In future pages, I can see that he will be asked to make up number stories about different items, like "6 cents + 5 cents" and "11 plums - 6 plums." This is what he is being asked to do in his Singapore Math workbook, too.
Yesterday morning the boys had to have a dental appointment just to get a referral to our regular pediatric dentist. Nick adopted an elderly couple in the waiting room and squeezed himself in between them to talk about mosquitoes. They appeared to enjoy it, so I let him be while I filled in health history questionnaires. When the boys were called back for their appointments, they behaved perfectly. No outbursts, only cooperation. Xander did volunteer that neither I nor his dad had asked him to floss for days. The nice dentist gave him a brief spiel about the time coming that he will have to take on responsibility to brush and floss himself, even when nobody reminds him. Like on sleepovers or busy evenings. I was proud of their behavior on this extra dental appointment.
This morning we went to preschool story time at the library. Again, both boys were angelic. I guess Nick was a little loud in the library for about a second until I reminded him to say, "Ssssssssh," upon entering the library. He loves doing that, and it usually prompts him to whisper as we walk through the main part to the children's section. This time, he loudly asked me to, "Say, 'Sssssssssssh,' Mommy!" Oh, well. Plenty of adults are louder than my children in the main section of the library. Now, in the children's section Nick has been known to vigorously sing the alphabet or jog in shouting, "Yay! Children's section!" but I think people are pretty forgiving of that.
Nick chose to check out a National Geographic Kids issue. Xander chose The Trouble With Wishes by Diane Stanley, which is based on the Pygmalion story. I chose for them Star Wars Attack of the Clones Incredible Cross Sections: The Definitive Guide to the Craft from Star Wars: Episode II by Curtis Saxton. It is filled with "incredible cross sections" of the space craft and it is an over-sized book. It is pretty incredible. I also got Teeth, Tails, & Tentacles: An Animal Counting Book by Christopher Wormell, Felix and the 400 Frogs by Jon Buller and Susan Schade, Small Wolf by Nathaniel Benchley and Joan Sandin, Flotsam by David Wiesner, and Luba and the Wren by Patricia Polacco.
Xander and I listened to Just So Stories, looked at Everyday Number Stories, sang "Scarborough Fair," and read from The Hobbit. That is only half our day's studies, but I let him do the following things instead of the other half: spend extra time picking out a book at the library, spend extra time playing in the outside courtyard of the library, and take a nap.
Earlier, Nick and I did a few activities in this free Pumpkin Patch Preschool Pack. (It's only free today.) I like some parts of these packs because all the work is done and they look so neat. Nick likes doing some of the activities. Overall, I don't think they're worth a whole lot of time and money, though. I don't think the learning persists, at least in our household. Nick got in some practice making dots with his Do-A-Dot markers and finding which item in a series was different. It was also quality time between me and him because we did them together (and Xander was still sleeping).
I haven't been running in the last few days due to scheduling difficulties, but I did finish my October Homemaking Cottage articles in just about the nick of time. Erik and I started watching a SyFy show together on Netflix: Warehouse 13. I call it cheesy and Buffyish without the extreme lovableness of the Buffy characters, but still, it is an enormously fun show to watch. We both agree on that. Erik got called out of town for what looks to be the next two nights for an urgent situation. If I do run tonight, it will be in place in front of the computer or television. :)
Oh, I have been reading Eat to Live by Dr. Joel Fuhrman on the recommendation of my friend who is a nurse (probably a nurse trainer by now if she took her promotion) and it is good. I wanted to be able to discredit it because his nutritarian diet is a "greens and beans diet." His words. That is hard to stick to, at least at first. I am really liking the book, though. As far as I can tell, his work is completely research-based and valid. I am feeling motivated to change our whole family's diet, but I know if I do it will have to be gradual. He recommends hardly any meat, no dairy, no refined sugars or grains, and of course no processed foods. Cakes and pies on this diet? Not so much. There is one recipe in the book for some kind of apple cake. No white sugar, or brown sugar for that matter, in it. And that is a splurge.
The good news for our family is that fruits are also encouraged. If I let Nick have free rein and didn't buy things like crackers and chocolate chips at the grocery store, Nick would eat mainly fruits, all day every day. He is eating everything on his dinner plate since Erik started working with him. So both boys will eat things like collard greens, salad, carrots, broccoli, and beans. The grimace on Nick's face is funny, but at least he will eat them.
I made a pretty healthy recipe this week from Scott Jurek the ultrarunner. It was Scott's Chocolate Adzuki Bars. On first taste, all of us basically said, "That's not sweet!" But they are pretty healthy, with a bean/banana base, so I sprinkled a few more chocolate chips on top and served them for breakfast. Nick and Xander were fine with that. The un-chocolated version is actually growing on me. It's like my body can tell they are good for me.
Tomorrow is Sea World Homeschool Day!! I am just hoping that we all get in the car and leave by 7 a.m. with a packed lunch, snack, and water. If I oversleep, that will be a huge waste and a big shame. I heard from one person that last year there was a line to get in at first and that they turned some people away. We registered ahead of time and have paid tickets, so if that happens to us, I plan to get civilly snooty. Not okay.
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