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What is an Egg Drop?
Well, this is interesting. On the last day of school, the fifth graders, as if Mini Mall was not enough, are now participating in an Egg Drop. Donice? Can one of the 5 Dave’s spread some light? “We will celebrate our last day together by completing one of our best hopes for the year. You may work with partners or work alone to create a safe way to drop an egg off the top step of the Middle School Stadium. (This is the new home school the soon-to-be-6th graders.) The goal is for the egg to endure the trip without breaking!” THE RULES Your egg: must be raw visible from…
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Easy Way to Grow Disease-Free Roses
If you have roses in your garden, they’re probably blooming right now. If not, it could be because your rose plant is plagued with: Powdery Mildew Black Spot Brown Canker I’ve had them all. About 8 years ago, I found a tip, and I’ve used it every year, and it always works. I have disease free roses with this one, simple act: I plant chives around the rose. No chemicals. No “timed” applications. Just chives. Chives are companion plants to roses. I think it’s the oniony-scent of the chives that deters the roses from becoming attacked. Companion planting is a very easy way to garden — it can makes gardening…
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They Will Never Go Hungry: The Benefits or Mini Mall
Want to watch fifth graders count money? See it here. I guess if Mini-Mall has taught the 5th graders anything, it is this: No matter how broke you are, if you can get access to an 88 cent box of Blue Jell-O and some boiling water, you can make some money. Actually just some rocks, empty baby food jars or some sponges could do the trick. The act of accounting for every penny of production has been eye-opening for them — I even sat in on a discussion over whether they should use funds for a new tablecloth for their store front. But, the real beauty of it all, was…
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Memorial Day and “Politically Correctness”
Military holidays are always tough for me. I never get it quite right when I want to take a stand. When I was young, maybe 5 or 6, my family watched theVietnam draft on TV. Numbers scrolled a blue screen. My parents watched with worry, fear, and a look of “say it isn’t so.” My father, the oldest of 4 boys (and 3 girls), was past the age of this draft. He had already served his time. But his brothers were ripe for drafting. One by one, like a clock ticking, each one of my Father’s brothers (my uncles) was drafted. I could feel an anxiety in my parents that…
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Fresh Old Fashioned Lemonade Recipe
Summer’s sunshine in a glass. This is the recipe from an old boyfriend, Kevin’s, Mother. Thank goodness Kevin and I didn’t make it. I’d have to spend the rest of my life pinning away for my true love. But Kevin’s Mom could make some really good lemonade. She always put fresh sliced oranges in the lemonade pitcher to cut the tartness. If I had never met the guy, I wouldn’t have this recipe. Yet, I can’t get that first date out of my head: Mount Adams, eating outside at a restaurant that overlooked the city, knowing his Mom’s lemonade was waiting for us when we got back . . .…
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My two year old swims
He was two, and his mantra was “Go back — go back” Meaning, you’re too close to me — I want to jump farther. Our city pool opens today, so we’re heading back to the scene where this video was shot. He’s 3 now, but when he was swimming like this he was two. It will be interesting to see how different the masked crusader may or may not act in the water, after a winter of hibernation from the pool. Happy Memorial Day!
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Update to MiniMall
On the advice of my 5-year-old, I should not report this on my blog. But, I think you’re all honest readers — he thinks if I tell his brother made $227 today from mini-mall, someone reading this might steal the money. I am proud of them. Sales the first day were around $70, and they have one day left to sell. Start-up costs for the business, including loans and interests are around $90. A mass of students poured into the tables, where different student businesses were set up. Many of the younger ones didn’t know a quarter from a dime — and I marveled at the patience of all the…
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Our Anniversary
He’s in the middle of this whirlwind travel schedule — and I’m in the middle of Shark Bites, and a toddler that will not eat, and they found the Elf again. (I hid him in the oven this time.) Oh, yes. The tooth fairy is making a visit tonight, and I have no dollars on hand. It is tough to find common ground in our separate worlds. His crazy travel schedule is unusual for us. We’re not used to it. Things will settle down again on Thursday. (He has Mini-Mall duty.) He made a surprise stop home last week — something unexpected came up. Actually, I think he was inspired…
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And the Ants Came Marching In
It all started when they found out they could buy 100 gummy fish for $1.99 at Marc’s. (I would have loved to have seen the lady’s face at the store when they called, during class time and said, “How much is a gummy fish?” The boys later explained, they were transferred several times — and heard lots of music.) And then, a box of jello for $.88 cents. The total cost, with spoons, plastic bags, is around $.33 cents for one Shark Bite — blue Jello, in a plastic bag, with a gummy fish. So imagine their excitement when I found bulk packages of jello, 28 ounces, taking the cost…
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