Pride and Prejudice is like a Tootsie Pop

I am currently teaching my last units of the year. While the juniors muddle through The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn my seniors are reading Pride and Prejudice. The students fight me every year but most end up enjoying it. That might be that I bribe them with popcorn, movies, pancakes, and candy throughout--whatever works.

This week we did my favorite activity with the unit- The Tootsie Pop comparison. I wish I could say I came up with this idea, but it was the idea of my mentor Amy Cowin. It is a favorite and I wanted to share some of the responses with you-

This Tootsie Pop is like Pride and Prejudice:

--because there are so many versions like flavors, unfortunately Tootsie Pops don't have Kiera Knightly.

--It is hard when you begin, but gets easier as you finish.

--Some of the characters are covered up and reserved, but when you take the wrapper off everyone has their own personalities.

--You want to bite it and get it over with.

--You're excited to start eating it and then you get bored so you take a big bite of your sucker and you're sad it is over.

--The wrapper is like people's first judgment about you. The flavor is like the hard shell people have to protect them from hurt. The Tootsie inside is the real person underneath all the layers.

-- On the outside it is colorful and sweet. You can't see through the outer core until you crack through it and find the real truth and substance in the center.

--It has a hard press cover and soft flexible inside pages.

--Jane and Mr. Bingley are "tootsies". Elizabeth is on a "roll." Mrs Bennet always acts like she's going to "pop".

--It's been opened once and I really don't want to open it again.

--Mrs. Bennet because if you put a little pressure on her she cracks. (her nerves)

--It is hard to understand but after a while of licking and trying to understand Mrs Bradley tell us and it's nice and soft and easy.

--When I was really little at first I didn't think I would like Tootsie Pops but then I tried it and it turned out that I really like them a lot. The same is true for this book at first I thought I wouldn't like it but now I do.

--You lick a Tootsie Pop thousands of times but like the characters of Pride and Prejudice you can't ever seem to get past that hard shell of manners and propriety and self-righteousness.

Spring has sprung!!!

April has always been my favorite month, I think that is because Spring finally shows up and I love the nine months that follow.

To start out the month we had our semi-annual craft night for moms and kids. We generally hold this when the men folk go off for Priesthood meeting. This time we worked on Easter crafts. We decorated foam eggs, made necklaces and bracelets, and the boys favorite part- decorated cookies. The kids always have a lot of fun during this time and then they get to play. They favorite game is to strip James' bed and jump on it. Then the dump out all his toys and play bucket heads, a game where they run around all wearing one of the buckets James' toys once lived in.

Bridie loved the sprinkles on her cookie and the yellow ducks on her new necklace.

Laine got very crafty with her cookie decorating and produced the best looking cookie of the night.
For Bost it was more about the frosting then anything else, James felt the same way.

When the boys got back from their meeting we all sat down to some yummy ice cream sundaes with Poppa.
Bridie playing Bucket Heads

Laine, James, and Boston also get in on the bucket head action.


The next weekend was James' fourth birthday. He decided that he wanted a huge party with all his cousins and his friend Patrick. We had a birthday bash. Christian BBQed up a storm and made a six layer blueberry cake...one of his finest creations. We had ice cream and snacks galore and everyone came to celebrate our sweet boys birthday.

Vi did not take off the fireman's hat until she had to leave. She also loved that ice cream cone.

James and his monster blue berry cake! Did I mention my husband made it from scratch???

A happy boy on his happy birthday!


The blueberry spider!

Five days after James' birthday, I had my birthday. Christian once again pulled out all the stops and made a delicious lemon cake and some awesome BBQ chicken breasts. We had a smaller affair with just a bit of family over and my friend Darlene. It was fun to just sit and chat...and eat more cake.
Happy birthday to me!!! My SBOs at school surprised me with cake and ice cream too! They are a good bunch of kids.

Uncle Zach and Ezzie.

All in all April has treated us well so far. Here is to making the last week even better!!! And maybe, if I play my cards right it might stop snowing.