Yikes!

So we went to open the back door to the porch, and look who was there.  Yeah, I have fears walking into one of these spiders in the woods, but it's October, and guess what?  That fear is right there on my back door!  No thank you.  Obviously, this spider will have to relocate, but as soon as I stop shaking and mumbling to myself in a quiet corner on the opposite side of the house!

Let's see, what happened today?  We had taekwondo, and Madison is pretty much in a rehearsal mode now, running through her routine and remembering the different stances and strikes.  We've gotten the paperwork and announcements about the big day on October 11th.  We've invited a few others over to watch the ceremony.  I'm thinking this is like the ballet recital of taekwondo, the thing the kids are practicing for and the moment all the parents and relatives show up with cameras.  But it's much less time consuming, of course.  Madison seems to have it all together though, calm and relaxed, and really enjoying herself.  She enjoyed ballet too, obviously.  But she's enjoying this as well, talking about funny mistakes others make, or funny mistakes she herself makes.

Madison got her first failing grade today, and it will count.  It was a math quiz, and it was a surprise to her as it was to us.  We don't know the specific questions she missed, but we'll be looking into it of course.  This dropped her total average down to a B, but it's an 89, so it's possible to lift it back up, hopefully.  Of course, the goal is learning what is being taught and learning from mistakes.  So there's that internal parent struggle of shooting for all A's, and then realizing it isn't you yourself taking the test, and the important thing is doing your best and of course learning what is taught.  And those are the most important things.  We'll be happy either way, but it's notable that she's gotten a grade this low, because up until now, the lowest has been a B grade.  It's been more of an effort this year, but we're right there with her, helping her with papers and studying.  Daddy asks her about astronomers, and reads through her answers to guided questions about the book, "Among the Hidden."  That's what she's been reading as an assignment, and so we were looking at some written answers Madison had for an assignment.  There were a few grammatical errors, but we worked them out sufficiently.  Madison was reluctant to proof her work, but after seeing her mistakes, hopefully she'll be more willing to run through things again before turning something in.  Again, learning from mistakes.

She's enjoying that book, by the way.  We have not read it, but I might before all is said and done, just to have an idea what it's about.  In the meantime, we have another book we've read tonight before bed:  "The Beatrice Letters."  This is not really a traditional novel, but a collection of letters with clues and puzzles within, all related to the events mentioned in the ending books of "A Series of Unfortunate Events."  The local librarian recommended we read this before we read the last book in the series, appropriately called "The End."  We were actually able to read the whole thing in one sitting tonight before bed.  And while entertaining, it doesn't answer too many questions - other than the fact that there are apparently two Beatrices.  I think.  Anyway, we'll be reading "The End" soon enough, and we'll have a better idea of how things end up there.

Tonight we watched "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow" again, the Disney version.  It's a short watch before bed.  Daddy had Bing Crosby's singing from this movie stuck in his head all afternoon, and this was the only prescription.  Each time we see this, we talk of going up there to Sleepy Hollow, to my ancestors.  Maybe next year, right?

Well, it is October, and again we're doing those things related to this season.  Like finding a ginormous spider in the doorway.  But we're also doing more pleasant things:  Mommy found a gingerbread house we can decorate for October.  So we'll probably be doing that soon enough, decorating our latest spooky gingerbread house.  That'll be fun!  We'll be going to pumpkin patches, corn mazes, scarecrow displays, drives to see the changes in leaves, costume parties, pumpkin carving parties and so much more.  There's so much to do this time of year, isn't there?  All you have to do is step out the door... and oh, not that door.