Welcome to Second Grade!

Technically yesterday was our first day but to celebrate we ditched school and went swimming instead. BirdMan got his cast off and we had to go splash around in water to celebrate, right? Ahhhhh.... what fun.

Today was our first real school day and we started the Fisherville Academy Book Club. Basically we are reading a chapter book out loud together, taking turns with each chapter. Then we talk about the characters and other aspects of the book and do an activity. Today's activity comprised of making a map of our classroom.

One of the characters in the book is a little boy who enjoys teasing girls and tying to gross them out. This is a foreign concept to my kids because GooseyGirl is just as into examining the latest road kill as the boys are. You can't gross the girl out. She can hook her own worm onto the pole when we go fishing, for goodness sake!

The boy in the story decided to stick his pencil up his nose and gently swing it back and forth while staring at the girl in the frilly pink dress sitting next to him. This character also refers to himself as "The Beast" and is mortified that he can't read but doesn't want anyone to know that little secret about his abilities.

I asked my little book club about the motivations of this character.

"Why do you think Richard puts a pencil in his nose?", I asked and sat back to wait for the revelations about the main character's lack of self esteem to come pouring from their little mouths.

"Oh, I know!", says RocketMan with all the self confidence in the world, "To erase his memory."

*snort*