Journal 1/5/09

Sigh, this was a running in deep, loose sand kind of day! So let me think about what did get done:

• Hannah cleaned her room (somewhat), cleaned out her car, said she was interested in learning about Aristotle and asked if there was a Teaching Co. series on him. She also wants to learn more about Darwin. She worked from 2:30 to closing.
• Will had his lesson with his math tutor and did some SAT practice. He said a rosary with me this a.m. He also did a little copy work. Actually, his copy work was writing out the lyrics to that Steely Dan song, Peg. He did VT homework with Sean, practiced guitar, did Latin with me and Josh, went to Music Theory class. Took out the garbage.
• Josh had his lesson with the math tutor; continues to read the Redwall series. I think he's on Book 8, maybe. In the middle of doing Latin he asked me what a pine marten was. I knew he wasn't focusing on Latin!!!!! He did some copy work. He is going to memorize Jabberwocky. He was supposed to start Tom Sawyer today. Wonder if he did? He also was a huge help to me this a.m. I decided to break down all the boxes that were left over from Christmas and stashed in the master bedroom. He broke them down for me, which was a formidable job and he was very pleasant and cracking jokes the whole time. What a nice boy!
• Sean did a little copy work. Actually his copy work was writing his own silly rhyme. He practiced piano and played a lot with Becky this a.m. He also read some more of The Last Little Cat. He did VT homework with Will and then went to his piano lesson. He was very proud of his jury comments which said he did a very good job but needs to curve his fingers more! He played videogames in the afternoon. Went to music theory class where he says he never learns anything.
• Becky slept in very late. She drew pictures and wrote the beginning of a story for her copy work. She played happily with Sean a lot this a.m. She kept herself busy between playing on the computer, watching Wordgirl, coloring, building obstacle courses all over the family room, etc, etc. She was busy, busy. I feel like I ignored her pretty much all day!
• Today I tidied the basement, got rid of the boxes in my room (with Josh's help), prayed a rosary, remember to tell the kids about St. John Neumann whose feast it was, read The Man Who Was Thursday during Sean's piano lesson and did Latin during music theory class. My poor sister Eileen is in the hospital for dehydration. Noel is spending the night with her. I may go early in the a.m. So I must go to sleep now.
• Oh Rick is reading another book to Sean and Becky, Hans Brinker was boring them. This book is called Nicholas and apparently it is the first book in an English translation of a French book about a funny French schoolboy and his antics. The kids are loving it. Sean got it for his birthday from friend. I read some Enyclopedia Brown to Becky. She's been asking me to read those stories to her a lot lately.