Madison did great on her tests today, capping off a great week at school. The unit test in math was the big one, and that was something she'd been studying for quite a bit for the last week. These unit tests carry a lot of weight - I've always thought that eighty percent of your total grade was pretty big compared to the rest of the semester. The quizzes and daily assignments make up most most of the work throughout the semester, weeks and weeks of homework assignments, classwork, projects, and quizzes. But all that work accounts for just twenty percent of the grade. It's these big tests that are the ones that make up the largest part of the grade. So there's a little bit of nervousness going into these. But then again, perhaps that's a training in itself. College is a place where you have occasional classes that only feature a total of three tests total for a grade, and if you mess up one of those, you're in deep trouble.
Anyway, we checked into the online school site today, and there were a flurry of good grades. We're very proud of her, no matter what. We saw her working very hard and studying at night. We do occasional reminders about this assignment or that, but on the whole, she's so self-driven. It makes our job in that department so easy! And again, though she's pretty bright, a lot of it does not come naturally. We see her study and we see her work hard, and we see her earn her way through.
Today was a quiet day, at least compared to yesterday. She finished her test, and while she was doing that, Daddy was at work, finishing up some scripts for Sunday - it's Groundhog Day, again. We have a great skit that we're revisiting, one that Daddy wrote back in 2003 at our North Campus. It will be pretty epic returning to this one, and so much fun to have the groundhog puppet back on stage once more. It'll be a nice day!
In fact, I'll post the script below here, it's one that has been adjusted slightly for new cast members, with some other tweaks. But on the whole, it's the same thing I had seventeen years ago now. A lot has changed since then, but not our love of Groundhog Day! In fact, tonight Daddy was making some themed snacks for this major holiday, something to be handed out on Sunday morning to our cast. You'll just have to see those then, I think.
*****
NERDO grabs a megaphone from STAGE LEFT
NERDO: “ I thought as much. But don’t worry – I brought a back-up plan!”
NERDO: “No, it’s got to be! I can’t hear anything in there, maybe he’s – ”
GROUNDHOG: “I was just about to get to that part, and then someone dumped hot coffee all over me! I thought we were being invaded!”
NERDO: “Oh my stars!”
GROUNDHOG: “Yeah, it’s in the big room next to the Jacuzzi. Later on we’re having a Super Bowl party.”
GROUNDHOG: “Sure thing! The Easter Bunny is coming over later – should be a swell time. Want to drop by?”
DAWN, ISAAC, and NERDO look at each other.
NERDO: “Totally!”
*****
I was making those while we were watching a new movie we haven't seen yet, or at least a new version of the same exact movie. It was "The Lion King," the "live action" version of the same animated classic from the 90's. Just like with "Beauty and the Beast," there were plenty of exact recreations of scenes from the original movie, and there are a few of us that feel this isn't a great idea. "Aladdin," "Cinderella," "Lady and the Tramp," and "The Jungle Book" were great movies in that they didn't try and recreate the same exact movie as before, just with live action. "The Lion King" was pretty much exactly what we all saw in the 90's, but not animated. And that being said, watching this movie makes one really appreciate how effective and amazing the animated movie really was.
Anyway, the movie was okay. Afterwards, we even had some time to watch a few episodes of "Kickin' It." Why not? Tomorrow is Saturday, and we can all sleep in!
Tonight a few bits of major news happened, and we watched them as they happened. One thing was the official moment of Brexit, where the clock counted down, and Great Britain once again became a completely independent nation.
This has been an ongoing "discussion" for many years, culminating in a vote back in 2016, and then other votes and negotiations, to the point that it has taken four years since that vote to actually do the very thing people voted to have done four years ago. Amongst those Britains that voted were Madison's great aunt and uncle, who live in Wales.
The usual government bureaucracy dragged this on for four years. I mean, many people assumed when there's a vote to do something, and there are more votes to do that thing, that sometime soon, that thing would be done. But here we are, four years later, and it's finally getting done. That's how much of a struggle it's been between globalist leaders and nationalist leaders, and that's the future battle, really. Even here in America, there's a surge of nationalism that is fighting back against the globalist ideas, and that ties in nicely to today's vote in the US Senate. While the impeachment trial is not officially over with, there was a vote today on whether to extend this thing by months (which is what would happen if we had witnesses come in to speak), or to not have witnesses and end it sooner. The thinking is that this will all be over with on Wednesday, when there is another predictable vote, and the President is acquitted. The call for witnesses seemed to make sense, if this were a real trial. But a real trial also involves real jurors, and these are not impartial jurors at all. In fact, a few of them are currently running for President to replace the man they are voting to impeach. It's all about as impartial as the process in the House of Representatives, which was not at all. So despite all the pomp and circumstance, this is all about politics and speaking to the televisions, with plenty of misleading news reports and confusion thrown in for good measure.
It's not exactly a proud moment for our government. But at the same time, perhaps there is something to be happy about: it was a test, and it seems as if things are still standing for the time being. It would be nice if people in government worked together for a change, and perhaps this is a tipping point of sorts, where we start electing people who promise to do that sort of thing, rather than go straight to Washington to oppose and bring down. I know, I can dream.
So anyway, we had a few big moments tonight in the world. For posterity, we saw these moments as they occurred, and there's a sense that maybe we can now start moving forward, or at least in another direction and see what happens next. We'll see how that goes as time moves on. We prayed tonight in that direction, also praying for friends abroad on missions trips, for Ba-Ba and Nana, for our friend Mr. Edge, and that the Lord would watch over all of us as we sleep.
We read from the devotional, and we read from "Thrawn," a book title that auto-correct just can't get used to. And then we were all off to sleep rather quickly. It was a cold day, and we have all these wonderful blankets here that make falling asleep so comfy. We'll find out Sunday how much longer we have to use those blankets!
Anyway, we checked into the online school site today, and there were a flurry of good grades. We're very proud of her, no matter what. We saw her working very hard and studying at night. We do occasional reminders about this assignment or that, but on the whole, she's so self-driven. It makes our job in that department so easy! And again, though she's pretty bright, a lot of it does not come naturally. We see her study and we see her work hard, and we see her earn her way through.
Today was a quiet day, at least compared to yesterday. She finished her test, and while she was doing that, Daddy was at work, finishing up some scripts for Sunday - it's Groundhog Day, again. We have a great skit that we're revisiting, one that Daddy wrote back in 2003 at our North Campus. It will be pretty epic returning to this one, and so much fun to have the groundhog puppet back on stage once more. It'll be a nice day!
In fact, I'll post the script below here, it's one that has been adjusted slightly for new cast members, with some other tweaks. But on the whole, it's the same thing I had seventeen years ago now. A lot has changed since then, but not our love of Groundhog Day! In fact, tonight Daddy was making some themed snacks for this major holiday, something to be handed out on Sunday morning to our cast. You'll just have to see those then, I think.
*****
KidPak Adventures: All Aboard!
Groundhog Station
Groundhog Station
CUE TRACK: 1 PHIL STEALS THE MONEY
NARRATOR: “You may not know this, but nearby the Train Depot, there’s a little hole in the ground, and inside that hole is a pretty famous resident. Join us now at KidPak as we pay a visit to this special friend on his very special day.”
DAWN, ISAAC and NERDO enter from STAGE LEFT.
DAWN: “Nerdo, what are we doing here?”
NERDO: (excited) “It’s Groundhog Day, and we’re here to see the groundhog!”
ISAAC: “Nerdo, it’s too early in the morning.”
NERDO: “Exactly! Once a year, the groundhog pops out of his hole, first thing in the morning, and looks to see his shadow. If he sees it, there are six more months of… no wait. It’s six weeks. Or is it six days? Oh, man, I don’t remember! I’ll have to ask him when he pops out!”
DAWN: “Pops out where?”
NERDO: “Here! Here’s the hole – this is it! (rubbing hands together) Oh boy, oh boy!”
ISAAC: “So… we just sit here and wait until aratsticks his head out a hole and looks for a shadow?”
NERDO: “How dare you! It’s not a rat! It’s thegroundhog. And he’s the greatest weather forecaster there is!”
DAWN: (Arms folded, cold and tired and anxious to get this over with) “Okay, okay, okay. We get it! So what do we do? We just sit here and wait?”
CAST sits there and waits, NERDO looking at the place where the groundhog emerges, looking at it like that’s where Santa Claus comes from.
NERDO: “Yep! Any minute now…!”
NERDO is hopeful. DAWN and ISAAC stand there awkwardly, looking at watches, trying to be patient.
NERDO: “ He should be sticking his cute little head out of there real soon!”
DAWN and ISAAC look ready to go, but NERDO’s enthusiasm doesn’t wane.
NERDO: “Maybe he needs a little encouragement.”
DAWN (somewhat worried): “What are you thinking about?”
NERDO: “My motto is be prepared! Mee-maw uses this to wake me up each morning.”
NERDO grabs a megaphone from STAGE LEFT
ISAAC: “ Nerdo, I don’t know about that.”
NERDO: “Don’t worry! This will work just fine! (yelling into hole) HELLO! ALL ABOARD! ANYBODY IN THERE? TODAY’S YOUR BIG DAY! WE’RE WAITING!!!”
DAWN: “Nerdo, this is not a good idea.”
NERDO: (not hearing her) “HEY! YOU IN THERE! ARE YOU SLEEPING?!”
ISAAC: “Probably not anymore.”
CAST looks on at hole, expectantly, but nothing happened.
NERDO: “ I thought as much. But don’t worry – I brought a back-up plan!”
NERDO goes to get a coffee thermos from STAGE LEFT.
DAWN: “Nerdo, what are you doing?”
NERDO: “ This is some fine groundhog roast coffee. Just a little encouragement for our friend. Coffee wakes you right up!”
ISAAC: “Nerdo, don’t pour that down – ”
NERDO pours coffee into hole (just putting cup into hole, and turning cup as if pouring imaginary contents).
DAWN: “Oh, that is so wrong! Nerdo, that’s scalding hot coffee!”
NERDO, DAWN and ISAAC wait a moment. DAWN and ISAAC look worried, but NERDO is still excited.
ISAAC: “Maybe we’d better go.”
NERDO: “No! I’ve got one final emergency plan here. Don’t panic!”
NERDO goes off STAGE LEFT to get a firecracker.
DAWN: “ Nerdo, that’s not a firecracker, is it?”
NERDO: “For emergency use only. Maybe our little friend needs to be jostled a little. It’s just like an alarm clock!”
ISAAC: “Not good!”
DAWN and ISAAC jump back as NERDO drops firecracker in hole. CAST puts fingers in their ears.
CUE SOUND EFFECT: EXPLOSION
CAST reacts, shaking as if the earth has moved suddenly and violently. Rising, NERDO looks perplexed as nothing else has come out of the hole. DAWN and ISAAC are relieved.
DAWN: “Maybe this is the wrong hole.”
NERDO sticks his head closer to the hole to inspect it and to look in closely. He spends a few seconds looking deep into the hole, and then puts his head sideways to listen in the hole…
NERDO: “No, it’s got to be! I can’t hear anything in there, maybe he’s – ”
GROUNDHOG lunges up out of hold and grabs NERDO by the ear, trying to pull him into the hole a bit.
NERDO: “Aaaah! Get-him-off! Get-him-off!”
NERDO struggles a moment with GROUNDHOG, running around STAGE while holding GROUNDHOG, as if it is attached to his face.
DAWN: “Nerdo! You stop treating that groundhog so badly!”
NERDO, screaming in terror, somehow makes his way back to place where GROUNDHOG emerged from, and releases GROUNDHOG back into the hole.
NERDO: “OW!”
GROUNDHOG emerges slowly, and NERDO, DAWN and ISAAC back off, a little nervous.
GROUNDHOG: “What is your deal? You trying to make me into ground chuck?”
DAWN and ISAAC gasp!
DAWN: “What?!? It’s a talking groundhog!”
NERDO: “You weren’t coming out! You’re supposed to come out and see your shadow and tell us winter is over or something, right?”
GROUNDHOG: “I was just about to get to that part, and then someone dumped hot coffee all over me! I thought we were being invaded!”
ISAAC: “Don’t look at me. I had nothing to do with it!”
GROUNDHOG: “You were screaming at me and throwing firecrackers in my living room!”
DAWN: “That wasn’t exactly a nice way to go about things, Nerdo.”
ISAAC: “Yes, maybe you should ask yourself, what would Jesus do.”
GROUNDHOG: “That’s a good point! Would Jesus dump scalding hot coffee on you?”
NERDO: “No?
GROUNDHOG: “Would Jesus drop a large firecracker into your living room?”
NERDO: “No. I’m sorry Mr. Groundhog.”
GROUNDHOG: “Call me Chuck. And you know something? I forgive you.”
CUE TRACK: 2 A NEW DAY
NERDO: “Oh my stars!”
GROUNDHOG: “Just remember to treat everyone with love and respect. That’s how God treats us, and there’s no shadow of turning with Him!”
DAWN: “Aw! That little rodent just forgave you, Nerdo. How sweet!”
GROUNDHOG: “I heard that! I’m right here? I’m a groundhog, thank you very much!”
NERDO: “So… um… did you see your shadow? Everyone wants to know. What’s the weather going to be like?”
GROUNDHOG: “Groundhogs can’t tell what the weather is going to be like. Only God can predict that far in advance. I do have the Weather Channel though. I have it on my large screen television.”
ISAAC: “Wait, you have a large screen television down there?”
GROUNDHOG: “Yeah, it’s in the big room next to the Jacuzzi. Later on we’re having a Super Bowl party.”
DAWN: “A …Super Bowl party?”
GROUNDHOG: “Sure thing! The Easter Bunny is coming over later – should be a swell time. Want to drop by?”
DAWN, ISAAC, and NERDO look at each other.
NERDO: “Totally!”
GROUNDHOG: “Great! Be back here about a half hour before kick-off.”
DAWN: “Thanks Mr. Groundhog!”
ISAAC: “See you soon!”
DAWN, ISAAC and NERDO start to EXIT STAGE LEFT
GROUNDHOG: “Oh, and Nerdo? You can leave the coffee and firecrackers at home.”
NERDO: (exiting) “No problem. I’ll just bring the chili!”
DAWN and ISAAC: (also exiting STAGE LEFT) “NO!”
FADE LIGHTS
NARRATOR: “It’s Groundhog Day. Again. And even if there’s six more weeks of winter, when we show love, together we can bask in the warmth of our hearths and hearts, and enjoy this long lustrous winter together. Bottom line: treat others with kindness. Do it for the Groundhog.”
*****
I was making those while we were watching a new movie we haven't seen yet, or at least a new version of the same exact movie. It was "The Lion King," the "live action" version of the same animated classic from the 90's. Just like with "Beauty and the Beast," there were plenty of exact recreations of scenes from the original movie, and there are a few of us that feel this isn't a great idea. "Aladdin," "Cinderella," "Lady and the Tramp," and "The Jungle Book" were great movies in that they didn't try and recreate the same exact movie as before, just with live action. "The Lion King" was pretty much exactly what we all saw in the 90's, but not animated. And that being said, watching this movie makes one really appreciate how effective and amazing the animated movie really was.
Anyway, the movie was okay. Afterwards, we even had some time to watch a few episodes of "Kickin' It." Why not? Tomorrow is Saturday, and we can all sleep in!
Tonight a few bits of major news happened, and we watched them as they happened. One thing was the official moment of Brexit, where the clock counted down, and Great Britain once again became a completely independent nation.
This has been an ongoing "discussion" for many years, culminating in a vote back in 2016, and then other votes and negotiations, to the point that it has taken four years since that vote to actually do the very thing people voted to have done four years ago. Amongst those Britains that voted were Madison's great aunt and uncle, who live in Wales.
The usual government bureaucracy dragged this on for four years. I mean, many people assumed when there's a vote to do something, and there are more votes to do that thing, that sometime soon, that thing would be done. But here we are, four years later, and it's finally getting done. That's how much of a struggle it's been between globalist leaders and nationalist leaders, and that's the future battle, really. Even here in America, there's a surge of nationalism that is fighting back against the globalist ideas, and that ties in nicely to today's vote in the US Senate. While the impeachment trial is not officially over with, there was a vote today on whether to extend this thing by months (which is what would happen if we had witnesses come in to speak), or to not have witnesses and end it sooner. The thinking is that this will all be over with on Wednesday, when there is another predictable vote, and the President is acquitted. The call for witnesses seemed to make sense, if this were a real trial. But a real trial also involves real jurors, and these are not impartial jurors at all. In fact, a few of them are currently running for President to replace the man they are voting to impeach. It's all about as impartial as the process in the House of Representatives, which was not at all. So despite all the pomp and circumstance, this is all about politics and speaking to the televisions, with plenty of misleading news reports and confusion thrown in for good measure.
It's not exactly a proud moment for our government. But at the same time, perhaps there is something to be happy about: it was a test, and it seems as if things are still standing for the time being. It would be nice if people in government worked together for a change, and perhaps this is a tipping point of sorts, where we start electing people who promise to do that sort of thing, rather than go straight to Washington to oppose and bring down. I know, I can dream.
So anyway, we had a few big moments tonight in the world. For posterity, we saw these moments as they occurred, and there's a sense that maybe we can now start moving forward, or at least in another direction and see what happens next. We'll see how that goes as time moves on. We prayed tonight in that direction, also praying for friends abroad on missions trips, for Ba-Ba and Nana, for our friend Mr. Edge, and that the Lord would watch over all of us as we sleep.
We read from the devotional, and we read from "Thrawn," a book title that auto-correct just can't get used to. And then we were all off to sleep rather quickly. It was a cold day, and we have all these wonderful blankets here that make falling asleep so comfy. We'll find out Sunday how much longer we have to use those blankets!
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