Week 3: April 13-17

Monday, April 13

Note the "Gas" section...both boys thought they were just hilarious! (Face palm!)

All they wanted to do all day long was color Transformers. They even colored Transformer pictures for the SEL coloring activity. They change their obsessions like they change clothes--ALL. THE. TIME.

This depressing rain and wind is no joke. Fingers crossed we don't lose power and/or have any wind damage.

Karate tonight (if power holds) and then more Little House (On the Bank of Plum Creek)

Tuesday, April 14

Doing the Chrome Music Lab for Music class today--they loved it!

Writing

Doing his online work

Now karate, math facts, and reading in bed!

Wednesday, April 15

Boy, I am not happy with the quality of the work these boys are doing. But it's been a struggle to get them to do anything at all. There have been days with huge meltdowns, and I wish it didn't have to be done on my timeline, but that's the only way it will get done. It HAS to be in the morning and in between my meetings. They ARE making improvements at coin counting and time telling. We continue to practice math facts every night and I read to them every night. I am trying to make sure they do silent reading on their own every day because I'm hoping it will stick as a habit. I wish they'd do typing but they have lost interest in all but the stupid games that really only teach you if you already know where the keys are. I'm happy that their karate is greatly improving--zoom is a great medium for karate because it allows us to do it M-Th vs. the 2X a week we were doing when we had to travel to the dojo in Bridgewater. Sensei is old school and a great tag-team disciplinarian. He keeps them in line. They have also gotten better at soccer and baseball/throwing, and I consider those good skills to have. Even if you're not interested in sports, it's helpful to have basic knowledge of sports so you can jump in at social outings or playing with kids. At least that's what I think! It should help Adrian have more options at recess, too, if he has a clue how to play some sports. Unfortunately, he's still pretty lousy at baseball--soccer came more naturally to him. (and Seb, always the mirror image, took naturally to baseball but not to soccer!)

It's some sort of inside joke...Adrian always puts "I love cats" on people's shirts when he draws. He knows I hate cats...but I'm not sure why he does this. Cracks me up.

Whoops...super blurry. Supposed to be a donut or a bagel. I forget which! ;-)

I wish you could see this better. He has tube socks, striped Christmas PJs, and his puppy in his hand running down the street....Priceless!

Boys did Chrome Music Lab for second day in a row--that was a big hit! I suppose they did art, too...if the clock book counts! Adrian and Seb both put together Lego sets, and Adrian also made the beginnings of a sword out of cardboard--he loves to create things with trash and recycled materials. He uses up all of my tape and then, of course, I can't throw his creations out, so I have trash all over the house...

Both boys continue to sleep together. I figure why not...at first I was worried that they'd forget how to sleep alone. But I don't think there is any danger of pre-teen boys sleeping together. So they will go back to "normal." But for now, they are lucky enough to have a twin and feel safe sleeping. So I think that's pretty special.

Time for karate!

Thursday, 4/16
Another day of shoddy written work by the boys and constant Zoom calls (for all of us). We did at least have a decent discussion of why gasses dissipate/smells go away. I will explore Newton's 3rd law of motion with them more tomorrow (I have almost no work scheduled for tomorrow).

I didn't realize until just now that he didn't finish his sentence here (he wanted to say millions and millions of atoms). He can talk about it, but then he forgets to write (or gets distracted). I don't know how you do it, Mrs. Rogers!

They did their SEL email from yesterday to my mom (they call her Mini) to thank her for some Lego sets she sent.

Adrian's email (she calls him Arthur...no reason...just to be silly. Also, he dictated and I typed because I had a meeting and was under time pressure!)

Hi Mini,

Thank you for the Lego Hidden Side set. Me and papa built it. My favorite part was the El Fuego car. I like the ghost wings and motorcycle.

I love you, Mini.

Love,

Arthur

And the response:

Hi Arthur,

Draw me some pictures with your blendable crayons. I love your artwork....both of you actually. I am glad you shared the Legos so nicely. That makes me happy to buy you more.....I miss you and love you very much. Can't wait to make you mac n cheese and apples with cinnamon and sugar.

Love,

Mini

Both boys are getting good at telling time. I don't have a printer at home so we couldn't play the cool board games. Adrian plagiarized Seb's journal entry, I called him out on it and told him it was cheating, so he changed "chocolate" to "vanilla" and called it a day. I told him it was still cheating...and then I had a work call so I let it go. Originally he had invented a Fruit Loop jelly bean...how appropriate and much more original. He got offended and wouldn't write about it because I told him this: Since moms hate Fruit Loops and don't buy them, that would be a popular jelly bean flavor for kids. He seemed to think that was an insult so he refused to write about that flavor. Sorry!

They were in a huge hurry to do their work so they could get to art because I promised Play-Doh...they actually did a good job of not making a total mess!

Puppy is everywhere with him these days...perhaps more than before we were stuck at home. And yes, that is an enormous pile of chocolate chips...dessert! ;-)

Adrian did silent reading, a *little* Lexia, SeeSaw, and Happy #s (I think...I had work calls). He also had a lunch chat with Mrs. Fine and Mrs. Anderson and a chat with his new "coach". He seemed to like her, so that's good.

We took another soccer walk after dinner, and karate is at 7.