Who'schooling: Thomas hi

The following was contributed by Thomas (17), when I asked him about what's it's like to live through a historically significant event, what he's learning, and how he's managing. 

There's no way to tell how it's going to feel later, right now. Because right now, we're in the middle of the pandemic.When the future arrives, then I'll know, that's what it will have felt like like to have lived through that.
I mean, during the Dust Bowl, there wasn't really time or need for thinking about the future or the history books, just trying to do your best until the dust hits. Obviously the two time periods are nearly incomparable; but it is important to be here now so you have an experience to reminisce later in life.

There's a different perspective there, obviously. And hopefully that's what I'll be around for.

Overall, the effect of the virus has definitely subtracted a lot of structure from my life. So that's been something I've had to face myself. And that's the whole theme of the virus. I mean, it doesn't really have a theme, but its significance to us poses many obstacles. Rather than a 100m dash or something you can anticipate and train for specifically, there's more of a versatility aspect to the overcoming of these obstacles.

The whole thing is kind of a reality check. But an ongoing one: Now is a time for self discipline and versatility

Before, anytime that we weren't doing school work, or some sort of work, we felt like we should. That we don't really deserve rest, like a cloud is always hanging over you casting a shadow you can't ignore. It felt like the only time we took a rest, was to do more work.

But now everything is blending into each other, because all the walls that held everything in compartments are now gone. Everything is kind of one flavor now, so it's hard to navigate and distinguish aspects of your life.

School work has kept it together, but the school work is not that engaging, I have to say. I still make an effort to talk to the teachers and pretend that what they're doing is helpful. It is a very nice thing they're doing, and it's extremely selfless of them to put up together these classes, and adapt so quickly to the confusing in and outs of the interwebs. And that's what I respect about them, and that's why I make an effort. Because I feel like I'd be squandering that if I didn't. But, it doesn't really change the fact that it's not that engaging.

 Mae has been going after those radishes, like a beast.

365 TV-Free Activities: 100 Days of This!

Here we are at Day 100, and I have for you dueling tales, depicting two brothers' dealings with a mysterious creature. First Henry came to me with his story of the The Chickenfish King:

Last night, Thomas and I were down in Nehalem Falls Creek. It was then that Thomas learned about the mythical Chickenfish. The Chickenfish is a bright white fish that has feathers instead of scales. It swims the way a penguin does; its feathers are good swimming feathers.

Thomas announced that he did not believe in the Chickenfish. All of a sudden, the water rippled and we knew that Thomas had angered the Chickenfish King. I told Thomas that we had to go down to the Chickenfish King's lair, and give offerings so that he would not disrupt our picnic. We ran across the rocks and jumped over logs. We climbed mountains and slid down into ravines, until finally, we reached the pond of the Chickenfish King.

We saw a little plant growing beside the pool. We decided the leaves of this plant would be enough of an offering for the Chickenfish King. We weren't sure if he was happy or not, but we saw in a ripple in the water again and we started to run. It was when were running across the rocks that Thomas slipped. Luckily, he caught himself, but hurt his hand. I carried him back to our picnic and lay him down. I saw another ripple in the water. The Chickenfish King was happy after all.

by Henry Laszlo

I was incredulous, and as I transcribed his words, I thought, Thomas will not like this. I said so, but I was instructed to type and remember my place. Thomas was not to hear about Henry's version of the tale of their quest. I pled with Henry to allow me to record Thomas' version. I was granted my wish and Thomas came to see me. When Henry wasn't looking, I said, "Now's your chance to tell your side of this story, which Henry has done, and he's carrying you at the end." So, Thomas gave his side of the story:

It was a gloomy day in summer. Fall was coming up, and me and Henry were just running around on the rocks. We heard a high pitched squeal and a ripple in the water. Me and Henry said, "It's just a pigletfish." But then, a bigger ripple and Henry said, "Oh no! Chickenfish" And I said, "No way! Run!"

And we came to a small creek with water and huge ripple and the water splashed up at us and the Chickenfish King arrived and we ran for our lives. We thought of an idea and we made an offering to the Chickenfish king, we ran away, I fell and hurt my hand. Henry fell and hit his head on a rock, so I had to drag him all the way back the site.

by Thomas Laszlo

The emergence of The Chickenfish King made me think of one of The Activities, from The Book, so here's idea #101: Fantastical Creatures

Introduce your kids to the mythical creatures in reverse. Instead of showing them a picture of a sphinx or a unicorn and saying "That is a sphinx or unicorn", describe the attributes of a sphinx or unicorn and ask your child to draw what they think that would look like. Unfortunately, Henry and Thomas are well-versed in their mythical creatures and their results are pretty spot-on. I need to check that chimera.

The above picture is Thomas' satyr and centaur, and the chimera (lion head, goat body, snake tail) below is Henry's work.

Afterward, you can look up real pictures of the mythical creatures and everyone can have a laugh, I guess. Just don't be hurtful. I couldn't draw a decent unicorn until I was well into my teens, and I even knew what they were supposed to look like. If you say, "A unicorn is like a horse with a horn sticking out of its head!" and your child draws what looks like a trombone with hooves, you know you're doing something right. My unicorns always resembled long-haired pigs who had recently suffered a head injury, sometimes with wings

Tails and Tidings: Laszlo! by Thomas

It was September, on a rainy cold afternoon. When all the other dogs at the shelter looked their scariest. The reddest teeth. But that afternoon, we found the dog that was perfect. Laszlo!

He is my dog. You can say that, if you want.

My mom said he was perfect for me, my dad was reluctant, but I thought he was the perfect dog. The perfect little monster! He even tried to escape once, drool around his teeth. And he had his head stuck in a metal mesh fence. They got him out, he was no more than a nightmare. If he could remember that day once more, he could, something I can't talk about. Boy, he would do something bad.

But now let's go to the happy scenes :D The happy scenes are, he's just a cute little puppy.

He's done many things with me. He's gone to places with me. He'd done pretty much a lot of stuff with me. We've had him for seven months and I gotta say he's very nice. When mom sings to him, he shows his teeth, which is really cute.

One time we were at the beach,and me and mom and my big brother Henry were cleaning up, picking up trash. And I was waiting in the car and Laszlo was actually smiling, he was just so warm, sitting in her seat.