We got up later than I like, around 8:30. I think it's time for an alarm clock. I don't like waking up at different times. It will be good for the girls too.
I brushed my teeth and got Ruby's clothes. Then I turned off the alarm and porch lights and let Spot out. Then I changed Ruby's clothes and diaper and put on my running shoes. Next I started breakfast. The girls eat steel cut oats with honey, cinnamon, and raisins every morning. While that cooked, I made Maggie brush her teeth, feed the pets, and unload the dishwasher. I did dishes. While the girls ate, I read.
First we read our science book. While I was reading I happened to look up and see Spot running across the yard with a dead or dying squirrel in his mouth. First of all, horrifying. Gross. And, no! I texted Laurie who suggested Spot is a terror. She also felt it wasn't a prudent course of action to draw the shades and pretend we don't have a back yard. Or a dog.
So I called Dad. He suggested calling Animal Control. Turns out they'll come get dead animals. Who knew? I wonder if they'll check the toilet for sharks at 2 am. So I called Animal Control and the lady asked if I was going to bag and put it by the mail box. Are you effing kidding me??? No, I'm not going to do that! I said that nicer but that was the gist. She said it might take a while (I guess dead squirrels aren't a priority) but the girl was here by 11. And, yes, a girl. A pretty young woman. I was quite surprised but she went out there and bagged him up and didn't cry or vomit. Yea for her!
So back to our day, we finished reading science. We're reading about anatomy, specifically bones right now. We then switched to History and read about the Black Death. I FINALLY got a world map and mounted it on a cork board and different color pins. So we have one color for places we've been, one for places we want to go, one for places we've learned about through school, and one for places we hear about on the news. In our science, they also travel the world so we had lots of places to pin today.
This series of pictures is when Ruby started hiding stuff in her armpit and saying, where'd it go, with an arm shrug. So cute! And clever!!!
After science and history and pinning the map, we read poems. Maggie reads one and then I read one. Then she reads a chapter from her chapter book. She is currently reading a series about Violet Mackarel. Then it's my turn to read. I'm reading A Series of Unfortunate Events. After reading is spelling. Maggie has really improved in spelling. It almost never takes more than once of seeing the word, for her to know it. After spelling, we did math.
Math was unbelievably stressful because of stupid FLASH player!!! Let's just say my blood pressure probably went through the roof. Maggie did identifying numbers in different forms (ie find two hundred and thirty-eight), ordering numbers through 1,000, addition, subtraction, identifying patterns in counting, and identifying the number before and after a given number. She rocked it all.
Then it was Ruby's naptime. I needed to call references for my work and Maggie wanted to help. I decided to sneak a little math in by reading the numbers to her in long form (ie six hundred and eight-two, three hundred and seven, one thousand, nine hundred and sixty-three). After that, we played a round of Go Fish. Maggie always tells me, go fishing. :)
After that, I exercised and told Maggie to do her chores. She insisted she wanted to exercise with me. Guess how long that lasted before she was doing somersaults onto the couch??? I managed to get through my entire workout but as soon as I started yoga, Ruby woke up. I went and got her. She nursed and we cuddled for a few minutes. Then Ruby and I went and took a bath (Maggie preferred to eat). After bath, I ran back and forth between the living room and the bathroom, alternating getting ready and playing with Ruby. After that, Maggie went and laid down in her room and listened to audiobooks. Ruby and I played and looked at books.
Arlene, Joaquin, and Valerie showed up and I went and saw a couple of my clients. When I got home, Ruby was in her jammies but still up. She stood at the laundry room doors and gave me my hero's welcome, which I love so much. I took her to bed. We nursed and read and sang and then I laid her down. I blow her kisses and sometimes she'll blow one back but tonight she just wanted to sleep.
I came out and found Maggie and gave her a big hug. I told her I had missed her. She asked if she could stay on her Minecraft forum for a little while. I let her and came out to the living room to work.
I bought this beautiful amazing thing that attaches to your router and then I can set limits on all the devices that use wifi. So Maggie's devices all have a bedtime and a time that they come back on at night. In addition there are time limits based on websites and overall time limits for using screens. It has made screen time SO much easier. When her tablet turned off for bedtime, we did her nighttime list. She cleaned up toys, cleaned the dining room table off, put Ruby's laundry in the washer and put a new bag in. Then I brush and braid her hair and she brushes her teeth. She reads a chapter from Violet and I read a chapter from Lemony Snicket. Then she gets books and reads in her room until I'm ready to go to bed at which time I poke my head in and let her know.
Our day definitely got off track. There were several things I was hoping we'd get to but dead squirrels will put a damper in your day. Unless, you're Spot, he downright joyful about his catch. Ugh.
