::Serendipity::

Need More Days Like Today ________________________________________________________________

Yesterday, unbeknownst (is that a word?) to me, Michael told the kids he wanted them each to finish 4 more subjects in school. It didn't get done. Daddy came home and was very upset. His feelings were hurt more than anything else, and it showed. He had a serious talk with everyone and he was troubled all evening. He was acting like the old Michael before we had Xander and I was mildly freaking out all night. Thankfully, we talked after going to bed, and I learned just how hurt his feelings were over his kids' lack of respect. Part of it was my fault.

He told everyone no computer, Wii, music, or anything until school's done. Which is my rule anyway. Except I allow for breaks. My bad I guess. No more breaks! I'm getting out the whip!

So this morning at the butt crack of Timmy, he wants to start school. My eyes are barely open when he's starting on typing. I brew some Dunkin Donuts Cinnamon Spice coffee (yum-O!) and buy some time cooking him a manly breakfast of sausage, eggs and toast with Grammy's blackberry jam. By the time I take my first sip of coffee, he's begging to do math. He's done with all but one subject by the time the girls even get up. All because he wants to Wii. Sakes alive! That thing is of the devil, I swear! He'll do anything to get his hour a day. All he wants to play is Mario Party 8. We're all so tired of hearing the play by play of Mario Party 8, because when he's not playing it, he's acting out when he played it.

Emily was next. She finished about 20 minutes after Timmy. Seriously! My little banshee had no qualms today at all!

Maggie however.... She's old enough that she should be able to work independently. She can, but she won't. She wants my attention. After some fussing, and I'm done with the younger ones, we get to work and she's done in no time. Of course she plows through Vocabulary and I have to make her go back and slow down. She gets them all correct her second time through. She's really worried about her Terra Nova test coming up next week. So am I, because I won't be there to tell her to slow down and read the directions carefully, and she won't get another chance to make it right. I know what she knows, but the test won't. She just wants it over with. Last year she was proud to be the first one finished, but when I got the results back, it was pretty clear she just filled in the bubble of whatever struck her fancy. We've had the "do your best" discussion many times. I don't see it doing much good yet.

Riley got sucked into her Literary Analysis and Composition. She had to compare two Edgar Allen Poe poems and she was stumped for a while. She loves Poe, so she was really frustrated with herself and too stubborn to take my advice. Which was to work on another subject for a while and come back to it. After a few hours, she worked it through and spent some time studying Poe and pondering how he died. There was some website giving his symptoms and different possibilities. She's pretty sure he died of rabies or perhaps carbon monoxide poisoning. Possibly a combination of both. What a cool rabbit trail she went on! It's hard for me to nag her about her other subjects when she just spent 4 hours on something she loves and learned so much. But it must be done. Algebra awaits no man. Err.... Young woman.

Basically, we finished school (except for my stubborn daughter, I have no idea where she gets it from!) before lunch. This is the way my days should always roll.

Of course my nephew hasn't been here this week. I didn't think he was keeping us from doing anything, but apparently he does actually take up a lot of my morning getting him settled in.

Well, wasn't that the most boring post ever?

posted by Terri at 1/29/2008 03:38:00 PM >9 comments

9 Comments:

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