Thanksgiving assignment

A has homework over Thanksgiving break! When I first heard about it, I curled my lip. Homework on Thanksgiving? That's about as cruel as Thanksgiving without leftovers, mashed potatoes without corn,*...or a trip over the river and through the woods without grandparents and cousins.

I was surprised when A asked for a pen the minute she sat in the car. She just HAD to start her homework. She was excited about it. So much for ruining a kid's Thanksgiving! They made paper bag turkeys in class on Tuesday. Our new turkey is to spend the entire weekend with A and go everywhere she does. She has to keep a journal about the turkey's adventures. (I noticed they are encouraged to use colorful adjectives and to focus on word choice and character--to focus on their Six Traits skills).

She wrote on the way home from school; she wrote before dinner; she wrote with a flashlight under her covers before bed time. I'm sure, even if the excitement wears off, she has enough to earn her E for Excellent Effort.

It occurred to me that this would be a great way to start a novel. To literally or figuratively carry a character around for an entire weekend and keep a journal. I'm going to have to think more about this. I'm really in the mood to write a novel, but until today, I didn't know where to start. This might just work for me!

Happy Thanksgiving!


*(If you haven't tried mixing your corn and potatoes, try it this year. That's the way kids in my family have eaten Thanksgiving veggies forEVER...and it has now been passed to the next generation.)