Somehow we got just about everything done today. Except spelling. I should have done spelling, I did have the time. I just didn't do it. This morning was crazy though. Trying to do a reading lesson while Bubbers #2 was needing a nap, but not taking a nap and Chicklette was doing her piano practice in the same room. I wanted to help correct Chicklette's practice and I wanted to do the reading lesson and I had to keep Sunshine from playing too physically with Bubbers #2. For an hour, it was a madhouse. Somehow we got through it.
Religion - We started playing Memory with our General Authority cards. We had to take a break to check our attitudes and Racer was challenged to only say positive things for the rest of the day. It did change what he was saying for about an hour. We also practiced our apostles memorization song.
Then we did our attendance records for My Tech High and submitted our weekly learning logs.
Piano, Reading lesson, math - Yes, this was the hour. Bubbers #2 had been crying for a while so I thought maybe he really wasn't tired. I got him out of bed and had Chicklette start on Xtramath while I did a reading lesson with Turtle. He did pretty good. Not as good as he does sometimes, but well enough. And if Chicklette would just hit that A instead of B in her Volga Boatmen song, we'd be in business.
Financial Peace University Jr. - We are doing this course for My Tech High as well and since we have the first assignment due in less than a week, I decided we had better do it. We read two books from the set. One was about debt and how you lose freedom and choices when you are in debt. The other was about working to earn money when there is a purchase you would like to make. They were both pretty good and I think the kids are learning about where money comes from. I sincerely hope that they will grow up without any sense of entitlement. On this note, DH was talking to a friend from work who wondered how we afforded the children we had. Just to give you a clue about what's coming up, apparently this man spent $45,000 on a wedding ring for his wife. When DH told me that, I immediately said, "Why in the world would you spend that much on a weddign ring?" Anyway, I digress. DH told him about the bread store that we frequent, NPS grocery store, and some other money saving things that we do. DH's coworker asked if we were going to provide our children with cell phones, cars, pay for school, or pay for weddings. DH told him no, that we expected our children to work to earn the money they needed to pay for those things. His coworker was rendered speechless, an impressive feat according to one onlooker. It is our philosophy that cell phones are unnecessary for children. We have two old cell phones for emergencies and we will allow the kids to check one out if it is necessary. We will help the kids shop for cars and give them advice and help them come up with a savings plan, but we will not be co-signing for them or giving them a car anytime soon. We will help pay for wedding costs, but there is no way that we will be going all out and giving them some fancy $100,000 wedding. DH also told the coworker that Racer is now responsible to buy his clothes. His coworker objected on the grounds that a new pair of jeans cost $100. First off, I have never spent $100 on jeans in my life, even new jeans. We shop at D.I. and Walmart. To spend that much on jeans or shoes is just throwing your money away.
Whew, glad I got that off my chest. Moving on. We had lunch.
Physics - We worked on our scientist biographies. Racer finished his questionnaire and Chicklette and I worked on hers until it was done. Next week we will begin writing out our papers and I will introduce the grading rubric to Racer. Chicklette won't get a grade, but Racer will this time. I gave the quiz on the second law of motion separately to Racer and Chicklette. Racer got them all correct and Chicklette got half of them correct.
Latin - Racer finished his Latin a few days ago so Chicklette just had to write her vocabulary words twice. She pointed out to me that she didn't complain at all.
History - Our Road Trip USA took us to Pennsylvania today. We talked about the Hershey factory in Hershey, PA and the Liberty Bell. We also classified our state animals - the firefly, and the ruffed grouse. I was a little bit sad that I hadn't prepared ahead for the recipes so we couldn't make cheese steaks or peanut butter blossom cookies, but then DH brought home a supreme pizza and a cheese steak pizza! Thanks for saving me today.
Grammar - We did grammar with both the kids. Chicklette's lesson was on place names as proper nouns and she practiced writing Salt Lake City, Utah. Racer's lesson was on adverbs that tell how and when and diagramming those adverbs in a sentence. Both of them are doing pretty well with their poem memorization. I think Turtle also has Chicklette's poems memorized.
Ballet - We all went to ballet today so we could pay Chicklette's tuition and pick up our receipt for reimbursement. She learned fifth position today and loves everything about ballet except putting her hair up and taking it down.
Tomorrow we have a soccer game and General Conference. I'm so excited for General Conference and hope that I will hear what I need to hear and have the ears to hear it and the wisdom to understand it.
Religion - We started playing Memory with our General Authority cards. We had to take a break to check our attitudes and Racer was challenged to only say positive things for the rest of the day. It did change what he was saying for about an hour. We also practiced our apostles memorization song.
Then we did our attendance records for My Tech High and submitted our weekly learning logs.
Piano, Reading lesson, math - Yes, this was the hour. Bubbers #2 had been crying for a while so I thought maybe he really wasn't tired. I got him out of bed and had Chicklette start on Xtramath while I did a reading lesson with Turtle. He did pretty good. Not as good as he does sometimes, but well enough. And if Chicklette would just hit that A instead of B in her Volga Boatmen song, we'd be in business.
Financial Peace University Jr. - We are doing this course for My Tech High as well and since we have the first assignment due in less than a week, I decided we had better do it. We read two books from the set. One was about debt and how you lose freedom and choices when you are in debt. The other was about working to earn money when there is a purchase you would like to make. They were both pretty good and I think the kids are learning about where money comes from. I sincerely hope that they will grow up without any sense of entitlement. On this note, DH was talking to a friend from work who wondered how we afforded the children we had. Just to give you a clue about what's coming up, apparently this man spent $45,000 on a wedding ring for his wife. When DH told me that, I immediately said, "Why in the world would you spend that much on a weddign ring?" Anyway, I digress. DH told him about the bread store that we frequent, NPS grocery store, and some other money saving things that we do. DH's coworker asked if we were going to provide our children with cell phones, cars, pay for school, or pay for weddings. DH told him no, that we expected our children to work to earn the money they needed to pay for those things. His coworker was rendered speechless, an impressive feat according to one onlooker. It is our philosophy that cell phones are unnecessary for children. We have two old cell phones for emergencies and we will allow the kids to check one out if it is necessary. We will help the kids shop for cars and give them advice and help them come up with a savings plan, but we will not be co-signing for them or giving them a car anytime soon. We will help pay for wedding costs, but there is no way that we will be going all out and giving them some fancy $100,000 wedding. DH also told the coworker that Racer is now responsible to buy his clothes. His coworker objected on the grounds that a new pair of jeans cost $100. First off, I have never spent $100 on jeans in my life, even new jeans. We shop at D.I. and Walmart. To spend that much on jeans or shoes is just throwing your money away.
Whew, glad I got that off my chest. Moving on. We had lunch.
Physics - We worked on our scientist biographies. Racer finished his questionnaire and Chicklette and I worked on hers until it was done. Next week we will begin writing out our papers and I will introduce the grading rubric to Racer. Chicklette won't get a grade, but Racer will this time. I gave the quiz on the second law of motion separately to Racer and Chicklette. Racer got them all correct and Chicklette got half of them correct.
Latin - Racer finished his Latin a few days ago so Chicklette just had to write her vocabulary words twice. She pointed out to me that she didn't complain at all.
History - Our Road Trip USA took us to Pennsylvania today. We talked about the Hershey factory in Hershey, PA and the Liberty Bell. We also classified our state animals - the firefly, and the ruffed grouse. I was a little bit sad that I hadn't prepared ahead for the recipes so we couldn't make cheese steaks or peanut butter blossom cookies, but then DH brought home a supreme pizza and a cheese steak pizza! Thanks for saving me today.
Grammar - We did grammar with both the kids. Chicklette's lesson was on place names as proper nouns and she practiced writing Salt Lake City, Utah. Racer's lesson was on adverbs that tell how and when and diagramming those adverbs in a sentence. Both of them are doing pretty well with their poem memorization. I think Turtle also has Chicklette's poems memorized.
Ballet - We all went to ballet today so we could pay Chicklette's tuition and pick up our receipt for reimbursement. She learned fifth position today and loves everything about ballet except putting her hair up and taking it down.
Tomorrow we have a soccer game and General Conference. I'm so excited for General Conference and hope that I will hear what I need to hear and have the ears to hear it and the wisdom to understand it.