Just another day in the life

We read our chapter in The Phantom Tollbooth outside in the playhouse. They were excited at first, but the same ebb and flow of attention ensued. I will have to try giving them modeling clay as suggested by a friend. The chapters are so short I'm getting a little frustrated with them for not paying attention. They haven't given this book a chance from day one. (I know that I am not a bad reader, either. I can be fairly entertaining to listen to...I think.) Especially, my eleven-year-old who is setting the mood for the other children. Maybe I will have to pick a different book for her and read to them separately.

Then we came in and crafting some animal on paper. Parts of their bodies are made from leaves. It was really fun for me. Aria had to do something different. It seems like she has to make the project her own some how. Which is fine. I think it's kind of an independence thing. Some way to state the fact that she's an individual with her own ideas. I just wish she would put a little more thought and effort into them. Maybe if I take more of an interest in her ideas she'll take more pride in them

She drew a snowman and then wrote a little story about it. The story was suscipiously similar to Frosty the Snowman, but she's practicing writing. Maybe it'll spur a little more writing and little more of her own creativity.

We practiced our math facts. Both Casey and Aria did wonderfully. They are actually memorizing the facts. Aria is really fast at the onces we're practicing. I wonder if I should skip ahead to the next set with her, since seems to have these already.

Aria and I played a fun game of WAR. She won. Casey and I played Addition Rummy and he won. They played their educational games online and then we called it quits.

I may have to start a new book tomorrow. Nanny bought them a Junie B. Jones book. It has a Halloween theme and they both eye-balled it like it was a steak. I'll be sad to give up on The Phantom Tollbooth, but the love of language is the goal.