The Four Seasons

My mother always says she loves living in New York, because we have all the seasons: winter, spring, summer and fall. My father moved to California a few years ago, and never misses an opportunity to call me on a cold, New York day to describe the weather from his hot tub in Pleasant Hill. I'm on the fence about this whole weather thing, sometimes I think I'd want to live in a location with perpetual fall-like weather. I enjoy the cool, crisp air that fall brings. I love to admire all the changing leaves, the reds, oranges and yellows that define fall. My love for fall might be a direct result of my displeasure with summer, especially the humid and muggy days of August. However, if I lived in a place with little temperature change, I might become bored. I love sledding in the winter and seeing the world covered in bright, untouched, white snow. I welcome spring's arrival with the birth of color, the return of birds, and my wedding anniversary. Summer means no work, lazy days, and vacation. For these reasons, I'm afraid to say I have to agree with my mother! She would never believe those words came from my mouth, or fingers! I'm a person that actually enjoys change. New York's seasons provide me with the constant change I crave. Lastly, the seasons have even more meaning to me now as I get to experience them with my children! What better way to hit the beach, or the sledding hills, then with children? As I reflect on my feelings about each season, I realize that like most things, I can't pick a favorite. I can see positives and negatives in just about everything. I look at situations through multiple lenses, it's the teacher in me. We begin to adapt, to lose all biases, and see things from multiple points-of-view. So there's my response to the seasons, I love them all, I hate them all. If you're looking for a more definitive answer, catch me on a humid day, driving in a snowstorm, running to class in the rain, or shivering on the soccer field because it was 85 degrees yesterday but now it's 40!

Vocabulary: Match the vocabulary word to the correct definition by reading my mini-biography below, and using context clues from the sentences to figure out the words' meanings. (The answers are at the bottom.)

1. I am in a perpetual state of exhaustion because I never get any sleep at night.
2. Washington D.C. has some of the most humid summers I've ever experienced, it's so bad that you feel like you ran a marathon in a winter coat.
3. I cannot describe how much fun it is to go sledding in the winter, but I can tell you a lot about how tiring it is to walk back up the hill for the next turn down.
4. Some people cannot adapt well to change, but I adjust quickly.
5. There are few things in life that I take displeasure in, however, I hate when people tell lies.
6. Many people like Math because there's almost always a definitive answer, I wish I were a better Math student because I like when things are clear and concise too.
7. I like teaching English Language Arts because there are multiple ways to look at the same situation, everyone brings a different perspective. 

perpetual ___	A-(adj) having its fixed and final form; providing a solution or final answer; satisfying all criteria
humid ___	B-(verb) to tell or depict in written or spoken words; give an account of
multiple ___	C-(adj) containing a high amount of water or water vapor; noticeably moist
describe ___	D-(noun) dissatisfaction, disapproval, or annoyance
adapt ___	E-(verb) to adjust oneself to different conditions, environment, etc.
displeasure ___	F-(adj) consisting of, having, or involving several or many individuals, parts, elements, relations, etc
definitive ___	G-(adj) continuing or enduring forever; everlasting

Answers: G, C, F, B, E, D, A

Grammar Point: Personal Pronouns
Personal pronouns represent specific people or things. We use them depending on:

• number: singular (eg: I) or plural (eg: we)
• person: 1st person (eg: I), 2nd person (eg: you) or 3rd person (eg: he)
• gender: male (eg: he), female (eg: she) or neuter (eg: it)
• case: subject (eg: we) or object (eg: us)

Rewrite the following sentences by replacing the nouns with pronouns:
Sally left her book on the bus. _________
Thomas and I are going to the park. ___________
Would you like to come with me and Thomas? ____________

 Practice Personal Pronouns