The Goblin Child is in HAL this year. HAL is short for high ability learners. This is the first year kids are eligible, in second grade that is. They look at test scores and I don’t know what else. There are two other kids from her class, both great kids and good friends of hers, and there are three fifth grade kids. They stay after school on Tuesdays and do fun science projects and other fun things. She seems to be really enjoying it. Even if it didn’t start until the year was almost over because of covid. At least they got a short time and hopefully will get to do it next year too.

Her goal is to have 8 in there next year with her because the boy from her class has an older sister in fifth grade who is in there. She works hard towards that goal prodding him with it as she tries to make him learn to read. It does seem to help. Especially since ‘the field trip’.

Because it’s a small group they got to have a field trip period and choose something really fun for what they did.

One of the after school projects was researching available options, what they offered, when they would be open, how much it cost. They settled on Rushmore cave, suggested by the teacher. I have my suspicions that it was her plan all along but she wanted to make a project out of it. There is the cave, and all kinds of rides to go with it.

We volunteered to go along. I researched it too and found that adults were needed for the younger kids to go on the rides. The teacher preferred that we didn’t so we took 8 and headed up to the hills separately to do our own fun stuff. We went to Spearfish the back way and had a beautiful drive through the hills in the fog and even some snow. Played for awhile. Then headed to the cave to pick up the Goblin Child and enjoy the rides ourselves for a bit.

We got there just in time to be begged to get a ticket and take The Goblin Child on the ride that needed an adult along 🙄 It was fun. 8 got to enjoy the rides for long enough then we ate at Hu Hots. Then finally drag ourselves home, exhausted.

Now she has decided we’re going back for her birthday. With all the cousins. I’m not sure we are quite willing to pay for all of that. We’ll have to see what we can do.

PPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPppppppppppppppppppppPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPP[PPpoOOOOOOPPpPpppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppp-ppppppppppppppppppppppppp chips I want chips mama!!and mick and ike. I want water!

I told them to write something. I guess this counts.

School is still going good most of the time. Yesterday I let them stay in instead of coming with to feed and it was awful. Today I made them come and they were great again. Apparently they need lunged before getting down to work 😉

The Goblin Child flies through a days worth of school work in an hour when she’ll sit down and concentrate. They each get one Mike and Ike, or whatever candy we have on hand for each paper finished then a jackpot of free time on the computer when school is finished.

My favorite part is when they work together, usually on math. The Goblin Child quizzes 8 on the answers and they work through them together, on her math homework that is. Nothing cements knowledge like teaching someone else.

It’s been really cold the last few days but when it’s nicer out they are coming with to feed and helping feed the bottle calves.We have three right now and it’s a big job for them. The Goblin Child is old enough now to hold a bottle on her own. It can be pretty intimidating and heavy. The both got hammers the other day to help do repairs to the calves windbreak and didn’t even bash themselves in the face.

They come with most of the time to check cows. 8 is very good at driving the 4wheeler he can drive all the way through the pasture and is getting really good at backing it. The Goblin Child wont try yet but she will drive it through gates, which is better than nothing. They both are good at working the controls in the feed truck and helping with that.