Chill

Yesterday was unusual because Thing1 and I had a day to ourselves at home.

Instead of regular schoolwork (you know, where he checks off his predictable, everyday tasks as he does them), we did real life. I was chill. Chill is usually not my strong suit.

He recently discovered he could make cookies by himself, so he decided to use that for his weekly presentation. (Every Tuesday the kids have to give a presentation in front of other homeschoolers.)

First, he typed out the recipe to hand out to his classmates. Honestly, he typed the ingredients, and I typed the directions. It was quite a task for a hunt-and-peck 8-year-old. We discussed margins, page layout and setup, and the function of the shift key. I am determined that next year he will learn to type for real.

Next, he made the cookies. He learned that brown sugar is difficult to measure when it gets hard. He pointed out that the package says to store it in an airtight container. Yes, sir. I will try to do better in the future. The cookies were good. Too good. Much better than the last time he made them.

He listed three things he learned about cookie making, packed up the recipe cards and cookies, and the presentation prep was done.

Later, we reviewed some memory work. He and I both aspire to be Memory Masters this year, so we took turns asking each other questions. (Have you ever noticed how much more seriously a kid takes something when the parent asks for his help? Interesting.) We had fun using dry erase markers on our new, huge, European blackline map. The kid loves maps.

We never cracked a workbook all day long, but we were busy learning all day.

Before he went to bed last night, he hugged me and told me spontaneously that he had a great day and that he loved me. A little affirmation goes a long way with this Mama.