Luci-isms

This has been a productive week for my creator of Luci-isms (that's Luci, if you weren't too sure).

First:

Luci was in the bathroom, um, going to the bathroom, when I heard her yell hysterically:

Mama!  Come quick!  Mama!  Come quick!

I thought that perhaps she didn't get there in time and needed some help.

Mama!  Quick!  

She had a magazine in her hands, and said,

I think I read something!

She did, too!  She read part of a hair color ad.  She was so proud, and so am I.  It's been a long road, lots of phonics and sight words, and nearly every reading program known to man, and now the lightbulb has come on and the reading has started!

Second:

When Life gives you Lemons,

You make something with the Lemons.

Third:

JT and Luci were playing, when Luci came running and fussing to me.

Mama!  JT is saying bad words.  He is calling me names!  He said, he said, he said I was a (whispering this last word)   democrat!

School Work (?)

Today part of JT's schoolwork was to watch Thornton Wilder's Our Town.  (I am thankful for Netflix!)

He was so enthralled with the show, don't you think?  Here he is watching:

And, yes, that's Luci doing a "photo bomb."

What does Luci do when I'm busy with JT's schoolwork?  (besides tear up the house, I mean)

She does a little artwork:

I hope you can see that.  I told Luci that it looks sort of like Papa.

Papa?  Does he have a moustache?   yes

Does he have a hat?  yes

Does he have a demonicle?  after rolling on the floor, laughing, I said yes.

Reading!

It's not great literature, but it was great this morning to hear Luci READING this Dr. Seuss book to me.

We have tried every phonics/dyslexic program/method out there, it seems.  And it's all finally starting to click with Luci. 

I am so proud of her, and she is so happy and tells me, "My brain is clicking!"  We are over the moon about this scholastic achievement!

Chinese New Year Decoration

How to make firecrackers (not real ones) that will last several years:

First, you need a willing helper.

You also need Mod Podge (or white glue), paint brushes, toilet paper rolls and red tissue paper.

 

Paint the toilet paper roll with the Mod Podge, then wrap a piece of tissue paper around it.  Paint the tissue. 

 

While it dries, you can store your brushes and glue like this, so you don't waste the glue or waste time cleaning out brushes between steps.

When the first step is dry, cut a piece of tissue paper to cover one end.  You will want it to overlap.  Try to look bored, as Luci shows you here.

 

Paint it with the glue, and paint the sides where the paper hangs down--cover it well.

 

I added a second layer of Mod Podge to make this sturdier.  Be sure to let it all dry between coats.

Poke a  little hole in the center, and stick a short piece of yarn into the hole.  Put some of the glue around the little hole and use the paintbrush to apply glue to the inside, where the yarn pokes through.

We found some Chinese characters

and some stickers (I could not find and dragon stickers, boo hoo) and decorated the firecrackers.

Tape a length of yarn in the open end of the firecracker for hanging.

Decorate!

Ta-Dah!

I think they turned out nicely!

Characters came from this site.

Heard Today:

Mom, Who is Amelia Earhart?

And why is her middle name Air?