Time alone

Twice a week, on Thursday and Friday mornings, both kids are in school and I am alone for about three hours a pop. This morning was the first time in weeks that I had some of this time (school vacations). At first, I felt a little anxious, there was so much that I wanted to do, and so much that I needed to do. I decided to go with what I wanted to do.

I ended up coming home first and prepping what ended up being dinner (I thought it could have been lunch or dinner), chicken in a simple teriyaki marinade and white rice in the rice cooker, set for lunch time. I should give Jamie the teriyaki recipe, she likes chicken teriyaki.

Then I hopped on the computer to see if I could find a store that sells Miquon Math materials so that I could preview them before buying. I found a homeschooling supply store in Citrus Heights (A Brighter Child). They didn't open until 10:00 and I decided not to wait to call, but to just go check the store out.

I stopped at the food co-op first for some fruit and veggies. Kinder (it occurred to me to change First to Kinder since that's his school age right now) has been going crazy for bananas lately, eating at least one a day and sometimes two. Both boys are eating more and we're running out of staples mid-week. Of course, I didn't have a list in hand and forgot the one thing that got me to thinking about going to the co-op in the first place---more potatoes for the latkes I have planned for tomorrow night's dinner. My dad is driving up from the Bay area for a visit and if he's staying for dinner, I know we'll need more potatoes---it would be sad to run out of latkes.

A Brighter Child was a trip. The store was chock full of resources, very organized, and very peruser-friendly. They did have the Miquon Math stuff and I ended up getting the first two "lab" books (collections of worksheets printed in different colors, a touch that I liked), the lab manual, the source book, and the first grade diary---a day-to-day journal which gives a picture of what the teaching/learning could look like. All for $40 including tax, not a bad deal. The first two lab books should take us through first grade. Between this and the book, Family Math (which I found used, in good condition at Beers Books), I think I'm all set for Math curriculum planning resources. We'll need to get some materials like Cuisinaire rods and base ten blocks. My ideal is to find some old, wooden ones from the 70's, but those are probably few and far between.

I ate a snack in the car (mmm, hummus and grape leaves wrap) and realized that I didn't have enough time to stop at the Rudolf Steiner College Bookstore. I was bummed, especially with the rising cost of gas (I am rarely in this part of town), but let it go easily.

After I picked the kids up, we stopped at Capital Nursery on Freeport for gardening stuff. Kinder, in particular, was very excited and happy. Pre (as in Preschool) was very intent on riding the funky cart with extra wide and open compartments. I had done a bit of reading online and in a book I bought myself for Mother's Day last year, but it all pretty much went out the window. As did my idea to build a wooden garden box. The weather has changed this week and suddenly it is 80º and dry and visions of 100º are dancing around the edges of my brain. We picked up two plastic green pots for the kids, the largest size they had, garden gloves for me, potting soil, a big, plastic, lime green watering can, and some seeds. Echinacea and chamomile for Kinder, yellow sunflower and yellow corn for Pre (I had to gently break it to him that I didn't think a watermelon or pumpkin would fit in his pot once it started growing), and Mikado poppy and lavender for me. Honestly, who knows what will have grown by the time we move in mid-July. But, doing things with the kids has a powerful way of getting me active, in a time-waits-for-no-one sort of way.

After lunch we went to the library where Starhawk's Circle Round was waiting for me. I also pulled Mary Griffith's Homeschooling Handbook off the shelf. A memoir about raising a son with autism and disc 4 of Veronica Mars were also in for me.

It's 8:30 pm and the kids are both awake, playing at my feet. Today is night three of falling asleep in separate rooms for them. It may have lost its allure. Or it may be the heat. Before the time change, they were usually asleep around 7:00 pm. Lately, they are usually asleep by 8:00. Time to nudge them up to bed.