This Show Needs a Rockin’ Theme

So, why is the theme for December “Space?”

Simple. Chance.

Reaching into the “Tea Canister of Chance”

Several months ago in my sleep I had an epiphany: we really did need a theme. The kids are always getting “character traits of the week” at school or learning that November is National Diabetes Awareness month. Then they get home and it’s “same old, same old” week after week. Karate, piano lessons, homework, dinner. So I asked everyone (even my baffled husband) to write down four themes.

“Themes?” he asked.

Countries, animals, historical periods, colors, genres, whatever.

And this month’s theme is…..

And wouldn’t you know it, the first theme we drew was Pokemon. Fortunately, February is a short month. Now we all know that Pokemon comes from the term “Pocket Monster” and we enjoyed a “Pokeball Pizza.” (reveal: it was a regular pizza half colored “red” with pepperoni, half “white” with cheese, and black olives making the line across the middle). I do feel that we exhausted the topic of Pokemon, but Jane may make this a lifelong subject of research.

We did stencil our own Pokemon tee shirts

Since then we’ve done “Pirates” and “Science Fiction” and “Green.” We don’t have a clear course of study…it just has to be fun.

Taking the Green Theme to Extremes with a turtle for the ocean parade…

For “Green” we covered the wipeboard with “green” in over twenty different languages. verde glas zelena grun The next week, we filled it with saying and idioms featuring “Green.” The grass is always greener on the other side. Green with envy. Green around the gills. We played them songs by Greenday (only ones we knew were appropriate) and songs including “Green Grow the Rushes O,” “God Didn’t Make Little Green Apples,” and (obviously) “It’s Not Easy Being Green.” We read The Secret Garden” in which we read: “Why!” she [Mary] cried, “the gray wall is changing. It is as if a green mist were creeping over it. It’s almost like a green gauze veil.” “Aye,” said Dickon. “An’ it’ll be greener and greener till th’ gray’s all gone.”

Looking for the Secret Garden…

And of course, we ate Pesto, and Pistachio Ice Cream (new to the kids…they liked it!) and Green Eggs and Ham.

Not Sure About Green Eggs and Ham…Will I LIke Them, Sam-I-Am?

So that’s the theory behind the theme. And this month’s theme is “Space.” We’re leaning towards stars and planets and a trip to the George Observatory at Brazos Bend State Park (celebrating 25 years!). But it could be “give me some space” or Ms. Swift’s masterpiece “Blank Space” or even the latest novel by Rodney Walter (from my writing group) Space in the Heart available here

Space in the Heart is a Nicholas Sparks/Jodi Picoult style novel with Houston flair…and while it is not science fiction, it does include quite a bit about NASA and tons about stars and stargazing. And also rich characters and an emotionally moving plot. If you’re into that. Could be the perfect Christmas gift…

But I think we’re kinda into the final frontier kind of space.

Sharpless 249 and the Jellyfish Nebula Image Credit & Copyright: César Blanco González Can you see the 2 bright stars and the supernova reminant. NASA Astronomy pic of the day for 12-3-14. Seriously, I love this site! 

“Be humble for you are made of earth. Be noble for you are made of stars.”
~Serbian proverb