Thursday

Smarty Pants

I live with smart people.

(And I'm not just talking about being outsmarted or smart mouths).

In order to challenge the third grade class, my daughter's teacher decided to let her students create their own spelling list if they scored a 100% on the new list at the beginning of each week.

The catch? The student-created spelling lists must contain words that are challenging.

In other words, that leaves out words like: bed, dog, bat

But that's okay with my daughter. Here's her list:


And the circled words emanations and picador?

Yes, I did that.

In my lofty, English-degreed mind, I circled the ones that I didn't think were words.

You know, to help my daughter out.

Turns out they are words:

em·a·na·tion  (m-nshn)
n.
1. The act or an instance of emanating.
2.
a. Something that issues from a source; an emission.
b. Chemistry Any of several radioactive gases that are isotopes of radon and are products of radioactive decay.

pic·a·dor  (pk-dôr, pkä-dôr)
n. pl. pic·a·dors or pic·a·do·res 
A horseman in a bullfight who lances the bull's neck muscles so that it will tend to keep its head low for the later stages of the fight.

And that I'm way out of my league.

I think I'll just color with my 2 year old.

45 comments:

Screwed Up Texan said...

My kids do that to me all the time!

Kendra aka The Meanest Momma said...

lol! that's priceless :)

La said...

I always thought I was smart until I had to ask my husband to help me when I was trying to help our 6 year old with his FIRST grade math homework.

I never was very good at shapes and geometry-minded stuff.

a Tonggu Momma said...

pass the crayons...

Michelle said...

I am with you! My son was in an advanced 3/4 grade class and I had to bust out the calculator to check his 4th grade math! Depressing!

Maren said...

I'll join you and Tonggu Momma in the crayon bucket!

Lori said...

That's hilarious, and at least you didn't use a RED pen... ;)

Muthering Heights said...

She's very smart! Your should be proud!

Mama Melissa said...

aw man!! i would have done the same thing, probably! lol :)

melissa

Mama Melissa said...

oh, and i'll take some crayons too!! hehe

coloring is good!

Anne said...

Sign me up for Crayons!

When my 8yo son told me that he and his buddy had gotten into an argument over which is smaller, an atom or an electron, I knew that I had to walk away or start blocking the Science channel from his TV.

Martia said...

Great words, especially for a third-grader. Spelling tests are what I miss most about grade school. To avoid looking like a total nerd, I used to pretend like I hated them. Inside, though, I just wanted more, more, more!

Dawn said...

Welcome to my world. I've got an 8th and 10th grader - both of whom I can rarely help with homework anymore.

Very sad.

Adventures of a Country Girl said...

As soon as I figure out "which chick is which", I'll be over to color!

Amy said...

Oh gosh! I hear ya!

Hillary @ The Other Mama said...

So smart for the teacher! Danggit! They're getting smarter, too...

* Nancy * said...

That is hilarious!

Tabitha said...

I'd be stickin' to coloring, too!! This is why my hubby and I still debate me home-schooling...

Precision Quality Laser said...

LOL....I guess I'm a bit advanced..I knew that both of those were actual words. Hurray for smarty pants!

Unknown said...

I actually did know they were words, but in saying that I have been given a copy of some of the pimary school worksheets and I almost ran away. I need to go back to school, apparently everything I leanrt while there was rubbish:)

That Girl said...

I so know the feeling! My daughter is in 2nd grade and I will admit I have had to google once or twice to give her a correct answer. The things she is learning now I didnt learn until 5-6th grade.

Shell in your Pocket said...

How cute and how challenging!
sandy toe

Tina said...

Yeah, she's smart!

Anonymous said...

I find my self in similar situations and often look for the secret camera thinking I must be on some new game show!

~*Michelle*~ said...

OK, so that is too funny! You have a bright little girl... :)

Anonymous said...

Funny, Funny. Bring on the Cratyons.

Amanda said...

Oh boy.... I'm not looking forward to this. Why do they have to get smarter than us?? Let alone even grow up at all? *sigh* Treasure that 2 year old while she's 2. Pretty soon you'll be coloring by yourself :( It's okay, Kristen, I'll color with you.

Kelly B said...

That is too funny!! I was going over my sons math the other day and I marked several wrong. Turned out he was right and I was wrong. I use a calculator now.... ;)

Anonymous said...

Do what I always did---tell her they came out with those words after you got out of school. (It works with other subjects, too. Hence the meaning of "New" Math). History is kind of a difficult subject to use that theory on...But hey, you're a Mom....You have to be very creative. It comes with the territory!

Jodi said...

Don't you just hate that..when you find out your kids have actually gotten smarter than you? lol

bridget {bake at 350} said...

That is so, so funny! I love that you circled them! ;)

Jeanette said...

My daughter asked me for help with her math (she is a freshman) and I had to remind her that I failed pre-algebra. Yep, that is me - the math failure! The easy way out of helping your kids with homework - flunk a class :}

Jaden Paige said...

That's funny, as I was reading it, I was thinking "What in the sam hell is a picador?!"...


Now I know.

And knowing is half the battle. Right? ;)

Penny said...

Wwwwooooowwww.

I am such a bad speller, though. I can't even spell enthuastiac. Or resturaunt.

Because I know that's not the right way to spell them (unless, miracle of miracles, I got 'em right). But I'm not sure what is.

Mrs.Naz@BecomingMe said...

So cute and funny. She is a smart girl.

Carolina Mama said...

The love emanates regardless!

Anonymous said...

Before opening night, Picador Gordon felt distracted and morally torn by the profane and threatening emanations coming from section F, which had been bought out by Animal Rights Lobbyists.

In case she needs to demonstrate their usage.

Charlotte said...

Wow! Good for your daughter and her awesome spelling.

Anonymous said...

Have you got your Crayola's sharpened?? LOL That's funny. And, I love the idea. I may steal that one for my kiddos. I bet they retain the words on their lists a lot better since they have some personal meaning to the kids.

Tammy said...

*drool falling from mouth*

I'm gonna stick with finger painting myself....less thinking involved.

Heart2Heart said...

Don't you just hate it when our kids wind up being so much smarter than us? Sounds like a catchy new game show? Are Your Kids Smarter Than Their Parents? I know I wouldn't even think of signing up!

Becca said...

I thought I had a decent vocabulary, but I have never heard of a picador either!

Lisa said...

Scoot over, I am coloring with YOU!! How funny, but I would like to know where in the world SHE came up with those words!

Sharon said...

Okay, I knew that emanate was a word so emanations make sense, but I'm with you on picador? Seriously! How 'bout we stick with English words! ;-)

MB said...

Omg, that was laugh out loud funny!