Thanksgiving is quickly approaching!

The holidays are the most exciting time of the year, in my opinion. The first sign of the coming holidays is Thanksgiving, and it's the time of year when we start seeing a shift in everything-from what people wear, to the different foods we see at the supermarket-like the different colored pumpkins and squash, for example.
Thanksgiving is a very nice season because we get to be especially thankful for everything that we have, and also be reminded that we can give to those in need. We are quickly reminded of how fortunate we are, and how most of us occasionally take things for granted, or not appreciate them in other words. Traditionally on Thanksgiving day, families very happily gather together and excitedly eat turkey, mashed potatoes, gravy, and much more! Some people may silently think that over eating (eating too much) on Thanksgiving is actually the opposite of what we should be doing. Instead, maybe we could be dutifully helping at a homeless shelter, or gleefully helping out a family in need in any way we can.
The point is, we should all try to change the way Thanksgiving is celebrated and make it much more than just eagerly eating a big plate of food. Let's be the example and be the change we would like to see in the world!

Vocabulary

especially- more than usually, very
quickly- in a fast or quick manner
occasionally- from time to time
excitedly- enthusiastic and eager about something
silently- in a quiet manner
dutifully- doing what is expected of you
gleefully- a strong feeling of happiness
eagerly- interested about something

Vocabulary Exercise Let's try it out!
Please fill in the blanks using the above vocabulary.

1. I see that she is very hungry, because she is ________ eating everything on her plate. (very interested)
2. We could not even see him, because he was running so ___________. (fast)
3. I know I have to go to school and do my homework, and I __________ do so every day. (what is expected)
4. She _________ skipped down the street because she was so happy to have helped a friend in need! (happily)
5. The mouse _________ moved through the floor and it was a surprise to us all. (quiet)
6. It is ok to ___________ eat a lot, like in Thanksgiving, but we should always give to those in need. (sometimes)
7. My mother __________ prepared Thanksgiving dinner for our family because she was singing and dancing in the kitchen. (enthusiastic)
8. The holidays are __________ important for all families because they get together and enjoy each other's company. (very)

Grammar Point

Adverbs are fun! They make each sentence more interesting and descriptive. They are defined by words that modify verbs, like in my entry above. I used several adverbs to describe a special time of year, like Thanksgiving. By using them, I was able to describe what I wanted to say in a more descriptive manner and paint a brighter and more interesting picture for the reader. In your own words, write three sentences using at least one adverb to describe the holidays in your home. For extra credit, write two more sentences telling me what your traditions are at home at this time of year, I am excitedly waiting to find out!

The worst experience of my life

As a child, my family and I tried very hard to settle into this country after such a big change: moving from Venezuela to Long Island. We never seemed to find our place. We moved around many times, each time further out east of the island, until my parents finally bought a house in Farmingville. We moved a total of five times. All throughout grade school, I would settle in a school, and before I knew it, we would be moving again. I think it is safe to say that my worst experience is actually all of those moving experiences put together. Not only was moving to this country and leaving all of our family behind extremely difficult, we were never stable in one place until I finally got to high school. All of the moving around was very traumatizing for me and it caused me a lot of hurt feelings towards my parents because I felt like they didn't care about the way I felt.
Although I had all of these hurt feelings about all of the moving around, I later found out that it was very hard for my mother too. She knew the whole time how much it was hurting my sisters and I to move so many times and she was never able to tell us because she wanted to be strong. On the other hand, it wasn't as hard for my father. He didn't mind being in a new place every couple of years because he was just looking at the money part of it and knew that every move meant saving more money on rent as well as looking for something better for our family.

Vocabulary - Pronouns

I- referring to yourself
We- used to describe yourself and one or more person
they- used to describe a group of people not including yourself
she- used to describe a female
He- used to describe a male
you- used to refer to another person
it- referring to what was just said (as a subject), a place or an object

Vocabulary Activity
Fill out the blanks with the appropriate pronoun.

Linda loves to go out to eat with her family and friends. At least once a week, _____ (referring to Linda) also enjoys getting together with friends and have fun. _______ (referring to Linda and her friends) enjoy singing and dancing together whenever they see each other. _____ (referring to yourself) also enjoy being with friends and having a great time. Whenever I get together with them, ______ (describing yourself and friends) have a night to remember. My friend John does funny impressions of actors while we guess who _______ (referring to John) is imitating and we always laugh a lot. I'm sure if ____ (referring to the reader) were there, you would laugh a lot too. Getting together with friends is very important and so much fun, _______ (getting together with friends) is a must!

Grammar Point
I have used several pronouns in this entry to describe the worst experience of my life. Pronouns are used very often in our writing to make sure we aren't being too repetitive and naming everyone and everything again and again. After the noun or the subject of the sentence is mentioned in the beginning, you can replace that word with the appropriate pronoun to make the sentence sound better. Using the pronouns that we have learned and the ones listed in this entry, write a short paragraph about your worst experience. Try to think of something that you can describe that you can use at least five (5) pronouns.

The Changing Weather

Even though some people may not like the changing weather, I really enjoy it! We get a taste of every season throughout the year: Spring, Summer, Fall and Winter. Lately, we are seeing the weather change really quickly because it is getting very chilly outside! The trees are changing colors, the leaves are falling on the ground, the wind begins to get cold, and the days seem to be getting shorter because it gets dark outside much sooner. Now, it is time to take out your sweaters, coats, and even hats to protect yourself from the new, changing, colder climate. The one thing that I don't really like around this time is the strong wind. I can deal with cold weather, but when it gets very windy, it is hard for me to even go outside!=.
There are some really fun things about fall that I love and am excited to get back such as pumpkin picking. A couple of weeks ago, we went to the pumpkin farm and we picked out a big pumpkin. Other fun things can include making apple pie, wearing really comfortable boots, socks, scarves and snuggling on the couch with a big fluffy blanket and enjoying a nice hot cup of tea with some honey. I love fall!


Vocabulary nouns

weather- the temperature and other outside conditions (rain, snow)
trees- a usually tall plant that has a long branch and many leaves and branches
colors- a quality such as red, yellow, orange
leaves- the green parts of a plant that grow from a stem
wind- a natural air of movement outside
sweaters- a warm and knitted piece of clothing
coats- an outer piece of clothing used to keep warm or dry
hats- a covering for the head
outside- the area out and near something
pumpkins- a large, round vegetable used as food and sometimes decoration

Adriana holding Emma while sitting on some pumpkins!

Vocabulary Exercise
Crossword Puzzle: Please find the ten (10) vocabulary words in the Puzzle below

Across
4. when you walk out the door
5. tall plants with a lot of leaves
6. what grows on trees
7. red, orange, green
8. how it feels outside
9. orange vegetables
Down
1. go on your head
2. warm clothing
3. what goes over clothes
8. the strong movement outside

Grammar Point
Nouns are words that describe a person, place or thing. I have used several nouns to describe the changing weather that we are experiencing at this time of year: fall. Nouns are very important components of sentences because they give us information about who, what and where the sentence is about. I have highlighted ten (10) nouns, but there are a few more that I did not highlight. For homework, please circle the extra nouns that you see in the above entry and using three of them, write a sentence on your own using each one. For extra credit, write one more sentence using an extra noun.

Playing outside

Since the weather has been nice again, I have brought my daughters outside to play more often. I have my four year old ride her bicycle, and I push the baby on the stroller. She also loves to play with her "Elsa car" and her dolls. When my husband is home, they love to kick or throw a soccer ball back and forth to each other.
The sun has been shining very much lately, and they love being outside and enjoying the fresh air! I must admit, I love it too. It is a nice break from being cooped up in the house all the time with a new baby. The smell of the coming fall is great. It is the time of year when the weather is a bit strange, because one week it will be cold and the next it is hot again! It is very confusing sometimes because you may not know what to wear. All I know is, we love playing outside and smelling that brand new fall air outside. Taking a minute to ourselves for some peace and quiet is necessary!

Vocabulary (verbs)

brought- (past tense-to bring) to come with
play- to do fun activities
ride- to sit on and control the movement of something
push- to use force to move
loves- to appreciate something very much
kick- to hit something with your foot
throw- to cause something to move in the air with your hand
smelling- the quality of a thing you can sense with your nose
cooped- to keep inside for a long period of time

Vocabulary Exercise
Word Scramble
Please identify the scrambled verbs and write on the blank space.
1. I ______ (eolv) the warm weather.
2. In soccer, it is important to ______ (cikk) the ball to the other players.
3. I love to stop and ______ (lmsel) the flowers.
4. In baseball, the pitcher ______ (tohrws) the ball to the catcher.
5. He likes to ______ (spuh) the buttons of the game.
6. I am afraid to _____ (erid) the rollercoaster because it is fast.
7. My mom _______ (tbhrogu) my homework to my school because I forgot it at home.
8. The chickens stay _______ (oocepd) up in their cage all night.

Grammar Point
Verbs are very important components of sentences. They tell us what the action is that the subject is doing in a sentence. Without them, the sentence would be inactive and maybe boring. I have used several verbs to describe when I go outside and play with my daughters. Using the above verbs, write a short paragraph about what activities you enjoy and circle each verb. For an extra bonus, add some verbs of your own!