What day is it?

Good morning friends!!

sunrise on Ian's ride to work

Yes, yes!  It's Wednesday...middle of the week!  I love all of our days but there always feels a little something magical on Friday afternoons, Saturday and Sunday mornings when I wake up and realize that I don't have to jump into action, zip around to get everyone prepared for the day (lunches for hubby, breakfasts for kids, lesson plans on the board, etc.)  I don't mind doing any/all of the things that I do but it's definitely nice for those few days during the week to have a change of pace.  To make breakfast a little bit later, to make lunches together on the weekends and to have time to do other things as a family and to get more things done around the house.  Don't get me wrong, we're doing things during the week but when the kids were in P.S. I obviously had time to do chores and projects around the house during the day that I do not have time to do now for obvious reasons.  I have definitely started employing the children when/where I can for help so that it's not all left to the weekends.  For example, yesterday they helped me clean off all of the outdoor toys - spraying everything down with Simple Green, wiping them clean and spraying them off.  The children now do their own laundry (for the most part).  They bring it down from their rooms to the basement, they put it in the washer (with supervision), they put it in the dryer and then retrieve it and bring it to me to fold.  I fold it and then they bring it to their rooms and put it away.  This helps IMMENSELY.  I also have trained them (lol...this makes them sound like a circus act...) to put their clothes in their laundry baskets right side out so that it cuts my folding time in half.  I found that when their clothes were taken off and just tossed in the basket I had to then turn everything right side out which delayed my folding process (a process I loathe anyways so having it made longer just made it worse! ha!).  We've been working on this for years so now if they don't turn their clothes right side out I simply fold them inside out and leave that part to them when they are getting dressed!

So today Ian had to be at work early so I didn't have my early morning walk but it's ok, it's going to be another beautiful day so I'll be sure to fit it into our day later.  Miss Kendall has always been my early riser and today as I sit here starting today's post, she sits diligently writing thank you notes for her birthday party gifts.

Tyler joined us and while he had his breakfast in the classroom I reviewed the board for the day and Kendall finished her thank you notes.  (always a good feeling!)

We moved forward with the day and their journaling prompt today was more Columbus focused than space focused as it has been for the last couple of weeks.  I asked the children what it would be like to go to a new land?  Would you be nervous? Excited?  Scared?  What would you do to prepare?  What would you bring?

We did our standard spelling and handwriting and then we worked for a solid hour + on their research papers.  I worked with each one of them individually showing them how to research on the computer and how to find good links with accurate information.

Math consisted of time with the Learning Palette for Kendall as I got her a new set of cards to help her with multiplication and the Learning Wrap-up for Ty.  He's got his 1-5 times tables down almost perfectly.

We spent another hour or so discussing and taking notes on Saturn, Uranus (yes the kids giggled the entire time making "anus" jokes - what can I say?  We're a classy bunch;) and Neptune.  We touched briefly on comets, asteroids and meteoroids.

The kids did a super cool art project today.  It was one I did in high school and I can't remember what the technique is called (or even if it's called anything) but I called it "half picture copy drawing".  I had the children choose a picture out of a magazine and we cut it in half.  We pasted one half down on white drawing paper.  I then helped them draw a 1"x 1" grid all over the half that was not pasted down along with the same grid on the blank half of the white drawing paper.  I asked them to go square by square and sketch what they saw.  I repeated these instructions multiple times.  Ty sometimes has a hard time really hearing me.  He's listening but today he decided to jump ahead and simply sketch what he saw.  I don't have a problem with what he drew as personally, I think it's amazing.  But I did explain to him that while what he drew was wonderful...he clearly did not do what I asked him to do.  I showed him how the grid did not line up with the grid on the picture and that pieces of the picture were not in the right places.  I commended him for wonderful drawing but we did discuss that while most of the time I want him to be able to express himself artistically as he pleases, THIS TIME I gave specific instructions which he did not follow.  He will be reworking the drawing following the instructions given.  I explained that I am not trying to strip him of his creativity but that for later in life, unless he's in business (whatever that business is) for himself and solely for himself, there will ALWAYS be someone to answer to.  Whether it's the town you work in, the government, a client, your boss, etc.  You will be asked to do things and if a client or customer or whomever asks you to produce an orange you can't show up with an apple.  He got this concept when I presented it that way.  So, he will start to rework the drawing.  

After this we headed to Target for a few things and had a late lunch when we got back.  We came back into the classroom after this and did a bit more math and then took a late afternoon family walk as Ian got home early!  (which is always fabulous!!)

Tonight is Kendall's parent special night and she's asked me to give her a manicure!  So fun.  So off I go to soak, file and paint!!

See ya'll tomorrow!