Neil spent four entire school days rehearsing and performing in his school’s Fifth Grade Musical. This was on top of several days he spent a few months earlier preparing for the Fourth Grade Musical, as well as several weeks of music classes putting together the multicultural dance performance “Kids in Motion,” not to mention the…
Month: June 2007
Homeschooling the American Revolution, So Far
As I wrote earlier, I set up a summer school for Neil after being so disappointed with his fourth grade education. One of the subjects we’re covering is the American Revolution. So far, via a book I borrowed from the library, we’ve covered history from the Boston Massacre and the Intolerable Acts through Concord and…
The Great Passport Wait Continued
Back in March, I took my children to the post office in Willow Glen to renew Neil’s passport and to get a new passport for Kelly. At the same time, I sent in the paperwork and money to renew my own passport by mail. As I wrote then, it took an extraordinarily long time to…
The Big Pink Head in Golden Gate Park (and other arty adventures)
I never get tired of Golden Gate Park. It’s urban enough that it always has people and things to do, but it’s never crowded or rushed, which makes it perfect for a day that’s both relaxing and ennervating. I decided to take the children to the De Young Museum for their Viewing &Doing Art activity,…
The Too Much To Do Weekend
Typically, the first weekend after school ends is packed with activities to kick off the summer with a bang. Typically, we go to the North Beach Fair, to a nice restaurant for Father’s Day, and to the concert of our choice. This particular weekend, the choices of fun, exciting things we might like to do…
The Ultimate Hollywood Experience
A lot of people go to Hollywood proper, or take an official studio tour so they can experience, or at least see, the industry that makes the world’s television shows and movies. But I think we encountered the real thing simply by having Neil go out for the Are You Smarter Than a Fifth Grader?…
Neil Goes to Hollywood
After our fun weekend, it was time to get on with the purpose for which we’d come down to LA. We checked in to the luxurious Sheraton Universal, where the auditions were to be held, and after dinner and his algebra test, Neil finished working on his drumming robot, which was what he’d brought for…
The Cube Experience
Whenever we drive down to San Diego, we pass by a huge cube just off I-5, which happens to be a science museum. Neil loves science museums, and we have a membership card that gives us admission to most of them, so it was only natural that we’d take this opportunity to check it out….
The Burbank Fry’s Electronics
Peter wanted to visit the LA-area Fry’s Electronics. Nominally, he wanted to have some extra batteries on hand for Neil’s audition, which featured a Lego robot Neil programmed himself. But moreover, he likes the theme of this Fry’s. All Fry’s Electronics have a theme. Sometimes, they’re subtle, like the giant capacitors at the original Fry’s…
The Legoland Experience
Dare I say it? I like Legoland more than Disneyland. It’s less crowded, less overtly commercial, and since Neil’s been going there since the year it opened, we already have many fond family memories there. Disneyland works hard at being a pleasant place, and it is an exceptional amusement park, but it can’t overcome my…