Those are spelling bees and I chucked them at my kids today.
As mentioned, we are rereading a family favorite, Eleanor Estes's book The Witch Family. Written in 1960, it's charming and kind of quirky and perfect for Halloween. Like The Phantom Tollbooth, there are puns and clever exchanges. At one point the idea is posited that knowing how to spell is just as important as knowing a spell. One of the characters is a funky spelling bee named Malachi and he stings those who get things all wrong...
So today for "art" the kiddos made little bumblebees, then after studying their words (that they copied yesterday) they stood up on a bench and attempted correct spellings. As it seemed negative to pelt them if they missed the word, and because they rather fancied their bees, the deal was that they got a bee thrown at them if they got the word right.
Bees were made out of pom-poms wrapped in tissue paper and decorated... As it turned out they didn't "fly" very far. The Sister suggested using pennies for weight, but when The Girl looked scandalized and said, "Hello. That would hurt," I realized that this might just be on the cusp of abuse. So we used pom-poms. And it was a reward to be stung. The end.
By way of information: we are about to embark on what may be the biggest adventure since Pee-Wee's. I have an enigmatic uncle that I've only met once or twice and my grandma has taken the train across country to visit him in Chicago. My husband's brother and his family also live in Chicago. The four of us are all driving to Chicago to get us some of that family time. Should be interesting (unless I find out that enigmatic uncle buries people in his backyard, thus the secretive, I mean introversive personality... in which case I might choose a different word than "interesting"). After the weekend, The Dad has to fly home and the kids and I (sans Sister -- she has a class here she can't miss) are going to take Route 66 to St. Louis, see the sights, and then I'm driving by myself back to NYC. I haven't really driven a car for the past eight or so years. Driving is insane. As I was saying to a friend tonight, it's like everybody in the world being given a set of gardening shears and running at full tilt. Sure it's fine -- as long as there's absolutely no contact or the slightest of stumbles. I'm worried about merging. I'm worried about getting lost. I'm worried about having a heart attack at the wheel. I'm worried about a kid throwing up and choking. I'm worried about being assaulted in our hotel room and being left in a bathtub of ice after our organs have been harvested (yes, harvested) for the black market. You name it, I'm worried about it. Which is why I need to do this -- conquer my fears and all that crap. I was raised by a single mom -- if she hadn't struck out on her own then we would never have done anything. For the single moms -- I'm also doing this for you because I love you -- you represent my history, you are my model of what a parent who gives it everything looks like. Darn it, family adventures and traditions are not just for those who are fortunate enough to have back-up. Wish me luck. I will try to update when I can... If you don't hear from me, just hope that my kidneys are going to a good home...
