thanks to Carrie for the Storm Trooper helmet, Alexa for filming, and Elijah for being an excellent Chewie

so reading update…

“how star wars conquered the universe” – finished the book last week – it was a great, great read – very enjoyable – even through the prequels – i now know why they were so bad:) just a great book on the creative process

“why olga runs” – or something like that – basically, there’s a 95-year-old woman who wins age group awards by the truckload – and so the book was a bit about her – but more about the aging process – and how we can fight it – or what we can do about it – like most books in this genre, there weren’t secrets or short cuts – i think mainly i just enjoyed reading about how blessed someone that old would be to get to still be active

no journals this week – don’t even try:)

starring Alexa as video editor, Robert, Dalton, Chuck, and Jackson as “passers by” – Rachael as the very evil elf, Elijah as Santa – and a few more “minor” actors – oh, and then special guest star, Sarah – the girl from that Lay’s potato chip commercial – as bell player:)

favorite moment of the first semester – what was it???

so, epic fail, i didn’t finish a book this week – instead, i “just” got 180 pages into “how star wars explains the universe” – and it’s been a really fun read – honestly, i think i sometimes read so fast because i don’t end up liking the book – but this one, i’m enjoying a lot – including, getting a few class ideas – like using star wars uncut for shakespeare – alexa even liked this idea, so you know it has to be good:)

happy reading

mayfield

this is the season of advent, so tell a story involving numbers…

alright, i admit i’m well rested and ready for three more weeks of silliness…

“the keeper” – tim howard – US goaltender – soccer/football – insightful book – the author/collaborator was the same that did the HS BOB “Positive” – howard has tourette’s – he also has a failed marriage – so the book was about struggles – about the fact that there’s more to someone than just what’s on the field – it was pretty sad at points

“the primates of park avenue” – funny book that has a sad turn at the end – but the author, an anthropologist, studies her new surroundings – living in the upper east side of new york – and the book is about how she fits in – with $10,000 purses, finding apartments and preschool, going to the fitness places, getting the surgeries to stay youthful – just an amazing other life i didn’t know anything about – of course, i kept reading it thinking, “wow, at the money that’s wasted” – she estimated that it takes at least $95,000 a year for the upkeep of an upper east side wife

mayfield

happy early turkey day wishes

“rosemary” – the kennedy’s eldest daughter was intellectually disabled – the book is her tragic story – tragic b/c when she was about 22, the kennedy’s tried to “fix” her – i know many people don’t like the kennedy’s and so they blame the family for doing this – to me, it was a tragic mistake – all the best doctors told them that this would fix their daughter – they believed it – the mistake caused irreparable damage to a beautiful young lady – makes you realize how hard it is for people with disabilities – and their families – there aren’t that many biographies on the intellectually disabled

“reading reconsidered” – for educators – sure, your ghetto kids may can pass standardized tests and get into college, but have you prepared them for the reading they’ll do there? these authors discovered their kids couldn’t handle the texts – so they went after new strategies – including read-alouds – there were lots of good ideas in the book – rather long though – i mean, 488 pages – my kids aren’t worth the trouble:)

i’ll be back monday with a writing prompt

mayfield