Laughter is the Best Medicine

There is no simple way of saying it, so I will just come out and say it! Life is stressful, hectic and unbelievably busy, busy, busy! As I glance around while out and about, all I see is a foggy, haze of people in a constant state of motion, running here, going there, doing this, and taking care of that. Personal schedules are oftentimes fraught with mundane, ordinary and robotic-like activities that are continually propelling us into action. Lately, I find myself, more times than I care to admit, quizzically standing in a room unable to recall what external force had swiftly carried me there. It's at these very times when I usually find myself questioning my mental acumen and realize that my plate is plenty full. As I ponder this notion, I reflect on the good ol' days when life was simple and uncomplicated. Part of this simplicity was being afforded nightly opportunities for effortlessly kicking back on a soft, cozy couch and spending a relaxing evening watching a favorite television program with not a care in the world. Nowadays, comedies have become my program of choice as a way to assuage life's stresses. Much thanks to my husband, Jesse, and son, Noah, I have truly grown to love the feeling of a hearty, side-splitting, guffaw. There is nothing better than experiencing the sheer pleasure one derives from feeling the day's stress ebb quickly away while watching any one of today's great comedy classics such as Everybody Loves Raymond, King of Queens, Will and Grace or Curb Your Enthusiasm. So long as life continues on the merry-go-round as it shall, I intend on getting my much-needed daily dose of comedy - for laughter is truly the best medicine!

Vocabulary
1. hectic (adjective) very busy, hurried
2. glance (verb) to look at someone or something for a short time and then quickly look away
3. haze (noun) air that is hard to see through
4. fraught (adjective) to be filled with alot of something (ie. problems, pain, danger)
5. mundane (adj.) not interesting or exciting, ordinary
6. propelling (verb) to move, drive or push something forward
7. acumen (noun) being able to think quickly and make good judgments
8. cozy (adj.) small, comfortable, and warm
9. assuage (verb) to make a bad feeling less intense
10. guffaw (verb) to laugh loudly

Activity

Now that you have learned the meaning of many new words complete the following Matching Exercise.

mundane                  laugh loudly

hectic                       drive or push something forward
 
guffaw                     not interesting or exciting, ordinary

acumen                    air that is hard to see through

glance                      very busy, hurried

assuage                    small, comfortable and warm

fraught                     make a bad feeling less intense

cozy                         look at something for a short time, then quickly look away

haze                         able to think quickly and make good judgments

propelling                  filled with a lot of something (problems, pain, danger)

Grammar Point: Adjectives are words that describe things about a noun, noun phrase or noun clause. When used effectively they can bring "life" to the noun it describes by enhancing its description. Can you identify at least 5 adjectives in the paragraph? What kinds of things do you like to do to relieve stress? Write a short paragraph about them and be sure to include lots of great "describing" words.

Music is a fun way to teach grammar! Check out the following link to learn more about adjectives.

Schoolhouse Rock - Adjectives

A New Chapter in the Book of Life



Caleb's High School graduation - June 2010

Perhaps the hardest thing to do as a parent is sending one's child out into the "great big world" for their first college experience. How is it possible that Caleb was eagerly awaiting his departure to UMass when it was only yesterday that he cooed happily as I caressed him lovingly in my arms? The years have flown by all too quickly and somehow from a rambunctious little boy grew an extremely confident young man. I have always known the time to say goodbye would arrive, yet it came much sooner than expected. Much to my amazement, parting ways was easier than I anticipated. With text messages and phone calls coming frequently for requests to send money, it's as though Caleb never left home. All kidding aside, I take great comfort in knowing that our goodbyes have opened up wonderful doorways for my son as he begins the next exciting chapter in his young life. Even though I miss Caleb alot, I know that he will soon be returning home with a really huge pile of dirty laundry in tow.

Vocabulary
experience (noun) skill or knowledge gained from doing something over time
eagerly (adverb) having a strong desire to do something
departure (noun) the action of leaving a place
cooed (verb) to make a sound like a low cry
rambunctious (adjective) full of energy and behaving in a way that cannot be controlled
extremely (adverb) very great in degree, very unusual, severe or serious
confident (adjective) sure that you can do something well
amazement (noun) a feeling of great surprise
anticipated (verb) to expect that something will happen
requests (noun) to ask for something

Fill in the blanks with the correct vocabulary words:

1. The boy made many _______________ to stay up late every night.
2. The young girls ____________ awaited the Justin Bieber concert to arrive.
3. The soccer coach was ___________ that his team would win the tournament.
4. It is a good idea to arrive at least an hour before ____________ for your flight to Costa Rica.
5. We watched in ______________ as the clown juggled four balls at a time.
6. The students were ____________ when they returned to their classroom after recess.
7. The baby __________ with delight which made his mother very happy.
8. We ______________ the children getting dirty on the playground.
9. My sister felt sick after her first ______________ riding a roller coaster.
10. Mountain climbing is an _________ dangerous sport.


Grammar Point: A simple definition of an adverb is a word that modifies a verb, an adjective or another adverb. Adverbs can be used many different ways in a sentence. Can you identify some of the adverbs in the paragraph? What are some ways in which these adverbs have been used  (manner, frequency, relative time, degree, focusing or quantity) in the sentence? What position are the adverbs found in the sentences? Using the paragaraph substitute your own adverbs in place of five adverbs you have identified. Rewrite these sentences with the adverb that you have substitued. Do you think the sentences have changed their meaning as compared to what the writer was trying to say?

Check out the two websites below for helping students learn about adverbs!

Learning Adverbs with Songs
Learning Adverbs with Appu