Jimmer learns a "naughty" word

"Mommy, the word have is a naughty word."


When Jimmer said this to me, I was wondering where he got that idea. Did he hear another naughty word and get it confused with the word have?

"It's a naughty word because it doesn't follow the rules." he said.

Ah. Now I remember! (Phfew!)

In one of his reading lessons a few weeks ago, he learned that the word have is disobedient because it doesn't follow the same rule as the other short words with a silent e at the end.


Instead of having a long-a sound, it is disobedient...(or naughty!) and uses a short-a sound instead! Those little rule breakers.


I'm sure he'll be learning a lot of "naughty" words in his reading book. The English language is FULL of disobedient words!

Holey Moley!

As my cousin commented the other day that Mikey seems to have a steel trap of a mind, this is yet another account of the trivia that sticks in his gray matter.

As the kids were making First Communion cards this morning for their cousin Joey, I mentioned that there was a moleskin-like fuzzy covering on the bottom of a certain gift we are sending him. They all said something like, "A Mole? Gross...why would they do that?" As their teacher, I thought this was a great teaching moment so I got on the internet to get information on moles (thinking that they didn't know anything about them). When I showed the kids a picture of a mole I had found, Mikey said, "Do you know that they can dig 5 times faster than a mechanical mole that digs tunnels, although their holes are smaller? (slight pause) Can you find a picture of a star-nosed mole now?"

I asked him where he found his information on moles, and he pulled down our Audubon mammal guide and his I Wonder Why Encyclopedia off our reference book shelf and showed me. He sure showed me!

Traffic Jam in the Living Room!

Before breakfast this morning, Mikey built this "dam" with a traffic jam on the top roadway.Kathleen counted the 71 cars on top, then Mikey estimated the length to be around 13 feet long, and he measured it at just over 14 ft. Then Mikey said, "Wow, it's the same length as a giant Japanese spider crab's arm span!" Sure enough, it is!I'd rather have a traffic jam in the living room than a giant Japanese spider crab!

Jimmer Teaches Chimpy

Sometimes Jimmer doesn't like to do penmanship just for the sake of practicing and improving. So I'm always trying to devise functional reasons for him to write (write a note to someone, make a sign, copy something funny, etc.). My efforts have paid off, and this morning he came up with his own reason to write--to teach his beloved Chimpy. First he helped Chimpy by using the hand-over-hand method to teach him to write both of their names. Then Jimmer conducted an art class--same method--to help Chimpy draw his self-portrait!Now on to the rest of our studies!