What Day Is It?

Seriously. 
I have no clue. 
This is good and terrible. 
Good because things are getting done, we're keeping busy and (mostly) out of trouble.
Bad because I just feel so out of touch with the rest of humanity. 
It's as though our planet is spinning counterclockwise independently in space. 
And that's okay. 
Oklahoma is as good of a place as any to spin counter to reality. 

Nina is hanging in there after surgery and doing okay. 
The kids think she looks like Darth Vader with her neck brace on and that it's fun to face time with her, seeing all the cool things around her in the hospital. 
So cool, in fact that Benjamin requested to FaceTime with me during my upcoming colonoscopy. 
Ummm....No. 

Today has been one of those days where it's an hour later than it feels. 
It was gorgeous to go out and walk at 5 this morning - 50 degrees, crystal clear sky and no wind. 
By 8am, the sky was so dark with clouds it appeared that the sun hadn't bothered to come up, the temperature had dropped 25 degrees and winds were cruising along at 50 mph. 
Something must have thrown us off - the cold, the wind, the lack of light...I just got the clothes folded and dinner made.  Usually both of these are done before 8:30 AM. 
It's now 5:50. 

Each kid didn't get done as much work as I had hoped today. 
For some reason, Sam is obsessed with grammar and wants to complete his assignments for the rest of year with that subject NOW.  It doesn't matter that it's half way through the first semester. 
So that was a 30 minute ordeal. 
Caroline is reading "The City: A Story of Roman Planning and Construction".  It's a cool book - Caroline is getting frustrated because she just wants to read it.  She doesn't want to think about the construction methods, sanitation planning, aqueducts, military positioning and all that other stuff that goes into Ancient Roman Urban Planning.  It's kind of making her crazy. 
But it's good for her - she needs to slow down and learn to take notes and come up with strategies for comprehension.  She has never had to do that. 
She gets pissy when I call her out for giving answers that are below her ability - which, thankfully, are becoming more infrequent. 
Sam is still plugging along.  He's amazing me with math - he hadn't done much besides multiplication facts before this year and in the past eight weeks he has progressed to multiplying / dividing two and three digit numbers.  Usually correctly. 
He, also just wants to keep reading "The Year of the Boar and Jackie Robinson".  We did three reading lessons today, including a review lesson - because he begged to find out what happens.  I totally read ahead when he's sleeping or else we would do nothing but reading because I would have to find out the ending. 
Sam still is attempting to avoid composition like the plague.  It's easier now that he understands that - NO MATTER WHAT HE WRITES - there needs to be a planner for ideas.  But it's still not always smooth sailing. 
HOWEVER - we were able to get the Thank You Notes from Christmas done (each child had about 8) with nary a tear.  If we get nothing else out of homeschooling for the year but that - the experience will still be a success. 

Schooling is taking up most of our time.  I know there needs to be time to join the YMCA and go and play in the pool a couple times a week, but by the time we drop off and pick up Benjamin, we're finishing with classes - it's 3:30, Nate is getting home and all hell is about to break loose. 
It will get easier. 
Right? 

6th grade math was making us crazy earlier in the week. 
I didn't work like this until algebra in high school. 
At this rate, I'll flunk out of homeschool teaching.  

He watches and re-watches the Khan Academy math videos.  I think he kind of follows what is going on ("Mom?  Did you know that 9 times  is 36?").  He stands at the computer with the headphones on and copies down the problems as the online teacher writes them and "solves" them with him.  

Benjamin has been insistent that he is going to school, too.  He sees the older kids writing and underlining in their books - so he has been grabbing his markers and his Lego books to "highlight the important parts I need to know" and make notes in the margins.  It's adorable.  

...And...doesn't everyone have this much fun picking up groceries at WalMart at 8AM?