Day 31

Today I REALLY didn't want to do anything. It was an at-home day for the first time in quite a while, but I am still sick. No motivation whatsoever. Yes, I can force myself to do things I don't want to do, but I hate to push through on lessons too much when I'm feeling like that. It seems to have long-term ill effects on motivation. So we compromised and did a few things, because I've also learned that just letting the day go completely is a morale-downer too, for me, and isn't necessarily a good example.

Sean

• No math today because he finished the chapter.
• Henle -- I had him do the declension drills, then I gave him a quick grammar lesson -- because we are getting up to appositives and I want him to be clear on the differences between direct objects, appositives, and predicate nominatives.
• Mere Christianity
• King Solomon's Ring.

Kieron

• Latin and Math Quia.
• I gave him a choice between two Columbus bios and he chose the Daulaire one. I told him that we were studying Columbus a few days after the fact and he was good with that. Tomorrow, I'll ask him about the book, and also try to find Columbus journey in the historical atlas. (It's also in ABCs of Chr Culture).
• He reports he has finished IN Search of a Homeland.
• I am going to read to him while he exercises.
  

Aidan and Paddy

• Mostly, lots of Tintins for Paddy.
• We read the story of Ping, and Paddy named Ping's siblings using the "Make Way for Ducklings" rhyming rule -- there's a connection there!
  
• Lots of "real life" experience for Aidan -- he loves all our goings to and fro.

With both of them -- I have a language and thinking curriculum for young ones by Ruth Beechick -- it has lots of common sense ideas for conversations in real life with younger ones -- so I've been trying to do that. Basically, expand on the everyday situations and books, and make "connections" in conversation. This type of thing doesn't necessarily come easily to me.

I took a nap and feel way better.
We went to the library and to the market.
I had the guys clean the house -- their "weeklies".

Tonight, football practice.

Notes:

As usual, we are great on reading. .... way ahead of schedule. I always feel this blank space where productivity ought to be, and it usually hits me full force just about this time -- six weeks into the term. They don't necessarily interact with the material they read, except in their own thoughts. Which is fine -- but sufficient? I am not sure. The older set, of course, grew up that way for the most part, and received a fairly decent education. They don't rememeber everything I had them read, but it is surprising what they do remember, and what, more importantly, planted long term seeds that flowered into what Charlotte Mason calls "Living Ideas". I guess it is the idealist in me that's always searching for something a bit better -- who wants to be able to SEE what is going on under the surface, if anything. Perhaps a slight lack of trust in the process.