Multiplication

Once I had homework about multiplication, then after I did multiplication homework, I made a 10 by 10 array. I had to get 100 pennies out.

10 x 10 = 100!

The Greatest Winter Morning

Once upon a time, there was a girl who loved to play in the snow in the afternoon. The only thing she did was get snowflakes on her tongue. After she played in the snow she drank her hot chocolate. She loved the warm warm warm hot chocolate. It was so warm that she couldn't believe it. She drank until she could see the duckie head. And her mom took pictures of it.
(My mom made the surprise mug.)

Hopi House and Garden

(this is for a report in school)

The Hopi knew how to live in the desert. They traveled a long way to get wood for their ladders. They made their houses out of adobe blocks, using sand and clay from the desert. It was really hot in the morning and in the night it was really cold. The thick walls made it not too cold or hot inside. The doors were up high, to keep out the animals. They used ladders instead of stairs, so the animals couldn't get up. They ate corn, melons, squash, and beans. They don't need much water to grow.

How I made it:

I got three boxes, taped them together, and then I got sculpey to put on and then I covered it with salt dough. I mixed equal amounts of flour and salt, then added water. And then I wanted it brown so we tried to mix food coloring together to make brown. And it didn't work, so we had to get some real soil. And then I spread it on the three boxes.
The next day, I spread on another coat.
We made plants out of toothpicks, floral tape, leaves from a pretend flower, green wire, tissue paper, and clay. My sister helped me "plant" the garden. We used clay for the soil.
They planted squash, melons, corn, and beans. So did I, but I wouldn't eat them! Of course I wouldn't, because they're just made out of materials, not real food. I like beans and corn for real, but only sometimes I like corn.

I spread thin clay (slip) on the cardboard. I got the stones from the beach last weekend on my vacation.

hair

I want my hair long again, like this picture up above (Thanksgiving 2007). I miss having pigtails and ponytails. And kitty buns! My hair is like this up above. Last week I got bangs cut so I didn't have to wear headbands and clips all the time. I like my hairdo now and I'm going to get it longer.

disco high heels

I wanted to decorate them because I like fancy high heels and I have other things to say but I am going to say them after the big big big report.

My old dress up shoes were blue but they didn't fit me for some reason. I wanted new ones so I decorated big high heels that didn't fit me so after I decorated them I put them in the basement. Do not ask me why. My mom made me [that's where the dress-ups get put away in our house! vfg].
I got my sister's old high heels and I cut the straps off so I could use them for slip-ons. And then I got some nice decorating stuff and I glued, glued, sticked, sticked, glued, glued, sticked, sticked, glued, glued... They are so so fancy. So I said this was a disco high heels. I put on disco pants and then I did some disco moves that were so SO SO SO fabulous.

sock cat

It is a cat made out of two socks and I (and some help from the teacher) made it. I made it at SEEDS. I don't know what the college is called, but it's at this kind of college, so yeah. I like it. Its name is Miss Cloudy. Miss Cloudy eats different kinds of herbs, well, the herbs are out of the garden, of course; that's the only kind of herbs I can give to her. She likes to ride on her buddy Pony, which is just like her: white and with gray spots. They get along together, and they also like to play Fetch. I don't know why, but I have to throw it. By the way, the pony's name is Mrs. Storm ('cause they're both gray and white). They like to play in the rain, especially splash in the puddles. But I get so soaked that I scream. And then I take them to time out.

(Marian is still into blue, and doing some awesome accessorizing these days...)--mama

overheard

posing by the horse she drew for Reuben's hospital room this week

"Such a great day. I mean, c'mon: she put a flower on the note!"
(this morning, reflecting on the glory of the tooth fairy and the $5 left for 3 teeth).


***


Marian: What's the smallest thing in the world, Mom? Guess.

Me (thinking "nano..", realizing I wasn't really up on my particle physics, then finally just adjusting to what she might have learned in 2nd grade science): A cell.

Marian: Correct. I was going to say toothpick, but I forgot all about cells by then.


***


We just moved. So sorting and purging and saving are on our minds right now.

Audrey: Marian is such a pack rat.

Marian: I am not. I'm a crafty rat.

Still around

Marian is anti-blog at the moment, but I have a backlog of photos of her little projects that I'll start to post. I suspect if I have posts all ready, photos downloaded and in place, she will enjoy narrating them. The long process bores her. Plus, she's more self-motivated these days...which means less mom-motivated. She's doing fantastic--really thriving--and we're even trying a trial all-oral (no tube feeds at all) week.

Good thing, since her baby brother was diagnosed with cancer last month (call from the oncologist during our house closing) and I can only deal with one sick kid at a time. I can't make this stuff up--we're way too dramatic these days. I feel like a bad soap opera plot. Lots more on that on my blog if you're into the Goates family medical details. Stupid cancer.

Anyway. I logged on this morning to at least post the one funny conversation I recorded on a scrap of paper and can currently find. Marian is super funny lately. A sample:

M: "Dad, will you go get my backpack from the delicious car?"

N: "Why is the car delicious?"

M: "Dad. It's been delicious since the 1930s!"

a glowing rainbow!

I had to sort this order by color instead of style and size.
For obvious reasons. Just look at this family's order!
(see the whole rainbow on the superstar shirt blog).

They just arrived yesterday and will ship tomorrow to out-of-towners. Boxed & bagged!

I ordered 81 shirts, much more than I expected, so the price point dropped. Rather than refunding everyone 50c, we decided on this exciting innovation:

The superstar still shining shirts glow in the dark.

Really.
I know, totally mind-blowing. We tested last night and they are totally awesome, even if my glowing photos aren't (and thus not even included).

invited

Please join us as we celebrate Marian's new birthday: the first anniversary of her blessedly successful bone marrow transplant.

Friday, April 24th
The Beistle Pavilion in Southampton Township Park
(in Shippensburg on Airport Road)
4:30-7:00 pm

Park fun, cotton candy, crafts (of course!), and Marian's favorite snacks. Drop in when you can, for as long as you'd like, but you don't want to miss the white cell pinata at 5:30, followed by cake.

See you Friday!

freeze-y treats

(Marian will work on the text with me tomorrow)

Last call for superstar tees

The very last order of superstar tees will go out Monday.
$6 plus $2 shipping if you need it mailed

details here

St. Patrick's Day!

On St. Patrick's Day I was at the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia. We were walking out and we saw this clover at the Child Life. The Child Life helper was saying, "Would you like to make this?" and I said, "Yes!" It was made with wrap and cotton balls. It was cool because it was medical things.

shining all over

My cousin Terrell told me about this funny story. And Terrell was wearing his superstar shirt at college and there was a boy who saw him and said, "I have another shirt like that. I love it and wear it all the time."
And Terrell said, "Hey, wait a minute. Where did you get the shirt?"
"I got it from my English teacher."
"It's for my cousin in Pennsylvania!"

That's all. bye-bye

still shining in 2009

Marian's "new birthday", her 1-year bone marrow transplant anniversary, is fast approaching. The big day is April 23rd, appropriately squeezed right between Earth Day and Arbor Day this year. If you're in the area (or flying in, thank you Paul & Christine!) on Friday the 24th, we're planning a big everyone-invited party in our backyard. Watch here for details. All we know so far is that there will be cotton candy and a smash-the-bad-old-white-cells pinata.

Since we've had several requests, I am going to do one last superstar tee order this month. These will be special edition tees, with an additional Marian-scripted phrase underneath the classic graphic: "still shining in 2009".

This is not a fundraiser; I just want to offer them at cost, $6. If you want me to mail you yours, please add $2 more per tee. E-mail orders & send Paypal payments (easiest) to three_goats@yahoo.com. I'll also happily accept checks or $ from the locals, and will send my mailing address to anyone else who prefers that method. Saves the paypal charge.

Order deadline is March 20th, so I can have them ordered & distributed in time for the first anniversary. If you're a first-timer, we still recommend the classic light blue, Marian's favorite color, but if you're ready to branch out, other colors are available. Heaven knows we have the whole rainbow at our house.

We're using Gildan tees, the same sort that we printed most of Marian's other superstar tees on. They run pretty true-to-size, with the women's no slimmer than the men's, but with narrower neck ribbing & shorter sleeves. The youth tees are boxier, like the men's.

Standard size choices are:
Men's S-3XL, Ladies' XS-2XL, Youth XS(2/4), S(6/8), M(10/12), L(14/16) XL(18/20).

Here's the link to the website I use, if you want to look more closely at color choices:
http://www.wearables4you.com/menupage_subsub.cfm?cid=1&mid=25&mill=Gildan%C2%AE
We'll be ordering the first three tee styles listed on the above page.

Feeling complicated? I'm feeling cooperative! You can get fancier tees (more stylized cuts, Bella or American Apparel +) for approximately $2 more. Peruse the website of the company I like to work with (acme prints) if you want to search out details, and just let me know. The t-shirt Marian is wearing is a Bella® Girl 1x1 Baby Rib Knit Short Sleeve Crew Neck Tee - 9001 in fuschia, for example. If you order something unusual, I'll let you know the exact $ when I receive my invoice from the company before they print.

all about crafts

Cheryl at Caitlin's Smiles asked for this:


(Audrey types)

M: Crafts helped me because they will help me feel better!
A: When did they help you?
m: When I feel bad.
A:How did they make you feel better?
m: That's a hard question...
a: Tell me more about the crafts you did and how they helped you.
m: that's a hard question...
a: Finish this sentence: Crafts helped me because...
m: they are great.
a: what is your favorite craft to do?
m: that's a hard Question...
a: tell me where you were and when crafts helped you.
m: at the hospital when i was doing my bone marrow transplant!

(mom types)

V: Mare, why do you like art?
M: Because it's fun.
V: Is it fun to be at the hospital?
M: Yeah..
w cause there's lots of people there that support me and help me.
do they do things with you?
some people do.
did you like your art therapy?
that recess person?
no, that was the child life. did you like her?
yeah.
why?
I liked doing the activities.
did you like getting shots?
no, that was the worst part.
did you like surgery?
no.
did you like blood draws?
I hate them!
Did you like getting packages?
yes! that was the awesome-est part. (thumbs up & cheering arms; jumping on chair)
what did people send you?
lots of crafts.
why crafts?
to help me in the hospital!

Let's say this: you are at a dinner that the Caitlin's smiles people are dong to explain why they give hospital kids craft kits. What would you say to them if you were making a talk about that?

Kids in hospitals need arts and crafts so they have something to do. If I would not have something to do with arts and crafts, I will be bored to death and I'd have to think about all the time about yucky things like about me having big, big surgery. It makes me feel loved when people are sending me a craft. it's making me happy.

bye bye!

about school and stanley books

I love being back to school it is fun
and it is great

[dad starts typing]

I did two reports. One is about bears. One is about spiders. I like writing reports. It is fun. [to dad] You are a fast typer. I am slow. Because I don't know where all the letters are.

I made (I have to think what I made)...I did a portrait of me in art. I like gym. It is fun. I love it. We have library sometimes too and we also have art and gym. Those are all the specials we have in school. I like making stuff at school and I especially like Fridays because that is when you get to do lots and lots of crafts. I love it too much. My heart is blasting too fast. It is too great. I love it too much. I love it. Love it. Love it. Love it.

Mindy, I have been reading all the Stanley books and the next book is Stanley and the Magic Lamp and I can't wait until I get it because I just really love it. I love it so much that my heart just blasts. I just love it and I can't stop loving it.

Bye-bye.

my first day back to school

I was afraid at first, but then when I got to school it was funner than I thought! And I just like it very much. And I figured out that I got to have two recesses instead of one recess. And I have art tomorrow as my special and I just like having the same recesses as Audrey. She told me when she was in 4th grade she got to have that. So I guess I like having the same as Audrey. Now I'm going to get back to school tomorrow and it is very late right so I need some rest to concentrate because my teacher always says that we have lots of work every day and I mean every day and so I have to get some sleep. So, bye bye!