A Tuesday update

This week is definitely going better in terms of work. Although I gave my kids the day off yesterday to spend with their cousins, the 16yo got more work than done than he had been getting done, and about the same amount again today. He is majorly resisting his math. He likes to say he is tired and can't do it; I think it's more the anxiety of it. I wish we could start back at the beginning. I can't, though, so I think I have to find some more hands-on ways for him to do this stuff. Not as easy when we are dealing with things like SOH CAH TOA, factoring polynomials and such.

For my two, I told them I had a bit of work I expected them to do before they did anything else. I did mean before they read, played piano, whatever, but dd took it very literally this morning: "Am I allowed to eat first?" lol. Ds did some handwriting practice and a map. I don't think he did the French worksheet I had for him (I don't think he knew it was his), and his little math sheet got temporarily lost, so I told him to leave it. Dd did her French, some math, a map and then just before supper tonight, some FOIL operations (x+y)(u+v) for example. She does seem to work better in the evenings--not sure if it's the lack of commotion around here, the particular energy or what. She has commented how she enjoys working in the evenings and wonders why she can't look forward to her work that way during the day.

With my little niece, I can't say I've implemented anything new with her yet. She was kind of floating and I brought up the fourth cylinder block, asking her if she'd like to do it beside me while I work with the 16yo. She said yes. At one point, she tried to engage me in checking if it was right. I asked her if she thought it was right. Then it became a game, so I ended up saying to her twice, "You'll have to try it on your own and see," and went back to focusing on the 16yo. After that, she worked with it on her own. I never did notice if she finally got them all in the correct spots.

Right now, I'm trying to make up some cards for French class tomorrow. We missed this past week because my two were sick, plus I noticed the week before that, they were forgetting some of the stuff. The cards I'm making up will take the place of the Trivial Pursuit cards. :) Instead of all of the questions on each card, though, there will be just one question per card, having to do with something we've covered. Same rules as Trivial Pursuit will otherwise apply. I do know I need to speak with them more in French, even if they don't understand. Better to repeat myself in English and have them at least hear the French, than to just say things in English because I want to make sure they understand. If I can, I'd like to make up some Jeopardy cards, but that's kind of harder to come up.