Friday, April 28, 2006

4/28/06 Daily Flow

Once again I awakened early but stayed in bed with Boy #1. When I did get out of bed he wanted to join me, but I told him I needed some time and had him stay in bed. I turned on the computer, made a cup of tea, and got started with some breakfast preparations while it brewed. Then I headed back to dress. Boy #1 really wanted up at this point, so I let him dress and play with a peg game while I read my email. He had Boy #2 up by 6:45 a.m.

Breakfast went fine. I am eliminating cold cereal, even though we bought the "healthy" kind (and GF too). They accepted hot cereal just fine today. Papa and I had smoothies.

Time for dressing and morning chores. I started the kitchen, but Papa had time to finish it so I made the boys' bed (with a little help from Boy #2) and helped Boy #2 dress while Boy #1 brushed his teeth. Then I brushed Boy #2's teeth. I set them free for a few minutes while I made my bed and took care of my personal hygiene. Then I wiped my bathroom sink and the boys' sink and toilet. I put out new hand towels in both bathrooms.

We went on our walk, this time in another direction, with the "goal" of determining how long it takes to walk to the video store (15 minutes, walking briskly). We did some rhythmic counting, mostly by 2s, 3s, 5s, and 10s, although they did ask me to count to one 1000 so I did it by 100s, and to 1 billion by 100 millions.

Once home we tried spinning again. Both were resistant, but we persevered and made a game of it. We finished with a game of Ring Around the Rosey.

We had a quick fruit snack (Boy #2 tried to assert his will and have kettle corn, which was scheduled for after our morning lesson, but I held fast). Then we were off to light our candle and say our verse.

Writing our sentence was difficult, and in the end I shortened it for Boy #2. Neither of them write neatly or carefully, but they arent ready to copy and copy until they get it right. We need more practice work on individual letters.

I then read a nature story I pulled off The Baldwin Project. I wasn't very happy with it, and really feel that I need the Enki resources! We said our closing verse and Boy #2 blew out the candle.

They had their kettle corn snack, then headed out to play. After awhile they came in, aimless, so I took down the kitchen box and they made an elaborate spread for their stuffed animals. They didn't want to clean up, but did, and went out to play again.

We had lunch; they didn't want the same thing which meant by the time I cooked for each of them and made my salad everyone else was pretty much finished eating. I'd like to simplify this, but they don't always eat the same foods (Boy #2 eats scrambled eggs, Boy #1 doesn't. Boy #1 could eat refried beans for lunch daily, Boy #2 likes variety).

Papa helped a bit with clean up, then enlisted the boys in assisting him in washing his bike while I finished. I felt this was important and kept to the flow of the schedule, rather than the actual timing. Then they both wanted bananas, and they wrangled a bit over which story CD to listen to for quiet time. Boy #2 has certain stories on each CD that he doesn't like. I just want to take control and choose the CD, but I also want to respect his fears. Next week at least one quiet time is going to be story free.

We picked up after quiet time, then had a snack. I had prepared a quick addition worksheet so they did those as math practice. We sang "Head, Shoulders, Knees and Toes" through twice, with Boy #2 not participating in singing or the movements. Boy #1 thought it was great fun. We went out to the couch and I read Hands, Hands, Fingers, Thumb to them, with the idea that it might make an easy reader later on.

Then they did some scratch-off bookmarks, because I had them on hand and wanted to hold the space while I am still planning projects and crafts. They had a blast with them. While they did that I chopped vegetables for tonight's pizza and tomorrow's stir fry.

That left us a long afternoon for playing. They went outside, then came inside, then went out again. I spent time reading Enki, working on the computer, and preparing dinner.

I tried a transitional activity between play and dinner. After I got the pizza in the oven I gathered them in with a song and we all washed our hands. I read a book while we warmed our recorders, then we spent about 5 minutes practicing. Boy #1 wants to imitate and follow me, Boy #2 wants to do his own thing, and can't even be gently reminded how to hold the recorder. Papa came home and I asked him to keep it low key, so he read the evening paper while the boys and I read another book.

At dinner we practiced recall, even though we'd been through the 3-fold process during the week. I want recall to happen at dinner on Tuesdays (we are following a 3 day school week). Boy #2 fell apart when we got to the end; he doesn't like that the wolf swallows the lazy man.

Clean up and movie time. We had rented the old version of the Shaggy Dog. Both boys found it rather suspenseful, and Boy #2 ended up choosing not to watch it. He and I talked, played dominoes, and then he played on his own. He came back to the movie for the last 20 minutes; I guess no boy can resist a car chase.

Bedtime routine went well, except DH was in a hurry to get them to bed so he could watch the Laker game. While he was reading I made sugar-based pancake syrup (we don't eat corn syrup, and real maple syrup is too expensive to use in the quantities Boy #2 seems to feel he needs for his mush). Then is was teeth, candle, sing, hugs. They fell asleep nearly immediately.

I took an Enki break last night; I have a lot to digest.

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