This morning started slowly. After struggling all week to get off Hawaii time and back on California time, I was still rejecting the notion that 8am was not actually 5am. To make matters worse, Bear had come in to snuggle at 6 and accidentally rolled herself the bed off not fifteen minutes later. She yelled, cried, and then clung to me so tightly that I could not get back to sleep. Instead I laid there with my eyes closed and tried to convince myself that this was almost as good as sleeping. Which it's not. So when my hubby got up at 8, I extracted myself from Bear, rolled over into his freed space, and went back to sleep.
At 9:30 I told the kids to get up and get moving. At 9:45 I dragged Bear out of my bed and carried her down to the kitchen to grab a quick breakfast and then we headed to the computer. She did T4L's reading and got a new book, Pam and Pat, to read to Daddy tonight, which is a big deal to her. She loves to cuddle in his lap and show off her budding reading skills. Then we did T4L's extensions and learned more about pollution. There was a worksheet that went with the lesson, and the suggestion to read "Cindersmelly," from Dog Tales by Jennifer Rae. Bear thought it was a fun story, but neither of us saw the connection to pollution. She moved on to math and since it involved coloring and not much parent involvement, I called in Boo to get started on her math as well. Sitting on the floor between their two desks and ping-ponging my attention back and forth isn't my ideal, but with my niece on her way over and work still to do I didn't have much choice. Bear completed her math and then quickly did the worksheet that came with the home ed. program's reading series. She's well beyond it, but T4L doesn't generate "samples" and I need something to turn in for monthly reports. With that done, Bear was done for the day and scampered off to get dressed before Cousin arrived. Boo wrapped up one part of her math just in time to answer the door. It was 11 and Cousin was here for her preschool!The girls have been blessed with a delightful sprite of a cousin and an energetic aunt who jumped at the idea of a preschool/kindergarten activity time once a week. She even offered to pack a lunch for her daughter so that I wouldn't have to worry about having Cousin friendly food on Thursdays.
Activity Time was a great success! The theme is pulled from Bear's T4L extensions subject, and so we sang a song about the need to reduce, reuse, and recycle (from The Mailbox, April, 2008) and then I read The Great Trash Bash, by Loren Leedy.
After that we did some hands-on learning about the different types of pollution. I poured Kool-Aid into a glass of water and the girls commented on how the water changed. Then I put some celery in the water and when we checked back an hour and a half later, not only was there red going up the stalk, but the bottom was looking gross. Cousin and Bear were impressed and understood that water pollution can be harmful. After setting up the water pollution station, we went outside to learn about air pollution. The girls painted with plain water on white pieces of paper. Then I poured some Kool-Aid powder on a plate and they took turns blowing the "pollution" into the air and it fell onto their paper. The powder clung to the wet places and soon their papers had red pictures. We talked about how pollution will cling to air molecules and can enter their lungs and make them sick. Finally, I had the girls hide on the side of the house and I scattered the contents of my recycling bin on the lawn. Then I made a big show of being shocked that people had come and made my lawn a "land of litter" and I needed help to clean it up. They ran around and picked up the litter. Then I told the girls that they could reuse the things they gathered and make things.
Boo made a house for her hamster, Rhino.
Bug used an empty glass bottle to make an instrument that she could shake, and we noticed that it made a great kaleidoscope.
Cousin spent her time happily fringing the flaps of boxes and then asking me to tie colorful string around them. They spent so much time on their projects that we didn't get to lunch before 1, and Cousin's mom came and needed to take her home. The girls were disappointed, but I should manage the time better next week and I'm sure they will get to eat lunch together under the tree like they wanted to.
By this point, I was ready for lunch, but Boo felt that she couldn't relax until she knew that her math was behind her. I finally got my lunch at 2, and because I really needed some quiet time, I let the girls watch a Netflix show while I read up in my room. At 2:30 things were back in motion. Boo needed to take a spelling test and I tried out Spelling City's new iPhone app. I entered the spelling list through their website, pulled up the list on my phone and handed it to her, and she sat by me taking her test. Boo didn't like this because the phone wouldn't give her helps, as I have a tendency to do. I liked it for that very reason. She didn't like her first score (missed four words) and asked if she could retake the test. I agreed and she only missed one the second time around. I used the sudden gift of time to help Bug with her writing assignment, encouraging her to narrow her writing topic from "tigers" to "adopting a tiger from the San Diego Zoo."
It was after three and Bug was set up with the first of many math assignments, as she has been slacking this week and fell way behind. Boo and I headed up to my room to read about William Wilberforce. I read and she drew pictures of key events in the story. I had run out of time on Tuesday and Wednesday to read Boo's history and so we worked for an hour and then called it quits. Bug was still working on her first assignment. It was one that should have taken fifteen minutes, but she doesn't focus well sometimes and this was certainly one of those times. I set Bear free and then, more grudgingly than cheerfully, sat down by Bug to get her to focus on her math. She doesn't need extra explanations. She just needs a body next to her and someone tapping the book when her mind strays. She got through two more math assignments and completed her spelling until 6:30. I realized there was no way I was going to be able to clean up and make dinner in the remaining half hour before dinner time and ordered pizza. Cop out yes, but a clean kitchen and family room at the end of the day won out over a home cooked meal.
When Daddy came home, the girls flocked to him and showed off what they had made. Bear read her book, Bug told about her perfect spelling test, and Boo mentioned that she had mastered rounding in math today.
After dinner and some Olympic diving, I read a chapter from Bear's read aloud, The Boxcar Children, by Gertrude Chandler Warren. I used Sonlight's Core K with Boo when she was in Kindergarten and decided to use the read aloud list with Bear. I'm so glad that I did. I would not have picked The Boxcar Children to read to her on my own. I would have assumed it would be too long and not interesting for one so young. And I would have woefully underestimated my child. Bear loves the story and makes sure to remind me that I have to read another chapter to her each night. Boo has come running each night too, eager to sit in on Bear's read aloud and enjoy the story again. Bug has declined, deciding that she has both heard and read that story enough. I'm hoping that I can tempt her with some of the great books coming later this year. I'm sure All-of-a-Kind Family will get her attention. After story time I sent them off to get on jammies, brush teeth, and hop into bed. Since this will not actually happen without my presence, and Bear needs a second going over with the toothbrush before bedtime, I always follow about ten minutes later. If they are actually ready for bed, and rooms are picked up, I'll go in and tuck them in. Bug loves to be tucked in and has been wonderful about keeping her room picked up. I reminded her to take care of her guinea pigs, and then we had some quick snuggle time to fill up her tank and last her through the night. Then Daddy followed and spent some time cuddling and going over their days, since he didn't get home until 8:15 and there is so much for them to tell him. Finally, at 9:30, I could relax and talk to my husband child free.I'm linking up with Weird Unsocialized Homeschoolers Weekly Wrap-Up.
-- And yes, the fact that Hubby works late created our late bedtime routine, which was a motivating factor in our decision to homeschool. Bug will often tell people that she homeschools so that she doesn't have to get up early. :o)
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