Updates...

Willa is now:

• Skiing without the harness - huge step.
• Enjoying chapter books - Ramona & Inkheart
• Awaiting her SCDS visit day with a lot less anxiety than her parents
• Spunky

Ethan is now:

• Liking peanut butter, but only on graham crackers to date - as I ate PB&J for about 3 years straight for lunch, this would be a BIG change for him and make lunches easier for me
• Skiing up a storm
• Says the best 3D movie he has ever seen is Hugo.

We also did a family outing to see E.T. - both kids loved it.  Ethan declared it one of the best non-3D movies he had ever seen.  Willa refused to participate in a screaming contest (a la Drew Barrymore).

We all "enjoyed" a week with 2 1/2 hours of school where sledding and cocoa-drinking were the key activities.

Book thoughts

Some of the best stories with girl main character that we have read lately (thank goodness we are done with Rainbow Magic Fairies):

• Ramona http://www.amazon.com/Complete-Ramona-Collection-Beverly-Cleary/dp/006196090X/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1326743118&sr=8-1
• Clementine http://www.amazon.com/Box-Clementines-3-Book-Paperback-Boxed/dp/1423153731/ref=pd_sim_b_14
• Gooney Bird Greene http://www.amazon.com/Gooney-Bird-Greene-Lois-Lowry/dp/0440419603/ref=pd_sim_b_3
• Nim http://www.amazon.com/Nims-Island-Wendy-Orr/dp/0385736061/ref=ntt_at_ep_dpt_1
• Ivy & Bean http://www.amazon.com/Ivy-Beans-Secret-Treasure-Books/dp/0811864952/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1326743413&sr=1-1

Gooney Bird and Clementine are great role models (I even teared up a little on reading a couple of the stories) and each has a good message or learning opportunity.  Willa has traits of all of them, but unfortunately, at times, she shares too many of Ramona's traits.  But, as Ramona says, when you are the smallest, sometimes you have to do what you have to do to be heard.

 

Ethan has been reading himself - I think he just finished Stuart Little http://www.amazon.com/Stuart-Little/dp/9991205551/ref=sr_1_25?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1326743546&sr=1-25 - earning 1 minute of computer time for each minute of reading.  We are also working through the newest Rick Riordan series The Heroes of Olympus http://www.amazon.com/Lost-Hero-Heroes-Olympus-Book/dp/142311339X/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1326743631&sr=1-1, having recently read Kane Chronicles #2, http://www.amazon.com/Throne-Fire-Kane-Chronicles-Book/dp/1423140567/ref=pd_bxgy_b_text_c, and the Mysterious Benedict Society #1, http://www.amazon.com/Throne-Fire-Kane-Chronicles-Book/dp/1423140567/ref=pd_bxgy_b_text_c

 

In other news, Willa can now ski without the harness, we finished the culture box, and Willa's application for SCDS.

 

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Michael Lapin

(206) 283-0664 - home

(206) 310-3448 - cell