"I Love to Laugh...Loud and Strong and Clear...

Last night after family reading time Rachel asked Michael, "Do you know how a Venus flytrap closes?"
To wit he replied, "Quickly?"
Rachel says, "Ugh... I didn't ask for an adverb!"
She went on to explain how the cells on one side grow to twice their normal size, then close up overlapping the meal.




(After this point is Rachel writing. I was going to just write and pretend that I was mom, but it's too weird to write in third person...)
Noah recently had his 11th Birthday and while he was laying down on the floor in mom's room and he said "The skin on my hand is really dry and peeling off." And because Noah is especially fun to mess with I responded,
"Noah, you're going through your eleven year molt! Ahh... I remember my eleven year molt. Cleared it away before you knew about it had to keep it a secret." And then mom began playing along and it was much fun!
Rules of the eleven year molt:
*It happens overnight when you are eleven.
*Much like pulling teeth the parent clears it away and leaves behind a dollar under the pillow.
*It happens to everyone. Much like puberty. ;D
*You can have it pulled, but it hurts.
* Kids below eleven aren't allowed to know about it until they turn eleven.
(Going to put some money under Noah's pillow now!)

Weekend Noahisms

Last night as we were talking in Rachel's room I was recommending to Noah that he would make more friends if he didn't constantly interject as if he were a cop about what every one else is doing.

Me: "My only point is that you would make more friends if you weren't policing other people."

Noah: "I don't like policing. I only do it when they do something wrong."




The conversation this morning started out with Noah playing "Ben 10 Ultimate Alien game" on the WII. He noted that a company called Papaya made the game.

Noah: "Papaya is a cool name."

Me: "I think your dad likes papayas."

Noah: "Sometimes I just assume it's a guy lazy with sounds."
(Later on he said...)
"He might as well have said Hiya and added a P."

Observations of a Librarian

On Friday I stopped off at our local branch of the public library to return some books and pick up some on hold. Michael sent me his card information, so I could pick up his books, as well. I grabbed the books off the shelf and chatted with the librarian as I checked out my books, then his. I noticed that we had the same book checked out. I laughed and told the librarian that often he would check out I book that I liked and I would take it from his pile to read, or that we sometimes checked out the exact same book. She looked at me smiling and said, "That is so romantic." I think she is right.
Here is the book we checked out:

*******Problem Solving**********
This is one of my favorite people. He speaks to learning math and science as a basis for problem solving, even if you are not going into a technical field.



*********Poem Project with Noah (age 11)*****
(Noah would point out that he was technically 10 years-old when he wrote the poem because today is his birthday.)

I have been helping Noah brainstorm ideas for his poetry book due Monday. Here is one of my favorites:

"There once was a boy who liked to mope
Then, one day he got a telescope.
He learned to watch the wonders of space.
He yearned to help the human race.
And now the Mope had hope."


*****Noahism*****

As we continued the poem brainstorming session Noah was working on a Diamante poem about a video game. I was trying to clarify the rules of the particular style of poem, so I asked if it needed to start with one word, if so "video game" is two words and wouldn't work. His response, "I think of it as a compound word with a space in the middle."


Later, Noah decided he needed a break from writing poetry and wanted to watch a movie with Rachel. I yelled downstairs, "Noah, you better be working on a shape poem!"
He called back, "I'm helping Rachel pick out a movie."
I reiterated that he needed to think up a shape poem.
He yelled back, "Circles are fun!"
"I came up with a shape poem. Are you happy now?"


Happy Birthday, Noah!!!! I love you, dude!!!