Super-Productive Day vs Barely Functioning Day

Super-Productive Day
Tuesday started with an early morning trip to the pediatrician which got us up dressed and ready to go much earlier than usual. When we were leaving the pharmacy, Cameron asked if it was almost night, lol, but we were home and ready for school by 10:30 am! So Cameron did Phonics (contractions) and Language/Grammar (writing dates properly) and then I asked him if he wanted to do Math or History. He said "Science!" I told him that I had decided to take a little break from our science book while he was in that science class but he reminded me that there is no science class this week because of Easter!

He was quite insistent so we dusted off the MPH Science and finished reading the chapter on water and its changes of state. He was all excited to do the associated workbook pages and even did the writing himself! We did at least 4 pages of workbook and he thoroughly impressed me with his knowledge and memory of the subject. The activities in the the Activity Book all required a lab thermometer (which I still haven't gone out to buy!) so instead we did a "try this" activity that was listed in the text and expanded on it a bit. We filled 3 containers with equal amounts of water and added a heaping tablespoon of sugar to one and a heaping tablespoon of salt to another. We then put them in the freezer and charted their progress every half hour. It was actually really fun and the kids were so excited to check each time the timer went off. The were also really surprised to see how differently they all acted.

Once we finished off all the science stuff for that chapter I said, "Math now?" to which Cameron replied, "No, History!" Even when I reminded him that he would still have to do math afterward, he emphatically voted for History. So we read Chapter 17 in SOTW on the rise of Babylon under Nebuchadnezzar and the Hanging Garden. It's so funny, sometimes I'll think he's not listening and then all of a sudden he'll pipe up with, "Oh I know about this! I saw it on Time Warp Trio!!" I had no idea that the Hanging Gardens of Babylon were featured on Time Warp Trio, but he was right! And then we did Math (multiplying by 4s) and there was nothing too exciting about that except that he didn't even complain or dawdle too much. It was a very good school day. Oh and Cassia learned the lines for X in The Consonant Rhyme.

Barely Functioning Day
And then there was today. So today was supposed to be a relaxing catch up kind of day because we didn't have anywhere to be. Woo Hoo! So after a leisurely morning, I announced that I was going to go get cleaned up and dressed, we would do schoolwork, and then we would tidy up the house for DH's arrival tomorrow. It was close to 11:00 by this time, lol, so they had plenty of time to play and enjoy themselves all morning. I had also given a big "heads up" to the daily plans when we first got up. So yeah. Let's just say that nothing went the way it was supposed to and I ended up putting the school books away in a hormonal huff, picking up all the toys around the house by myself, piling them on the dining room table, and announcing that anything that wasn't put away by the time I was done vacuuming was being thrown away.

So the house got clean.

Later, after Greyson finally went down for a nap we were all a bit calmer and I brought out the books again. This time went much better but there sure was a lot of moping, bellyaching, and general complaining from the Peanut Gallery. But we did Phonics (more contractions), Grammar/Language (reviewed Mr. Nobody but skipped the date writing copywork), Math (more 4 x tables), and read our history encyclopedia entries on Babylon. Cameron must be growing up because there was a picture of an alabaster statuette of Ishtar and he bursts out with, "Look! A naked lady!!" We've seen lots of naked people in our studies so far, but this is the first time it's been pointed out in quite that way. Cassia will go into her room to change her clothes now because she doesn't want anyone to see her naked. Hmmm. I guess they're growing up.

Anyway, we were all just wanting to get it done as quickly as possible so that we could get back to less annoying pursuits. Not my perfect homeschool vision. Oh well. Tomorrow is another day. Isn't it great that you always get another day to do things over? :)