Building a Deck

My dad is a carpenter. He has so much knowledge about how to build and repair structures. My mom and dad came to visit from their hometown in Entiat, Wa- where I grew up. This weekend my dad and I helped my oldest brother Geoffrey build a deck in his backyard. I learned about the importance of measurement and estimation. We had to measure each piece of wood to fit exactly in the right place. Sometimes we would miss the measurement by the slightest amount and the board wouldn't fit. Also, my brother had to estimate exactly how much wood he would need to build the deck. After counting he thought he may have purchased a few too many, so he is going to have some extras. I suppose that is better than not buying enough.

Names I've Been Given

I will never forget when I first began to be called, "DADA." We lovingly refered to my daughter Neli as dragonzilla when she was little because her voice was scratchy and flamey. Also when she had something to say it usually burst out of her more than sang. Near the time she began to say her first  word, "Dada" I recorded this video and captured the best of her little large voice.

Cooking New Meals

This weekend I went to the Saturaday market in downtown Salem. I walked around with my daughter and we bought honey, bread, vegetables and mushrooms. I decided to buy some mushrooms I had never cooked before. They were called oyster mushrooms. They came in a paper bag and they were bunched together like a head of brocolli. Here is a picture of some oyster mushrooms.

I like cooking new things and tasting new things. Have you tried to cook something new or eat any new foods?

Wow! Winged Wonders.. The Butterfly Exhibit.

On Mother's Day we went to a magical place outside of Independence. Independence is south of Keizer. It is about a 30 minute drive.

This magical place is called Winged Wonders. It is a home to hundreds and hundreds of butterflies. There were small butterflies, medium butterflies and huge butterflies and moths like this one.

Some of the most amazing butterflies we saw were a brilliant florescent blue. When they flew their wings flickered and lit up the sky.

The butterflies were kept in a warm 85 degree greenhouse and we had to walk through a special room to enter the exhibit. When we left they had to check our clothes to make sure that none of the butterflies had escaped. We brought home a chrysalis. Do you know what a chrysalis is? Search here and as soon as you find out, leave a comment and tell me. 

-Mr. Dalgas

Thank You for the Cards!

Thanks to all of my students at Claggett Creek that wrote me such nice cards during my time at home with my family. We all had a fun time reading them. We all thought that the cards were very kind and so creative. Several of you had questions about baby Flora, so I decided that I better answer them.

Q: How much does your baby weigh?


When Flora was born she weighed 7 lbs and 6 ounces. Now she weighs almost 8 pounds. She probably weighs something like a sack of potatoes.

Q: Is your baby's favorite color purple?


Flora hasn't said yet what her favorite color is. Right now we are trying out a lot of different colors and hopefully when she is old enough she will be able to choose on her own. Here is a picture of her wearing something pink.

If you have any more questions. Post them below as a comment. Remember, use your digital name.

Talk to You Soon, Mr. Dalgas

Flora Jane

Hi Claggett Superstars. This is Mr. Dalgas. I wanted to let you know I will not be teaching class for a few weeks because I am bonding and taking care of our new baby girl Flora Jane Dalgas. I wanted to share a picture with you.

Here she is less than an hour after she was born. She weighed 7 pounds and 6 ounces. She is our little spring flower blossom. 

I am excited to see you all soon and hopefully get to introduce you to my daughter. Have lots of fun learning about tall tales, catalogs, and doing your best on the ELPA test. Remember, always make your best effort!

Wow, Fast Food Advertisements are False! They Lie!

I don't really like eating fast food because it can be really greasy and give me a stomachache. However, every once in a while I see the advertisements for the food and I think to myself, "hmm, that looks pretty tasty." 

Well, it turns out that the real hamburgers and tacos you get at McDonalds, Burger King and Taco Bell are quite a bit different than what is shown on those advertisements.




(source: Blame it On the Voices)


Do you think that it is fair for fast food restaurants to falsely advertise the food they sell? 


Do you think it is okay that fast food restaurants menus to lie about the food they sell?