Tuesday October 20
Awoke before the alarm and got up showered, shaved and dressed before I started the avena (oatmeal). Got to talk to Montana while eating breakfast and then off to school. We started by finishing the reading of The Magic School Bus Blows Its Top. We practiced our play about the story or Stone Soup and then had recess. After that we saw the video of the Magic School Bus which was a great review. We then went over to the playground at the center where the older kids had commandeered the sandbox to create a three foot high volcanic cone. Mrs. Towne showed them the glass flask that was going to be placed at the top and surrounded by more sand. She also described the ingredients that were going to be put in the flask before it was buried and the liquids that were then going to be added. In the flask was poured some baking soda and some Alka-seltzer tablets. To the vinegar we added some liquid detergent and red food coloring. The constant addition of all of the ingredients above created a very real flow of red foam down various sides of the “mountain” and created an experience for all to remember. As soon as we stopped for lunch I walked over to the little store to replenish our supply of vinegar and Alka-seltzer. After lunch I went back to the school for gym and then back to the town for a melon and some bananas.
I wanted to go back to town for tacos tonight but was a little tired. When the phone rang I thought it was Montana but it was one of the parents who said a group was going out for tacos would I like to come. My weariness was put aside for the third walk to town and I enjoyed the tacos immensely. The town is putting all the electric lines underground so one of the streets had no lights at all. Fortunately I had put a small flashlight on my key ring which helped us find our way around the piles of earth moved for the construction project.
After returning I typed a script for the Stone Soup play we are doing with Mrs. Smiths class and have just finished this blog.