on the tree and how it goes on.) I decided we would have a Jesse tree this year. We've had a Jesse tree before, when it was the Jedi's turn to choose the tree decorations. Our co-op did a Jesse tree ornament exchange last year. Each family picked one day, one ornament, and made enough of that one ornament to give to every other family at the exchange. Each family went home with 24 different homemade ornaments. So, we participated in the Jesse tree ornament exchange this year. There weren't as many participants this year, so each family made two ornaments. We made a whale (from Jonah) and a embroidered heart to represent Ruth's devotion to Naomi.
Twenty-four homemade Jesse tree ornaments, plus a few extra to give to grandparents, was the first extra Christmas project. Additionally, in co-op the sixth grade science teacher had to step out of co-op, and I temporarily took over her class in addition to the 6th grade comp class. And of course, for the last day of co-op, cookies and rice krispie treats needed to be made and goodie bags assembled for the sixth and first grades.
Despite my multiple proclamations that I was NOT doing my usual mass holiday baking, I caved on Wednesday and started baking cookies and treats to go to the adult Tae Kwon Do class and to neighbors. After a baking disaster which had me contemplated throwing away my cookie sheets and buying new ones rather than trying to chisel the ruined mess off of them, I got 10 containers of assorted baked goods ready to go to class with the Jedi Thursday. I still have a batch of snickerdoodles to make today to finish off the containers for neighbors.
While I was baking on Wednesday afternoon, Sweetling put together a cinnamon crumb cake to take to the white elephant exchange at youth group. It was a hot commodity. She was rightly pleased with her efforts and results. The cake went through many hands, despite the ruling that gifts could only be stolen once.
The Saturday before that --last Saturday, time travel with me-- had been the junior high girls' party at Telephone's house. We had a white elephant exchange there as well, where toe socks were present in abundance. The girls also made snowman sugar cookies...which quickly became making sugar cookie representations of the Seasame Street characters.
Because the socks were so popular, Telephone and I went shopping together during the week, after we had spent the morning at church working on one of the dances for the Christmas program. We purchased little gifts to give to each of our junior high girls. The first thing we bought was cool toe socks. Then I found little charm bracelets and earing for my bags and Telephone found lip gloss for her bags and both sets of bags were finished off with candy.
So, Christmas parties, cookies, homemade ornaments, and extra dance practices weren't enough on our holiday plate. I also wanted to do something in place of Christmas cards. So, the kids, Mom, and I made around 90 small Ojo de Dios. We still need to finish coloring the little gift envelopes for each of them so they can all go to church with us tomorrow morning.
Thursday (we're almost back to the proper space-time continuum, hang in there), Thursday we went to Tia Missy's house for a gift exchange. Sweetling got the new Mario Brothers Wii and Toa of Boy got a lego set which builds a oriental dragon, a european red dragon, or a large ogre warrior. He has been busy putting it together since Thursday.
Friday, (see, told you, we are so back on track now), we spent most of the day at church sorting, organizing, and packiing up loads of food for our food pantry to give away. The kids were an amazing help and I am ever so proud of their efforts. We worked from 10 in the morning through lunch till 2 in the afternoon. To reward everyone's efforts, the Jedi got us some Panda Garden for a late lunch, early dinner.
Which brings us all the way back around to the family gift exchange. Let me say that the kids have been counting down the days till present time....but they were JUST AS EXCITED to have others open the presents they bought with their own money as they were to receive presents themselves. As often as they mentioned how many days it was till present time, they also would say things like "You're going to love my present Mommy!" and "I can't wait till (insert name here) opens my present!" So, I'm also very proud of them for being eagr to give gifts, carefully purchased out of their own allowance, for others. (And, in addition to gifts for the family which they bought on their own, they also each bought gifts for our giving tree at church).
So, Friday evening we read the Jesse tree scriptures and put the Jesse tree ornament up, and then the Jedi made the announncement that we would be opening gifts one day early. This news was eagerly received by two children. Mama had told us about an old German custom called "hide the pickle." On Christmas Eve, after children had gone to bed, a green, wooden pickle ornament was hidden on the tree or among the presents. The first person to find the pickle on Christmas morning got to open the first present. We didn't have a pickle ornament, but I had hidden one of our Ojo de Dios ornaments on the tree. Toa found it first, so he got to open the first present.
His first present turned out to be a remote control plane and a remote control helicopter that Mama got for him. The helicopter claims it can be flown indoors. Joy. He also got a couple of DS games, a DS case, a puffle, a loud talking mouse, a Very Monkey Christmsas movie, art supplies, and from Sweetling...a Mario t-shirt and a new bionicle.
Sweetling received a fashion design clothing decorator, a couple ds games, a ds case, a set of hammer bro bling to decorate her ds with, a set of chipmunk jammies, Wii speak, and from Toa she got Merry Madagaskar jammies and Kowalski slipper socks.
Now, for my presents, cause that's what Christmas is all about. Well, that and foot tall lego ogre warriors. I got my netbook from the Jedi the night before the last co-op, so I could take it to co-op with me. My present to the Jedi was to get my hair straightened. Both presents were much appreciated. (The Jedi also appreciated the sweater dress which I received from Smurf.) From Mama I got two more decorated birdhouses to hang in my kitchen and a blokus game, which I've been itching to play again ever since the women's retreat. From Toa, I got a Webkinz guinea pig, which shall be named Giggles. And from Sweetling I got a webkinz reindeer charm AND a fleece penguin blanket which she MADE for me. She bought the fleece with her own money, she brought it home, she measured it and cut it and tied all the tassels and made me this awesome penguin blanket.
Really, this whole long rambling post's sole purpose was for me to say, my Sweetling made me an awesome penguin blanket.
Saturday, December 12, 2009
Algebra and Son of Algebra
As promised on Facebook, here are some of our current algebra problems. Some humor was also promised, but there is little funny about algebra on a Saturday morning. I shall leave it to Mensley to supply the humor.
We have been factoring polynomials, learning the differences of two squares, how to factor a perfect square trinomial, how to factor ax2+bx+c, and how to factor out the greatest possible monomial.
Our strategy for factoring ax2+bx+c was summed up with a King Julien quote, "Now start pulling things out of other things and putting them into new things and it should fix my smoothie maker."
The last lesson we did was titled "factoring completely" and combined lots of factoring techniques. We did the sample problems together, and then attempted the assessment problems independently...which is our standard algebra approach.
Here are the problems, for those of you who'd like to work them. I'd also suggest a 12 step program for those same people, but I really, really need their help with #46. So, don't go looking for a cure for yourselves yet.
#10. 3xy2 - 27x3
#20. 180x2y -108xy2 -75x3
#28. a2 - b2 + ac - bc
#36. 8a3 + 4a2b - 2ab2 - b3
#38. 3x5 + 15x3 - 108x
#46. (x-2)(x2-1)-6x-6
And here are my solutions. My answers line up with the teacher guide answer key, so I know they are correct. (Or the text is also wrong, one of those two outcomes.)
#10. 3xy2 - 27x3
That's easy. we just factor out a 3x and are left with the difference of two squares, which we further factor tp get
3x(y-3x)(y+3x)
#20. 180x2y -108xy2 -75x3
Again, we factor out a -3x and then are left with a perfect square trinomial to factor down for a final
-3x(5x-6y)2
#28. a2 - b2 + ac - bc
The first two terms in this are the difference of two squares, so we factor down those and then factor out a c from the last two terms.
That leaves us with (a-b)(a+b)+c(a-b)
and from that we factor out (a-b) and get
(a-b)(a+b+c)
#36. 8a3 + 4a2b - 2ab2 - b3
I had to make three attempts at this one. Eventually, I rearranged the terms to 8z3 - 2ab2 + 4a2b - b3
Then I factored a 2a from the first two terms and a b from the last two terms. So,
2a(4a2-b2) + b(4a2 - b2)
Which can be written as (2a + b)(4a2 - b2)
And since the second factor is the difference of two squares, our final factoring is (2a+b)(2a-b)(2a+b) or (2a+b)2(2a-b)
#38. 3x5 + 15x3 - 108x
We factor out a 3x and then factor the remaining trinomial to get
3x(x2+9)(x2-4)
The last factor is the difference between two squares, so the final factoring is 3x(x2+9)(x+2)(x-2)
Which leads me to my nemisis. I was rather hoping that the solution would magically occur to me as I was typing in the other problems. Especially since I was using html tags for my superscripts. Using html tags should automatically boost my brain power, right?
Alas, the html brain vitamins failed me.
#46. (x-2)(x2-1)-6x-6
And in a final flashback to highschool, please show your work. (Cause I know what the answer is supposed to be, I just can't figure how to get there.)
We have been factoring polynomials, learning the differences of two squares, how to factor a perfect square trinomial, how to factor ax2+bx+c, and how to factor out the greatest possible monomial.
Our strategy for factoring ax2+bx+c was summed up with a King Julien quote, "Now start pulling things out of other things and putting them into new things and it should fix my smoothie maker."
The last lesson we did was titled "factoring completely" and combined lots of factoring techniques. We did the sample problems together, and then attempted the assessment problems independently...which is our standard algebra approach.
Here are the problems, for those of you who'd like to work them. I'd also suggest a 12 step program for those same people, but I really, really need their help with #46. So, don't go looking for a cure for yourselves yet.
#10. 3xy2 - 27x3
#20. 180x2y -108xy2 -75x3
#28. a2 - b2 + ac - bc
#36. 8a3 + 4a2b - 2ab2 - b3
#38. 3x5 + 15x3 - 108x
#46. (x-2)(x2-1)-6x-6
And here are my solutions. My answers line up with the teacher guide answer key, so I know they are correct. (Or the text is also wrong, one of those two outcomes.)
#10. 3xy2 - 27x3
That's easy. we just factor out a 3x and are left with the difference of two squares, which we further factor tp get
3x(y-3x)(y+3x)
#20. 180x2y -108xy2 -75x3
Again, we factor out a -3x and then are left with a perfect square trinomial to factor down for a final
-3x(5x-6y)2
#28. a2 - b2 + ac - bc
The first two terms in this are the difference of two squares, so we factor down those and then factor out a c from the last two terms.
That leaves us with (a-b)(a+b)+c(a-b)
and from that we factor out (a-b) and get
(a-b)(a+b+c)
#36. 8a3 + 4a2b - 2ab2 - b3
I had to make three attempts at this one. Eventually, I rearranged the terms to 8z3 - 2ab2 + 4a2b - b3
Then I factored a 2a from the first two terms and a b from the last two terms. So,
2a(4a2-b2) + b(4a2 - b2)
Which can be written as (2a + b)(4a2 - b2)
And since the second factor is the difference of two squares, our final factoring is (2a+b)(2a-b)(2a+b) or (2a+b)2(2a-b)
#38. 3x5 + 15x3 - 108x
We factor out a 3x and then factor the remaining trinomial to get
3x(x2+9)(x2-4)
The last factor is the difference between two squares, so the final factoring is 3x(x2+9)(x+2)(x-2)
Which leads me to my nemisis. I was rather hoping that the solution would magically occur to me as I was typing in the other problems. Especially since I was using html tags for my superscripts. Using html tags should automatically boost my brain power, right?
Alas, the html brain vitamins failed me.
#46. (x-2)(x2-1)-6x-6
And in a final flashback to highschool, please show your work. (Cause I know what the answer is supposed to be, I just can't figure how to get there.)
Monday, December 07, 2009
Monday Morning in December
Just a few observations:
--We're on a homeschooling snow delay. This means that although the weather in no way interfers with our schooling, the first dusting of snow is on the ground outside and it must be stomped in before it melts away for the day. There is nowhere near enough snow to make snowballs to throw, yet the children are out there giving that their best efforts. I'm watching through the kitchen window.
--Flatscreens, despite their slim appearance, are surprisingly heavy for their size.
--No, I didn't drop it.
--The actual computer box is even heavier. Plus, my computer box isn't a tower, it lays down. It lays down so flat that it was near impossible to try to wiggle my fingers under it to pick it up.
--Plastic tablecloths, no matter how bright and cheery, are not a good option to use under a computer. Computers get warm, you see, so even when you finally manage to get your fingers under the computer to pick it up, the plastic table cloth will have partially melted and become glued to the bottom of the computer, making it impossible to easily move from one spot on the table to another.
--After putting one edge of the computer down and tearing the tablecloth away from its bottom, you get to repeat the step before last.
--Not one, but two school buses have gone past with small children longily looking out of bus windows at my children happily playing in the snow.
--Through the kitchen window, I called yellow car on both the first school bus and the yellow salt truck. Sweetling may or may not have been amused, you never can tell with bees.
--I decided, much earlier this morning, that I never want to sit at my school computer to write or work, because I don't have any desk space to the left of my keyboard to put notebooks, snacks, grocery fliers, or other needed items. Now my computer, despite its bond with the tablecloth, sits happily in the middle of the table, leaving me a nice work space on the left to quickly clutter up.
--I think my computer might finally be close to recognizing my authority. When I put the flat screen back on top of the box, the flat screen was very politely displaying a window titled "Help and Support Center". I think it was the machine's deferential way of suggesting I might have sought some help in this tiny relocation project.
--Yes, I moved it when the computer was on. I don't know if that's good for the machine or not, so let's not tell the Jedi. But really, I didn't think it would be that big of a deal to just move the system 18 inches to the right.
--To demonstrate my new dominance over the computer, I uploaded some snow play photos from my camera. Take that technology.
--Lastly, a second cup of hot chocolate is 150 calories. According to CalorieCount, if I weighed 150 lbs, which I don't, I could burn off those calories by vacuuming for 40 minutes. Hmmm... so...if I vacuum my house and switch my loads of laundry, I can totally justify a second cup of hot chocolate? I love the internet.
--We're on a homeschooling snow delay. This means that although the weather in no way interfers with our schooling, the first dusting of snow is on the ground outside and it must be stomped in before it melts away for the day. There is nowhere near enough snow to make snowballs to throw, yet the children are out there giving that their best efforts. I'm watching through the kitchen window.
--Flatscreens, despite their slim appearance, are surprisingly heavy for their size.
--No, I didn't drop it.
--The actual computer box is even heavier. Plus, my computer box isn't a tower, it lays down. It lays down so flat that it was near impossible to try to wiggle my fingers under it to pick it up.
--Plastic tablecloths, no matter how bright and cheery, are not a good option to use under a computer. Computers get warm, you see, so even when you finally manage to get your fingers under the computer to pick it up, the plastic table cloth will have partially melted and become glued to the bottom of the computer, making it impossible to easily move from one spot on the table to another.
--After putting one edge of the computer down and tearing the tablecloth away from its bottom, you get to repeat the step before last.
--Not one, but two school buses have gone past with small children longily looking out of bus windows at my children happily playing in the snow.
--Through the kitchen window, I called yellow car on both the first school bus and the yellow salt truck. Sweetling may or may not have been amused, you never can tell with bees.
--I decided, much earlier this morning, that I never want to sit at my school computer to write or work, because I don't have any desk space to the left of my keyboard to put notebooks, snacks, grocery fliers, or other needed items. Now my computer, despite its bond with the tablecloth, sits happily in the middle of the table, leaving me a nice work space on the left to quickly clutter up.
--I think my computer might finally be close to recognizing my authority. When I put the flat screen back on top of the box, the flat screen was very politely displaying a window titled "Help and Support Center". I think it was the machine's deferential way of suggesting I might have sought some help in this tiny relocation project.
--Yes, I moved it when the computer was on. I don't know if that's good for the machine or not, so let's not tell the Jedi. But really, I didn't think it would be that big of a deal to just move the system 18 inches to the right.
--To demonstrate my new dominance over the computer, I uploaded some snow play photos from my camera. Take that technology.
--Lastly, a second cup of hot chocolate is 150 calories. According to CalorieCount, if I weighed 150 lbs, which I don't, I could burn off those calories by vacuuming for 40 minutes. Hmmm... so...if I vacuum my house and switch my loads of laundry, I can totally justify a second cup of hot chocolate? I love the internet.
Saturday, December 05, 2009
Research Paper--Special Option
The next unit we will be working on in 6th grade composition is the research paper. Since over half the class wrote a traditional research paper in co-op last year, I wanted to provide a slightly different option for the research paper unit this year. I tried to make it perfectly clear to the class that they were more than welcome to write a standard research paper if they were more comfortable with that. OR, they could take what was behind door number two, and participate in a special assignment.
Here are the basic instructions for this optional alternative to the basic reseach paper.
Imagine if there were a national family magizine hosting a contest open to junior high students. Imagine if the grand prize of the contest was an all expense paid family vacation of your design and choosing plus the opportunity to have your family vacation chronicled and then featured as a major cover story for the magazine. To enter this contest, the stundent must research, plan, and budget a family vacation and submit a written proposal of the vacation's iternerary and budget.
Here is what each student should do, (if they choose to participate in this option):
Research, plan, and budget a family vacation using the following guidelines--
1. The vacation should have a unique theme or approach, something that sets their proposed vacation apart from other entries in the contest. The theme could be historical, educational, scientific, "all-American," or it could pertain to the family's unique past and history (such as tracing the path and places great-great-grandparents lived when first arriving in America.)
2. The vacation may take place anywhere in the 50 U.S. states (including Washington D.C.). Multiple sites may be visited, or the vacation can center around one locale.
3. The vacation must stay within a budget of $2000 per family member. This budget should include all costs of the trip such as lodging; transportation (including gas money roughly calculated by mileage, cost of rental cars if applicable, plane or train tickets if applicable); food (for every meal and snacks for every person); and any additional fees such as admission to museums or parks, or any special supplies or equipment needed to be rented or purchased, such as camping gear, scrapbooks, cameras, etc, if the family does not already possess the specific items needed.
4. The vacation may be as long or as short as desired, provided that the vacation stays within the budget allowed.
5. The student may research destinations, restaurants, costs, etc on the internet and may receive help from a parent or other older person in determining reasonable cost estimates for food and gas. The student may also write to tourism and travel bureaus and request brochures or pamphlets to help them plan the vacation.
Due Dates:
Dec 10 --Have topic for traditional paper chosen, or have vacation theme and some destinations in mind. (Or at least have topic or vacation narrowed down to one or two possibilites). In class we will be learning about finding infomation, bibliography cards, and note taking (Unit 5: lssns 3-5).
Note, if your student chooses to write a traditional paper, lesson 2 should be completed at home.
During Christmas Break--Be doing research on topic or on vacation. Complete all notecards and bibliography cards.
Jan 14 -- Notecards due!!! Bring completed notecards back to co-op. The bulk of reasearch should now be complete! In class we will be learning about making outlines (Unit 5: lssn 8-9).
Jan 21 -- Outilines due! (just one copy is needed) In class we will be covering Unit 5: lssns 10-12
Jan 28 -- Rough draft of introductory paragraph(s) are due. Just one copy is needed and can be shared aloud with the class. In class we will cover Unit 5: lssns 13-16.
Feb 4--Research Reports Due! Please bring 10 hole-punched copies of the final report to be shared with the class.
Format for the Vacation Proposal
If your student chooses to research and plan a vacation instead of completing a standard research paper, the final paper would look something like this:
The first few paragraphs of the vacation proposal will be introductory paragraphs. These paragraphs will include a hook to grab the readers attention, an brief description of where the student plans to go on vacation, and an explanation of why this vacation was chosen and what makes this vacation unique.
A brief description of day one, which should start with leaving the home. Include where the family will be stopping to eat, or a menu if a picnic lunch and dinner are packed for traveling. Under the description will be a list, with or without bullet points, for the costs of each stop during day one. Include any weblinks where applicable If the family is traveling in the family car, it might look like so:
Follow the same format of a paragraph of description for each day and a cost breakdown for each day.
In the concluding paragraph(s) of the proposal, the student should explain what he or she hopes to learn or gain from the experience. Also, think of and describe a way to record what you experienced. Finally, answer the question of why you think these experiences will make a life long impression, or difference, to you. Will a trip like this matter 10, 20, 30 or more years from now?
Here are the basic instructions for this optional alternative to the basic reseach paper.
Imagine if there were a national family magizine hosting a contest open to junior high students. Imagine if the grand prize of the contest was an all expense paid family vacation of your design and choosing plus the opportunity to have your family vacation chronicled and then featured as a major cover story for the magazine. To enter this contest, the stundent must research, plan, and budget a family vacation and submit a written proposal of the vacation's iternerary and budget.
Here is what each student should do, (if they choose to participate in this option):
Research, plan, and budget a family vacation using the following guidelines--
1. The vacation should have a unique theme or approach, something that sets their proposed vacation apart from other entries in the contest. The theme could be historical, educational, scientific, "all-American," or it could pertain to the family's unique past and history (such as tracing the path and places great-great-grandparents lived when first arriving in America.)
2. The vacation may take place anywhere in the 50 U.S. states (including Washington D.C.). Multiple sites may be visited, or the vacation can center around one locale.
3. The vacation must stay within a budget of $2000 per family member. This budget should include all costs of the trip such as lodging; transportation (including gas money roughly calculated by mileage, cost of rental cars if applicable, plane or train tickets if applicable); food (for every meal and snacks for every person); and any additional fees such as admission to museums or parks, or any special supplies or equipment needed to be rented or purchased, such as camping gear, scrapbooks, cameras, etc, if the family does not already possess the specific items needed.
4. The vacation may be as long or as short as desired, provided that the vacation stays within the budget allowed.
5. The student may research destinations, restaurants, costs, etc on the internet and may receive help from a parent or other older person in determining reasonable cost estimates for food and gas. The student may also write to tourism and travel bureaus and request brochures or pamphlets to help them plan the vacation.
Due Dates:
Dec 10 --Have topic for traditional paper chosen, or have vacation theme and some destinations in mind. (Or at least have topic or vacation narrowed down to one or two possibilites). In class we will be learning about finding infomation, bibliography cards, and note taking (Unit 5: lssns 3-5).
Note, if your student chooses to write a traditional paper, lesson 2 should be completed at home.
During Christmas Break--Be doing research on topic or on vacation. Complete all notecards and bibliography cards.
Jan 14 -- Notecards due!!! Bring completed notecards back to co-op. The bulk of reasearch should now be complete! In class we will be learning about making outlines (Unit 5: lssn 8-9).
Jan 21 -- Outilines due! (just one copy is needed) In class we will be covering Unit 5: lssns 10-12
Jan 28 -- Rough draft of introductory paragraph(s) are due. Just one copy is needed and can be shared aloud with the class. In class we will cover Unit 5: lssns 13-16.
Feb 4--Research Reports Due! Please bring 10 hole-punched copies of the final report to be shared with the class.
Format for the Vacation Proposal
If your student chooses to research and plan a vacation instead of completing a standard research paper, the final paper would look something like this:
Snappy Title of Vacation
The first few paragraphs of the vacation proposal will be introductory paragraphs. These paragraphs will include a hook to grab the readers attention, an brief description of where the student plans to go on vacation, and an explanation of why this vacation was chosen and what makes this vacation unique.
Day One
A brief description of day one, which should start with leaving the home. Include where the family will be stopping to eat, or a menu if a picnic lunch and dinner are packed for traveling. Under the description will be a list, with or without bullet points, for the costs of each stop during day one. Include any weblinks where applicable If the family is traveling in the family car, it might look like so:
- Gas: $x for the day. Car gets n miles per gallon and we will be traveling y miles in the first day.
- Lunch: $x total, with $z per family member at McDonald's or other fast food off highway exit.
- Snacks: $x total: Pillsbury cookies baked ahead of time and apple slices.
- Dinner: $x total, with $z per family member at Mia Pizza Ria in City, State. www.miapizza.com
- Lodging: $0 We are staying with Aunt Pat, who lives in City, State and visiting with our cousins since they are on our way to our final destination.
Day Two
Here will be a brief overview of the vacation day two. A description of any stops the family will be making and why those stops have been chosen should go in here. Again, a cost break down of the day and any relevant weblinks should be included. Like so- Breakfast: $0 We will be having breakfast at Aunt Pat's.
- Gas: $x for the day. Car gets n miles per gallon and we will be traveling y miles in the second day.
- Lunch: $ ....
- State Park/National Monument/Museum/Zoo: $x total, with admission at $ per adult and $ per child. www.website.com
- Snacks: $ total for $ per person spent at Zoo
- Dinner: $.....
- Lodging $ for night stay at Named Hotel.
Day Etc
Follow the same format of a paragraph of description for each day and a cost breakdown for each day.
Back at Home (or whatever you wish to title your conclusion section)
In the concluding paragraph(s) of the proposal, the student should explain what he or she hopes to learn or gain from the experience. Also, think of and describe a way to record what you experienced. Finally, answer the question of why you think these experiences will make a life long impression, or difference, to you. Will a trip like this matter 10, 20, 30 or more years from now?
Wednesday, December 02, 2009
Bucket List, or, Watch Me Fail at Tagging People Despite the Built-in Instructions
Bucket ListShare
Place an X by all the things you've done and remove the X from the ones you have not, then tag your friends (including me).
And--If you're copying this list from Xuan, you should also delete my comments from the list items.
(To do this, go to “notes” under tabs on your profile page, paste these instructions in the body of the note, do the list and tag 25 people (in the right hand corner of the app) then click publish.) If you don't see the Tag people in the upper right hand corner you are in the wrong place.)
Things you have done during your lifetime:
(X ) Gone on a blind date
(X ) Donated Blood
(X) Skipped school
(X) Watched someone die
(X) Been to Canada
( ) Been to Mexico --technically no, but I flew over Mexico on our way to Guatemala, so I think I should get partial credit.
(X) Been to Florida
( ) Been to Hawaii
(X) Been on a plane
( ) Been on a helicopter
(X) Been lost --Dude, I should get bonus points.
(X) Gone to Washington, DC
( ) Hugged a homeless person
(X) Swam in the ocean
( ) Swam with Stingrays
( ) Been sailing in the ocean
(X) Cried yourself to sleep
(X) Played cops and robbers
(X) Recently colored with crayons
( ) Ran a marathon
(X) Sang Karaoke
(X ) Volunteered at a soup kitchen
( X) Paid for a meal with coins only
(X) Been to the top of the St. Louis Arch
( ) Seen the Northern Lights
( ) Been Parasailing
( ) Been on TV
(X) Done something you told yourself you wouldn't
(X) Made prank phone calls
(X ) Been down Bourbon Street in New Orleans
(X) Laughed until some kind of beverage came out of your nose
( ) Fed an elephant
(X) Caught a snowflake on your tongue
( ) Fired a gun
(X ) Danced in the rain
(X ) Been to the Opera
( ) Written a letter to Santa Claus
(X ) Serenaded someone --define "serenade". Does it have to be done outside someone's window at night? I sing at people all the time....though annoying jingles left on voice mail might not count as serenading them. Neither do my happy good morning songs I bet. I've *been* serenaded though, so I'm giving myself the point.
( ) Seen a U.S.President in person
( ) Been kissed under the mistletoe
( X) Watched the sunrise with someone
( ) Driven a race car
(X) Been to a National Museum
( ) Been to a Wax Museum --creepy. I have no desire to go. Of course, I don't really desire to swim with stingrays either, but I'm guessing the original writer of this list meant manta rays on that earlier item.
( ) Eaten caviar
(X) Blown bubbles
(X) Gone ice-skating
(X) Gone to the movies
( ) Been deep sea fishing
( ) Driven across the United States
( ) Been in a hot air balloon
( ) Been sky diving
( ) Gone snowmobiling
(X ) Lived in more than one country --France when I was three. Now you all know.
(X ) Lay down outside at night and admired the stars while listening to the crickets
(X) Seen a falling star and made a wish
( ) Enjoyed the beauty of Old Faithful Geyser
( ) Seen the Grand Canyon
( ) Seen the Statue of Liberty
( ) Gone to the top of Seattle Space Needle
( ) Been on a cruise
( X) Traveled by train
( ) Traveled by motorcycle--getting a ride around the block on my cousin's motorcycle when I was 13 prolly doesn't count as travel.
(X) Traveled by Greyhound bus
(X) Been horse back riding
( ) Ridden on a San Francisco cable car
(X) Been to Disneyland OR Disney World
(X) Truly believe in the power of prayer
( ) Been in a rain forest
(X ) Been to Niagara Falls --booya!
( ) Ridden on an elephant --camel at the Festival of Lights, no elephant.
( ) Swam with dolphins
( ) Been to the Olympics
( ) Walked on the Great Wall of China
( ) Saw and heard a glacier calf
( ) Been spinnaker flying
(X ) Been water-skiing --though I fell off every time I had to try to cross the wake of the boat.
( ) Been snow-skiing
( ) Been to Westminster Abbey
( ) Been to the Louvre --technically, this should be a yes, but I don't remember it at all, so I'm counting it as a no.
( X) Went up on the Eiffel Tower --if the Louvre and the Seattle Space Needle and the St Louis Arch all get spots, so does the Eiffel Tower. And I do remember it, so its going on the list.
( ) Saw the Great Pyramids
( ) Swam in the Mediterranean
( ) Been to a Major League Baseball game
( ) Been to a National Football League game
( ) Swam with sharks --no, but I touched them at the Newport Aquarium's touch tank.
( ) Been White Water Rafting
( ) Written a book or screen play--I am a sad and sorry NaNo drop-out.
( ) Ridden on a paddleboat down a river
( ) Gotten a tatoo
( ) Climbed a mountain
Place an X by all the things you've done and remove the X from the ones you have not, then tag your friends (including me).
And--If you're copying this list from Xuan, you should also delete my comments from the list items.
(To do this, go to “notes” under tabs on your profile page, paste these instructions in the body of the note, do the list and tag 25 people (in the right hand corner of the app) then click publish.) If you don't see the Tag people in the upper right hand corner you are in the wrong place.)
Things you have done during your lifetime:
(X ) Gone on a blind date
(X ) Donated Blood
(X) Skipped school
(X) Watched someone die
(X) Been to Canada
( ) Been to Mexico --technically no, but I flew over Mexico on our way to Guatemala, so I think I should get partial credit.
(X) Been to Florida
( ) Been to Hawaii
(X) Been on a plane
( ) Been on a helicopter
(X) Been lost --Dude, I should get bonus points.
(X) Gone to Washington, DC
( ) Hugged a homeless person
(X) Swam in the ocean
( ) Swam with Stingrays
( ) Been sailing in the ocean
(X) Cried yourself to sleep
(X) Played cops and robbers
(X) Recently colored with crayons
( ) Ran a marathon
(X) Sang Karaoke
(X ) Volunteered at a soup kitchen
( X) Paid for a meal with coins only
(X) Been to the top of the St. Louis Arch
( ) Seen the Northern Lights
( ) Been Parasailing
( ) Been on TV
(X) Done something you told yourself you wouldn't
(X) Made prank phone calls
(X ) Been down Bourbon Street in New Orleans
(X) Laughed until some kind of beverage came out of your nose
( ) Fed an elephant
(X) Caught a snowflake on your tongue
( ) Fired a gun
(X ) Danced in the rain
(X ) Been to the Opera
( ) Written a letter to Santa Claus
(X ) Serenaded someone --define "serenade". Does it have to be done outside someone's window at night? I sing at people all the time....though annoying jingles left on voice mail might not count as serenading them. Neither do my happy good morning songs I bet. I've *been* serenaded though, so I'm giving myself the point.
( ) Seen a U.S.President in person
( ) Been kissed under the mistletoe
( X) Watched the sunrise with someone
( ) Driven a race car
(X) Been to a National Museum
( ) Been to a Wax Museum --creepy. I have no desire to go. Of course, I don't really desire to swim with stingrays either, but I'm guessing the original writer of this list meant manta rays on that earlier item.
( ) Eaten caviar
(X) Blown bubbles
(X) Gone ice-skating
(X) Gone to the movies
( ) Been deep sea fishing
( ) Driven across the United States
( ) Been in a hot air balloon
( ) Been sky diving
( ) Gone snowmobiling
(X ) Lived in more than one country --France when I was three. Now you all know.
(X ) Lay down outside at night and admired the stars while listening to the crickets
(X) Seen a falling star and made a wish
( ) Enjoyed the beauty of Old Faithful Geyser
( ) Seen the Grand Canyon
( ) Seen the Statue of Liberty
( ) Gone to the top of Seattle Space Needle
( ) Been on a cruise
( X) Traveled by train
( ) Traveled by motorcycle--getting a ride around the block on my cousin's motorcycle when I was 13 prolly doesn't count as travel.
(X) Traveled by Greyhound bus
(X) Been horse back riding
( ) Ridden on a San Francisco cable car
(X) Been to Disneyland OR Disney World
(X) Truly believe in the power of prayer
( ) Been in a rain forest
(X ) Been to Niagara Falls --booya!
( ) Ridden on an elephant --camel at the Festival of Lights, no elephant.
( ) Swam with dolphins
( ) Been to the Olympics
( ) Walked on the Great Wall of China
( ) Saw and heard a glacier calf
( ) Been spinnaker flying
(X ) Been water-skiing --though I fell off every time I had to try to cross the wake of the boat.
( ) Been snow-skiing
( ) Been to Westminster Abbey
( ) Been to the Louvre --technically, this should be a yes, but I don't remember it at all, so I'm counting it as a no.
( X) Went up on the Eiffel Tower --if the Louvre and the Seattle Space Needle and the St Louis Arch all get spots, so does the Eiffel Tower. And I do remember it, so its going on the list.
( ) Saw the Great Pyramids
( ) Swam in the Mediterranean
( ) Been to a Major League Baseball game
( ) Been to a National Football League game
( ) Swam with sharks --no, but I touched them at the Newport Aquarium's touch tank.
( ) Been White Water Rafting
( ) Written a book or screen play--I am a sad and sorry NaNo drop-out.
( ) Ridden on a paddleboat down a river
( ) Gotten a tatoo
( ) Climbed a mountain
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