You Can't Force Learning...

We had a good start today but I don't know how well it will end.

Emmy forgot to load the dishwasher last night so I made her do it before school. I didn't notice that she forgot to run it afterwards.

We read about the Ottoman Turks in history and did a minibook and assigned "homework" for the older ones.

Eli, Emmy and I learned about coordinating conjunctions while Miri did a grammar quiz and I read Josie's spelling test words to her.

Sarah finished up the "B" section in her letter of the week.

We did a chapter review in the girls' science and they made maps of parts of a bird while Eli rotated the laundry.

I discovered Eli hasn't been doing all of the written work in his science notebook.  I've only been checking it once every few weeks to make sure he's doing it. Now I'll have to check more often, 'cause that just isn't going to fly.

Will wrestled all over me while I tried to teach.  He's teaching me concentration and patience.

I wrote out all of the independent work everyone needs to do on post-its and Emmy went to her "room" to work.

I decided to organize the dirty dishes in the kitchen so I could see what still needed to be done, 'cause for some reason we haven't had much clean silverware lately - and we've got a LOT of silverware.  (And a lot of dirty dishes.  Funny how, when mom is incapacitated, that's the first thing that piles up.)  Turns out, Emmy's only been loading the less gross, more easily reached silverware.  The stuff in the bottoms of the dishpans has been sitting in there molding and then she won't touch it.  (Exact same thing her sister did until she moved out.) There was only a handful of utensils in the dirty dishwasher and an entire dishpan of them on the counter.  So I made her come in and fill up the silverware tray and she had a fit because I was keeping her from doing what she was supposed to do.  Aaaargh! When are these kids going to learn that when they do a halfway job of a chore, no amount of schoolwork is going to get them out of coming back and finishing the chore!?!?

(Ahem. Sorry, just needed to vent a little.)

So now, everyone has had lunch and is back to doing their independent work for school, the dishwasher and clothes washer are running and we are on track to be finished with the important stuff before Rock gets home from work and wants my attention. - No wait, I haven't had lunch.  Well, I guess I know what's next on my list.

What did you learn today?