Day 4

Headache leftovers today. It's just what it is. I couldn't think too clearly after being in pain for a week. Especially since yesterday's pain was extreme. So the kids had to pretty much work on their own again.

I was able to go over some math with Sam and Sarah, though. It was something like: I have 140 marbles. 2/5 of them are blue and 2/7 are orange. The rest are purple; how many are purple? They thought it was fun. Sarah's going to be working through the Pre-Algebra book from Math-U-See this year, and that was the kind of problem she had for today. I would have Sam going through the book too, but he needs to work on procedures more first. He can figure out anything in his head by logic, but procedures baffle him. I think he doesn't see the need if he can just do it in his head. It's hard for me to find a good reason to give him. I know he'll need them later, but I haven't got him convinced.

After math, we all got to yell at each other for a bit. I'm not proud of it, but it happened. We're all tired and cranky. Every year when we start school, we get all excited to be productive and efficient; and then I get a migraine the first week. Every year. Really, we shouldn't be surprised.

Sometime during each school year, we become comfortable with the limits we have because of my health issues. And we're satisfied at the end. We take a break during which we start to worry that we hadn't done enough, and we need to fix it. So we make all these plans that don't include our limitations or reality or anything that can happen. Maybe that's why I always get a migraine the first week. I need to find a way to feel comfortable before the year begins and not wait until March. OK! That's what I'm going to do; right now. Tomorrow will be different than today.

The good news for me today was that my husband bought me a table I've been drooling over for two years! We're getting is Saturday. I am beyond excited. I have no intention of forcing everyone to sit at it all day, but I cannot wait to sit there and do something! I've tried keeping the kitchen table clean enough to do school stuff at--never going to happen. I've tried one of those hard, cold, rough plastic folding tables with metal folding chairs--not inviting. This is a beautiful, chunky, wood dining table--which we will never dine at. I think Sam's looking forward to putting his heavy science book on it instead of his lap in the recliner, while he answers questions in his notebook.

Here's a video of our family looking at the table at the furniture store. Seriously, it was over a year ago!

See you tomorrow!