Friday, May 21, 2010

What It's Like Giving A Spelling Test To A Boy





SETTING: Kitchen table, typical homeschool morning. Baby E and I sitting together:.

ME: "Alright, Baby E, we need to get our review spelling test done first thing this morning...."

BABY E: "Noooooooooo......[groan groan] I want to do it later. Can I at least keep my Bumblebee costume on? It helps me think faster and better."


ME: "Yes. Yes. Keep it on. We're going to do the review first now, so that way it gets done, then we can do the fun stuff you like later."

BABY E: "Alright..."

ME: "OK, now, remember, I'll say your spelling word first, then you give me back the word using it in a sentence, to show me you know what it means. So, I'll say the word, then you repeat it and use it in a sentence, then the last step is to spell it. That way I know that you understand the meaning of it, and not just how it's spelled. Ready? Let's go..."

ME: "First word: COT."

BABY E: "COT. The kid was COT stealing candy. COT."

ME: "No..no..no..COT. A small bed.."

ME: "Baby E, are you sure you studied?"


BABY E: "Uhhh...yeah, kinda..what do you mean by study?"

ME: "Never mind. Next word: CUFF.

BABY E: "CUFF. "Cuff 'em, guys" said the policeman."

ME: "OK *sigh* .. . alright, I'll take it. Next word: CUT."

BABY E: "Oh! Goody! "The man was all CUT and bleeding blood from trying to get out of the handCUFFS!" CUT. I used two of the words, mom!"

ME: "Hmmm...Ok, let's just keep going...next word:.GAS."

BABY E: [titter titter teehee teehee *sighing*] " GAS!" [titter titter] "I have.... GAS!" [explosive laughter]

ME: "Oh, Baby E....baby e, what am I going to do?? Next word is GUM. And let's try real hard to give me a good sentence this time, alright?"

BABY E: [giggle giggle breathless chortle] "The man had nothing but GUMS left in his mouth cuz he ate only candy and his teeth ROTTED out!. GUMS."

ME: "Well, let's just finish with this. Now,  there's not much you can do to this next word. GIANT."

BABY E: [full blown hysteria]"The GIANT stepped on and smooshed and squished and splatted flat all the little people in the village till they were squished  flat! GIANT!"




And that's only one third of the words from his list, only one third. This is my life, people. This.is.my.life.

52 comments:

  1. A boy after my own heart! I particularly enjoyed the cuff and cut combo!!!

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  2. ahahah! So funny!

    The boy who supplies his mom with hilarious material for her blog is my hero. Hero!

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  3. I love that this is the first thing I read on a cloudy Saturday morning :-) Just LOVED this - every word of it! Baby E is a riot! Hard to pick out my favorite lines but if I had to choose one it would be: "What do you mean by study?" :-)

    Boys are something, aren't they? I'm still in the poop and pee stage, or, do they not grow out of that?? But I love boys - I love how uninhibited they are, how they find such joy in everything including the gross. I grew up feeling too worried about being polite and proper.

    I feel that these excerpts from your homeschooling life should also become a regular column/post on your blog!

    Have a great weekend!

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  4. Well, as long as he's getting the spellings right ;)

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  5. your son is brilliant...

    i know, i shouldnt encourage it, but he may write and amazing movie, or a good book, or...

    smiles.

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  6. lol! how do you keep a straight face/ love it!

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  7. Hysterical. I'd be giggling as much as the kid. Which is why I could never homeschool.

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  8. Oh, how I can relate!!!! I laughed as I read this post. Thank you for sharing....ah...the joys of spelling. :)

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  9. Fun, isn't it?
    At least you're writing stuff down... I don't have anything much written down of the day to day homeschooling stuff we did.

    I have a lot written about homeschooling, but not personal and fun.

    You'll look back on all these times and smile and people will wonder about you... they'll say, "See? Homeschooling made her a little nutty."

    ;)

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  10. Encourage the creativity! Even if it's full of blood, guts, weapons, and giants. Because let me tell you, when they get to college, the teacher will appreciate something unique in their writing and their conversation. It gets very annoying to have classroom after classroom of students who are all trying to be "appropriate" which means "the same". :)

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  11. But it is a fun life! I miss those time with my boys....

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  12. Haha! Thanks for the LOL-ly reading. You have the smartest boy mama!

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  13. Did he take the test wearing the costume? I homeschooled for a year. Best year ever!

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  14. what can I say about this? You are becoming my guide for years ahead with two boys...
    Note to self: Make sure I have plenty of super hero costumes on hand for spelling tests.
    Note to self: Skip asking them to use the words in a sentence. Who needs context anyway?

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  15. HAHAHA! Oh man, that is so our house down to the costume!

    Yeah, my 7 yr old has informed me that he already has his birthday present decided on (his bday is in Oct.) and he wants a Panther costume with a soundbox on it. Panther is a superhero he made up. LOL. Gosh. And I KNOW he'll wear it during school.

    Well, a good thing... at least he's learning. :)

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  16. At least he didn't ask you what the definition of is is when you asked if he studied...

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  17. I'm sure that boy is gifted and talented! I would love for my first graders to come up with some of that stuff! :)

    Thanks again for the shout out. Will post it soon.

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  18. What an imaginative, smart kid! Never a dull moment with him around!

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  19. Fabulously funny! Sorry, but you are going to have to do a follow-up post and tell us his responses to all the other words in his test too!!

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  20. I go through this when I try to have a review test with my son. He focuses on anything BUT his words.

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  21. This is too funny and oh, so true. Boys really are just wired differently.

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  22. Ha! Must be fun raising a boy!

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  23. Hahaha! Boys. Although I did giggle myself at the "Gas" one! ;)

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  24. I see another Baby E blog series in your future. Just sayin....:)

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  25. This was so cute and funny!

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  26. well, he did use them the correct way, especially for a boy. Be happy the word doodie didn't pop anywhere there.

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  27. LOL. Your son is very funny and cute. I never expected that for "Cut"!
    Toodles...:)

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  28. Oh gosh, don't you just love how creative their imaginations can be. Now that's the way to make spelling fun! If they let them do that more often in regular school they would learn a whole lot more.

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  29. Thanks to everyone on this post.

    It is a slice of life, teaching this little boy. The other day I had to laugh when my husband asked me if I ever ran out of thigns to write about. HA!

    I've got a notebook, A NOTEBOOK, that's already half full.

    Thanks to all who love Baby E.

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  30. I adore this post! It's so great to see my future. I'm still laughing!

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  31. Ok, that is funny! That is pretty much how our study time is with our 11 year old!

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  32. Lol...Giant squishing people. I love the creativity and flexibility home schooling allows. Often when I look back I wish I had been able to do that with Jake when he was young.

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  33. LOLOLOL Yes, Yes, YES! So true :)

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  34. HILAROUS!!! Your Baby E is just too adorable. And extremely very creative. A+ for both of you. XOXOXOX

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  35. Sounds like it's time to "cuff" that "giant"! Boy humor ... gotta love (hate?) it. =>

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  36. Your son is hilarious! I loved his sentences and the fact that you embrace his humor.

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  37. Hi! I am just dropping in to let you know that I have an award waiting for you on my blog!!

    http://thedailymomdiaries.blogspot.com/2010/05/sunshiny-weekend.html

    Take care,
    Tracy

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  38. that was pretty hysterical! i'm mom to 2 boys and girl, and those spelling word days... oh my! love the photo, too! and thanks so much for coming by & leaving me some sweet comments! :) made my weekend!

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  39. If spelling bees were as entertaining as this, then more people would watch.

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  40. I sincerely love this kid. Good job on that one, Empress.

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  41. fab.u.lous! love that baby-e!!! ;)

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  42. I love your stories. Just love them.

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  43. LOL, priceless.

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  44. You got to give it to the guy for creativity. Obviously a sign of higher intelligence.

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  45. Hahahaha! That little guy is CLASSIC!! Things I get to look forward when mine get a bit bigger.

    'Cot stealing' hahahaha

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  46. lol...that's awesome. Good luck with that one as you move into higher studies. ;)

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  47. Okay, I'm eleven and cannot count how many of the kids in my school that do that when we had spelling tests. LOL

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  48. I have a son just like that! Everything (including spelling tests) are creative to him.

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  49. Boys are something else, aren't they? LOL

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  50. I love it! This made me laugh so much!! My only son is 5, so we don't do spelling lists yet...but I'm sure it'll be the same!!

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