Weekly Report, Week 2

This week it was a little harder to stick to a routine. We were all tired, and the phone rang lots of times regarding the sell of my dad's home. It is really hard schooling with toddler. It doesn't help either when your kids are just so different from one another. Boy #1 can't sit still, can't wait to be done with school, and loves to be noisy. The Girl wants to study, can't wait to be read to and needs everything quiet so she can concentrate. Oil and Vinegar. We had several emotional outbursts this week. The Girl can not handle getting anything wrong. We started using Spelling Power with her this week. This spelling program begins with a survey test for placing them where they belong on their spelling lists. The tests are designed for them not to know every word, that's the point it lets you know where your students knowledge ends and they need to be taught. The Girl couldn't quite accept this. She took it as failure...my goodness she is in third grade and scored at a six grade level on the survey test, hardly a failure. After much consolation and explanation she was better but then she missed a problem on her math and she was in tears again. Then she pushing her school desk into the wall and whining while doing her work and then her tantrum escalated. She had to write sentences and had a letter written home to her father. She was better the rest of the day. The next day it was her brothers turn to write sentences. He just couldn't sit still during bible time and could not answer any questions I asked him, Jesus is not the answer to every question-close though. I asked him to sit next to me for the remainder of our reading, that didn't go well. Next, he was asked to put his head down on his desk while he listened to the rest of our reading. Then he started arguing with me about he wasn't doing what I said he was doing, he didn't need to put his head down, etc. I explained that there was no need to argue with me, he had already lost. Then he decided it was time to negotiate for a different discipline. I tell this kid is going to be a lawyer one day-I just know it. Every time he gets in trouble he has to argue his case with you, even after you tell him he has lost he's still arguing his case. Once he realizes he really has lost, that's when the negotiations begin. He starts trying to negotiate a punishment that's more pleasing to him, according to him it's also more pleasing to you also. My nickname for him is "The Negotiator". Fits in with his dad, who has been called "The Dominator" at work, and his mother "The Collector" according to one of our customers. I received a call from one of our customers this week. He wanted to know how much he owed us as he had been out of the country and not received his mail , he wanted my husband to call him back and let him know how much. I told him I would look up his account and let call him back with a total. He didn't know who was because he said, "Just have him call me and let me know how much, I just don't want his wife to call me about payment again." I didn't realize I was such a hard core collector on late accounts, watch out I'm "The Collector". The Girl had a couple more emotional meltdowns later in the week but we survived. So far our new curriculum is working out well for us. Next week will be a full week as we have two park days and I have my ISP meeting on Tuesday. It's nice to be getting back to our life and will nice to be in fellowship with other moms and the kiddos are looking forward to playing with their friends again. Some highlights from our week:

Star Wars is just about the biggest thing in our house this week. It is all the boys talk about and the girl has joined along. Boy #1 and Boy #2 have been making light sabers out of tinker toys and dueling throughout the house. I finally gave in and bought plastic light sabers at Target on Thursday. I never thought I would be yelling at the kids, " No fighting with your light sabers in the house take the force outside!", "Luke, I am your mother...fear me!".

I brought out the record player I brought home from my dad's and played some of his records with the kids. This was like a history lesson for the kids. I explained to them about rpm's and how the record player was different that than a CD player. It was a lot of fun and brought back a lot of memories of being a kid listening to my dad play the same records. The Girl found an album that she liked, Cyndi Laupner-Girl's Just Wanna Have Fun!