Lesson 638: QuaranTeen

Good day, Readers!
It is a good day!
Amidst the coronavirus crisis
we find things to celebrate.

Sam,
the Lamp Post little brother
with the great big heart
turns 13 today.



Sam,
things regarding you always come along at just the right time.
You were our surprise baby,
and have added so much joy to our lives
 that we never expected to have.
You are a gift.
(stop the eye rolling, Ellen).

This is what our family looked like when you came to us.

And here we are now.

You've been a champ throughout this change in lifestyle,

although, you are in dire need of a hair cut.

You've served as the best 

assistant lumberjack a parent could ask for.

You've also become the ultimate geocacher!

You are doing your darndest to choke down your vegetables.

(check out the corona carrot found in the baby carrot bag!

Exponential growth!)

You've been getting outside every day 

to get some healthy air and sunshine.

Most importantly,

 your sense of humor

still shines through despite your worry.

We are proud of you

for how well you are handling

or nation's walk away from sports.

You were our snuggliest baby,

who grew into the most animated child.

Enjoy some highlights from the past year of your life.

The video is set to the world's most timely old song--

You Can't Touch This

by MC Hammer.

Love you, Sam!

Mother Eloise

Lesson 637: Thanx U

To prove there is some normalcy in the world,
here is your Friday night greeting.

Life is a bit foggy now,
isn't it?



We aren't sure about what's coming
just around the bend.

We are relying on the familiar to navigate,

the smallest part of our circles

to reside in for awhile.

It's nice to be in that small circle

with the ones you love.

My circle has been around 5768 for the last week.

Sam needs a hair cut,

but is so enjoying the length.

To burn off his energy 

we have him burning branches.

He quickly realized he's sizable enough

and strong enough

to handle the big logs.

and working the woodpile 

for two straight days,

is exhausting.

It's nice to have the family outside 

so I can have some quiet to figure out this school stuff.

My colleagues and I

have been working together to figure out

the new educational landscape.

That's my head in an on-line practice session.

Here's my head again.

Little Gray Riding Hood 

has been making treks through the yard 

to Grandmother's House

with food and supplies.

We agreed my parents aren't going into stores for awhile.

Who's afraid of the Big Bad Wolf

when you have a pit bull along for the journey?

We, like many other families,

have dug out the board games.

We let Sam bring some up from the basement,

and these were his choices to play in the evening

after a very long day.

Mother Eloise added a few more to a side stack

that didn't take as much energy

or involve farting noises.

Natalie has become the Monopoly Roll For Me Champ.

She loves to roll the die,

count,

and move the pieces.

We get outside every day.

Signs of spring are everywhere.

Ellen got out for a run around the park today.

Grandma ran Hazel around the yard.

I highly recommend you try one of my favorite outdoor activities.

I've blogged about Geocaching before.

It's worth the $5.99 for a month trial.

Type in your location,

and the nearby geocaches,

which are containers hidden by fellow enthusiasts

pop up on your screen.

The yellow smiley faces were the ones I found today.

Your phone will allow you to navigate the distance.

Here are some of the ones we found today.

While Sam and I were knee deep in mud in center field 

looking for an elusive cache,

Ellen stole his bike.

Here's the link to the official

Geocaching youtube site.

Check out the video on it!

Link to more info on Geocaching CLICK HERE

One person I learned a lot about this week

has been actor, Tom Hanks,

known to his close friends and family

as Hanx.

With our beloved star infected with COVID-19,

he was a feature story on a podcast I follow

The Daily.

This is the episode I suggest you listen to.

Notice suggest--not assign this week.

We've been assigned enough for now.

This is optional,

but well worth your time.

Just as the podcast claims,

it will make you feel less bad.

Rather than googling,

I decided I'd try to remember all of the movies 

Tom Hanks been in.

I started a list in my notebook

and would jot them down as I thought of them.

I worked on it for the better part of day,

in between lesson planning,

meal cooking,

grocery store trips,

exercise,

and general home organizing.

14.

That's how many I came up with 

and felt quite accomplished.

In truth--

86!

Here were some of the ones I remembered

and most enjoyed watching.

Tom Hanks loves typewriters.

The podcast explains a bit as to why.

This is his now very famous  Corona typewriter.

Tom Hanks developed an app in 2014 called 

Hanx Writer.

I just got it this week and I love it!

Here is a little more about it from

Hanx himself.

This from the description on the app

about typing on a typewriter:

"the physical, tactile pleasure of carving words

out of a fine machine."

Here are some videos, too,

suggested not assigned.

Link to Tom Hanks and typewriters CLICK HERE

Here's another good interview with CBS.

CBS interview CLICK HERE

Apparently in Hollywood circles,

a typewritten note from Tom Hanks

is one of the most treasured possessions among the stars.

Here is my test run,

and it is to you, Readers!

See the little carriage thing on the left.

It even makes the zippy sound and dings.

Playing with his has become such a reprieve for me.

To my students I so dearly miss,

you are going to get some typewritten

notes from Mrs. Eloise in the near future.

I also discovered that Tom Hanks wrote a book of short stories!

Oh, how wonderful this will be!

It's giving me something to look forward to.

Looking forward with faith is a good thing.



Let's take this one step at a time, Readers.
We are truly in this together.
Engage your mind
to pass the time.

Thanx U for reading.
Eloise