cherydactyl

Tomorrow way too frakking early, elder daughter S and I take off for her school "EB" trip. The 4-8 grade kids are going either to Chicago (where S's teacher is going) or northern Michigan, where we are going, with two other teachers. Mackinaw City, Mackinac Island and the Soo Locks, whoo!!! Eight kids and five adults. We have to be at school at 7 to load up and leave on the little bus by 7:30.

Thankfully, S seems to finally have broken the fever she's had all weekend. She was *supposed* to be participating in a soccer tournament this weekend with her team. She came down with a 101 degree fever and a stomachache about two and a half hours before the first game Friday night. I had been trying not to worry about her fever not being gone. She's back to normal as of this morning, though. Manic, but normal. ;-)

I have a long list of things that I have avoided doing so far that need to get done before I leave. Besides laundry and packing, I have to email M's soccer team with the weekly update for next Saturday's game and complete enrollment paperwork for both girls to their new school. I have already set my SwapACD account to vacation status. I'm hoping we can be all set by mid-afternoon so we can go catch a movie. I'd like to walk to the theatre, and hope that the intermittent rain won't set the rest of the family against me on that score.

Well, I better get moving!

My older daughter recently participated in a program through her classroom called "Place out of Time," which goes by the somewhat amusing and unfortunate acronym PooT. Middle and high school students research and take on the persona of a historical figure, then participate in discussions about something in current events from that historical perspective. S decided to tackle Joan of Arc for her participation. She read several biographies (picture book and chapter book styles), wrote a summary "auto"biography and participated in a final banquet "in costume." S decided to take the wooden sword and shield she got years ago at a ren fair for her costume, as well as wearing her best white blouse. One of the college students wrote this about the banquet experience, passed on by the program coordinator at The University of Michigan and sent to us via her classroom teacher:

"Joan of Arc was amazing. She was not only well behaved and polite, but she was very knowledgeable about her character and was eager to share with all of us at the table what she knew about Joan. She also asked questions and was an active participant in the conversation. I do not know how old she was, but I know she was mature beyond her young age, just like the real Joan. I was especially interested in the costume she brought (a sword and a shield). She really got into her part. Along with Elijah McCoy and Elvis Presley, Joan of Arc was an impressive person and someone I was glad to have met."