School has officially started

Sometimes I wonder what I get myself into. Other times I know exactly what I'm doing and how I'm going to do it. Then there are days like today when I bang my head against the table and ask myself, how can they NOT know how to do this stuff??? How can they forget so much in just a couple months?? ACK!

Today we started our second Konos unit of the year, still working on Self-Control, but we've moved on from body/appetites to emotions. New set of words and vocabulary, new theme and ideas. Ian's sitting in with us, but he's also started off on his own adventure in HOW 1 - History of the World I - Ancient History.

His first week is all about getting organized and ready for the school year, getting his things together in one spot, etc. He should also be finishing up his algebra, which he started last year. Once that's completed (he has about 5 lessons remaining) he goes on to Plane Geometry. I'm so glad Daryn's taking over in that math department!

Ethan is so struggling with math I'm beside myself. Simple mathematics. He's spent about 3 hours doing 10 problems! I just don't get it! This is last year's math, too, as he did not finish sixth grade. We ended up taking more days to teach so he could "get it" and he still doesn't "get it." I'm a bit hesitant to pick up where he literally left off. So, we are back tracking a little bit to see what he remembers. He has the general idea on how to do things, he just can't seem to add, subtract, multiply, or divide correctly! Evyn has the same problems. I think both of them just can't read their penmanship. I know I can't read it. I even have them both doing their work on graph paper just to keep their work in columns. Daryn comes in and teaches a different method than what they learned for division, and then things get all mixed up again. Urgh. I feel like we just took 1,000 steps backward. I'm about ready to order a new 6th grade math book for Ethan and just have him start the math year all over again. He burst into tears when I suggested that. Guess it's just a long day for both of us.

On top of all of this I was trying to get dinner going and finding out it's a cub scout potluck at a park down near Gig Harbor! sigh We were supposed to bring a side dish, as meat was going to be provided. Dollars to donuts no chicken will be provided. I just decided to make my dinner dish. We can bring that. I'll also cut up some cucumbers. I'm not providing dressing though. People will have to eat them raw without the fatty dip! No time to make dessert.

On a rather very side note, yesterday afternoon we went to the base to see a double feature. Love it when we can take seven people to see two movies and it only cost us $35! Can't beat a $5 ticket these days. Of course, free is always nice ...

I digress.

We went and saw "Despicable Me" and "Toy Story 3." I NEVER fall asleep in the movies. I could barely keep my eyes opened during the first movie. I woke up to see an ending I approved of, and was so glad to get up and walk around. Sadly, it was too dark to see to knit on the scarf I am making. The base theater has a smaller screen set back on a stage, not like movie theaters where the screen is the entire wall and lights up the entire room.

Admittedly, I cried buckets at the end of "Toy Story 3." May parts of it were, to me, rewritten portions of the first movie, just different toys in a different location with a similar scenario. It was the ending which hit home to me, though. The premise is Andy is packing up and leaving for college. The flood gates opened when his mother walks into his room and it's nearly empty except for a few boxes marked attic and college. Woody and Buzz and the crew have returned after their harrowing experiences just in time to plop into their respective boxes. Earlier Andy chose to take Woody to college and put the rest in the attic. I couldn't help seeing myself weeping as Ian begins to pack up his things. He's started high school, 11th grade, work this year. Granted, he's 14, but that doesn't mean it won't be long before he's ready to head out to college, too. I'm not sure I'm ready for that yet. I had all these flashbacks of my little baby sitting on the floor in Iceland lining up his Disney books in his room, or lining up the Tupperware containers along the kitchen floor, or banging the pots and pans to make music, or sitting in the living room and pulling the fuzz from between his toes, or sitting in his car seat at his first movie with us ... "Toy Story." Even now I'm welling up. My baby is growing up way too fast and I can't make him stop. He towers over me now, tall and handsome. I miss him already.

Okay ... enough of that ... dinner will be finished cooking soon enough and I want to work on that dratted scarf. I think I'll take it with me to the picnic.