Homeschool Today

Number 6 and 7 are being homeschooled until school returns to normal.

Sometimes homeschool is structured.

We practice math facts and learn new math concepts (in the new ways and the old ways), we do worksheets and practice map skills and read and write.

We also practice cursive just about daily because after watching Number 3 (who is 15 years old) try to sign his name to a document that required his signature, I was slightly — okay, MAJORLY — horrified by 1) how painstakingly long it took him and 2) how it looked like the signature of a 3 year old. Who was blindfolded.

But then there are other days where we have less structure.

We also have a no-technology-before-3pm rule, so on the less structured days the kids can’t spend all day watching stupid shit on YouTube.

Today was the coldest day we’ve had here in CT so far.

It was in the low 20’s when I woke up.

Around 8 am a good friend of mine who I haven’t spoken to in a while called, but I was in the middle of making breakfast, so I told her I’d call her back in about 15 minutes.

Another one of my homeschool rules is that the kids spend at least an hour outside.

This morning after I called my friend back (the kids knew I was gonna be on the phone for a while) Number 6 and 7 went outside.

About 30 minutes later, they came running inside to my office where I was still on the phone with my friend.

“MOM!!!” they exclaimed.

“WE’RE SLEDDING!!!”

I was sitting next to a window with the curtains drawn. I pulled them aside and looked out the window.

I saw the sun, and I saw green grass.

“WILL YOU COME WATCH US?” they asked.

I said goodbye to my friend a couple minutes later and headed outside.

We have a bunch of plywood and some 1 and 2x4s outside left over from various projects, and they had a nice layer of frost on them.

And somehow Number 6 and 7 got the idea to lay them down, get out the sleds, and go “sledding.”

😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂

Then Number 7 got out the skimboard — the kind you use at the beach — and she turned it into a snowboard.

Or a frost board.

I was pretty impressed.

I was also still in my pajamas and bathrobe and it was fucking cold out there, so I went back into my cozy office.

About an hour later, the kids came running inside again.

“MOM! WE MADE A RAMP!!! COME SEE IT!!!” they asked.

Still in my pajamas, I went back outside.

Here is what I saw:

They made a ramp out of their wagon and a couple of baseball helmets.

😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂

They were outside for a good 2 hours today. At least.

They used good old fashioned ingenuity and creativity and problem solving skills to come up with a way to go sledding without any snow.

Today was a good learning day.

And not a Chromebook or laptop or worksheet or even a pencil was in sight.