First Day of School 2010-2011

We have been looking forward to starting up school again, mostly.  All of us have been at least partially missing the routine and direction that school lends our days.  Of course the kids have thrived on a heavy diet of play time with friends galore during the summer, but on those rare occasions that no one is available, they immediately sink down into boredom.  They have been clever not to use the word "bored" because they know it will come with mandatory jobs when they use it in front of me.  So they would say, "I don't know what to do," or something similar with the same intonations as "I'm bored".  And during the last week of summer as the local schools geared up to start, many of their friends were caught up with shopping and meet your teacher events, so they were more ready to start back up themselves. 

Makenna has been a super star these first two days.  There is a big jump in work load between 2nd and 3rd grades.  She had already started 3rd grade math during last year, but has now begun a more serious and language arts program with novels, longer spelling lists, grammar and vocab work.  More writing is expected too.  History has map work with it now. There isn't much difference in science, and happily, she loves it.  She hasn't complained and has worked hard.  It's been heaven to be her teacher.  I hope her enthusiasm continues.  One thing that has been a thorn is her and my side for the past year is working on math facts.  We have now found the best motivation.  When she passes a test in under a minute with 100%, she gets to wear any of my earrings for the rest of the day.  Two numbers have been passed off already!

Jess has had a rockier start.  In her defense, she had been under the weather for a few days.  Low grade fever and upset tummy being the main complaints.  Motrin twice a day would perk her right up and then she would complain that I wouldn't let a friend come over.  She did finish the bare minimum today and yesterday, but today is the first day she has been off Motrin since Thursday night.  She was happy to check off her last lesson and stop without doing ANYTHING extra today. But when she figured out that most of her friends still had 2 1/2 hours left before they were out of school, she went back to the balance she was using for science and with random things from the kitchen she played "match the mass."  I have to tell a cute but pathetic story from yesterday.  She woke up happy, had breakfast, but then sunk down on the couch feeling crummy again.  I gave her some medicine and let her rest until she perked up.  The other two were working, so she decided she might as well too.  She was supposed to write a few sentences about an experience.  She wrote, "I star did scool on Monday.  I was sick.  I am a good gril.  I do scool at home."  We talked about the couple spelling problems--I especially liked "star did" for "started"--and I wanted her to make a final copy.  That turned her world upside down.  It would have taken her less than 5 minutes, but it was not to be born.  She disappeared for awhile and I got distracted by the other two kids.  She came back much later and handed me a literally tear soaked page that said, "I feel sick.  I want a nap."  So I took her up to my room, tucked her in my bed and put on an episode of Curious George.  She was out in 5 minutes.  When she woke up a hour later, all was right in the world, and the germs seemed to finally be gone. 

Isaac is facing some changes this year, along with Makenna.  His peers have started Middle School.  Oh, what a world that is.  He doesn't mind missing it in the least, especially after reading and now watching Diary of a Wimpy Kid.  Side Note: he has forbidden me from using the term "Play Date" in conjunction with himself ever again.  He is starting a Shakespeare class once a week starting tomorrow.  We'll see how that goes.  He is doing the 2nd half of American History from the Civil Was to modern times.  Music is out but he is still taking piano, so no big change there.  Literature and Language seem to be morphing into a more middle school-ish English class.  Gone are the spelling lists.  But he has a fat "English Language Textbook" that doesn't look much fun.  He has 4 novel units in which he gets to pick the book, plus one that is either Tom Sawyer or The Secret Garden.  Handy that he has already read both.  Gotta love our book group.  And instead of doing an eclectic mix of science units, he is doing strictly Earth Science this year.  Today and yesterday were long first days for him because he had to do the online first of the year assessments for reading and math.  He actually knocked out reading last Friday, but didn't get to the math.  Too bad because it always takes a looooooooonnnnngggg time.  It adjusts the questions to go higher and higher until it finds what you don't know.  When you are ahead, but have to start back at your age group and prove it, it takes a hours.  I had him stop after 2 1/2 hours yesterday and then he finished it this morning.  But he still wanted to get his normal stuff done.  But he also had some stuff to get ready for scouts tonight, plus there was football practice right after. . . .blah. What a day for him.  I hope he sleeps well.  Tomorrow should be better.

I am hoping to head that way soon myself.  The football boys should be back soon.  Goodnight.