A Middle-Schooler's homework

This was my 12 yr old son's homework last night.






A speech comparing Japanese & American School Systems
(written from a Japanese Student's perspective)

Dear Ladies & Gentlemen
I wish to bring to your eyes the state of your school system compared to ours. Your school systems reward good passing grades with more supplies and school funds, and the schools that don’t get as many passing grades get fewer funds. As to ours, where all schools get the exact same supplies and funds. Also, your schools do not challenge their students enough, like how they don’t have enough science and math classes.
. Opposed to our schools which have such high expectations they are require to take entrance exams, and they are so tough that they go to a summer school called a Juku to prepare for the exams.
Our teachers get high respect and pay, which generally increases how well they teach. Where yours are respected but not paid to well. So, I hope you take this information into consideration.
By Donny Thomas


Isn't that interesting?
Do we not work our kids hard enough?
I wonder if the Japanese have PE...or focus any on the arts?






Coming tomorrow...
how a mom in the suburbs and her two boys break the law...
all for the sake of art.

Like no other

A music stand like no other:

Annie's such a sweetie!

A Garden of Eden like no other.

Stinkpot Update

As yesterday's post explained,
Remy was double-dared into flushing a doorstop down the toilet at school.


Well, he reported today that there is a NEW doorstop in the classroom now...

and...





it's smaller.




Easier to flush?!! I hope not.

My Little Stinkpot

Recently he got in trouble at school for trying to flush the doorstop down the toilet.

When I asked him why he did this, he told me someone dared him.
Double-dared him.

And, he told me, the doorstop, it wouldn't go down.

So, an important lesson in physics?

Egg Heads taking on Reindeer

The Easter Bunny needs to fire whoever currently does his PR,
because Santa Claus totally has him beat out.

Easter has the potential to be as big as Christmas, honestly.


Which sounds more appealing to you,
a jolly fat man in a red suit who sneaks in your house and eats your cookies?
Or a big furry bunny that poops eggs with surprises in them around your yard?



I think part of the secret lies in the music.
Christmas has a ton of great songs ties to it.
So, we need to come up with a bunch of Easter Songs.

How about:

We Wish you a Happy Easter (to the tune of We Wish you a Merry Christmas)

Randolph the Red-Spotted Rabbit (to the tune of Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer)



Santa's got sidekicks too. Elves, reindeer, etc.
So, our Easter Bunny needs sidekicks.

How about Egg Heads?
Little walking/talking eggs with faces, hands and feet, all brightly colored?

And, Easter needs to ditch the pastels.
If it wants to compete with Christmas, it needs bold, jewel-tones.

And I'd love to see those Egg Heads take on the Reindeer.

Any suggestions on how Easter could compete with Christmas?

Fine Print

I have great appreciation for masterpieces of all sorts.

This dude just finished reading Plato and is feeling philosophical.

This rhino is more of a die-hard Tolstoy fan.

She can't decide whether to translate Homer's Illiad or Odyssey.

This Meercat plans to enjoy Dante's Inferno after lunch.

The giraffe prefers Shakespeare, an unlikely pairing.

I caught the elephant reading the Bible.
You just never know.

This kangaroo? Really into a historical romance.
I kid you not.


What are some of your favorite masterpieces?
Literature, art, music?
Science, math?

How about the grand masterpiece of them all...
NATURE?!

All the critters especially.

Camera Critters is SO much fun! join us!

I'd love to see my dog rumba

Animals can smell cancer, tell when earthquakes are about to hit,
sniff out bombs and drugs...
but they don't seem to hear a beat when music's on.

How come animals don't dance?!

Did you know that some people believe in
the natural healing ability of the radioactive gas Radon?

And they go into underground tunnels of old gold mines to be exposed to it?!

I tried it once, and came out looking like this:

Just kidding.


I'm reading two books right now...
Ok, really three.

They are:

What are you reading?

Have you ever tried some alternative healing?

Do you know why animals don't move to a beat?



Any fun weekend plans?
I have a little league baseball game, a laser tag kids' party
& lots of family time planned.