August 13, 2020

 Jared is supposed to be off today, but he has to teach driving.  No OT pay though, he's getting comp time.  It's something, I guess.  

Learned a new word today!  Don't make fun of me if you already know it. 

Portmanteau /port-man-tow/ n / 

    1.  A large trunk or suitcase, typically made of stiff leather and opening in two equal parts (I may actually have heard this one before.  

    2.  A word blending the sounds and combining the meanings of two other words, for example, motel (from motor and hotel), brunch (from breakfast and lunch), or podcast (from iPod and broadcast).  

    Definition from Google

Made the kids some breakfast.  B12 took care of the animals and watering the garden.  

Transcribed reports while B12 worked on math (we discussed finding the area of a trapezoid) and D15 worked on his math/Spanish/guitar/whatever else he's learning these days (we discussed finding the volume of a cylinder).  

Seasoned chicken and started it in the slow cooker while D15 came into the kitchen to discuss The Giver/Gathering Blue/The Messenger by Lois Lowry.  

Transcribed more reports and read from an issue of Real Simple Magazine.  (That's where I got my new word.)  P7 worked on Khan Academy Kids on my phone.  B12 did his Spanish lesson.  

Jared came home for lunch.  And left again.

Completed a reading lesson with P7, and a lesson with J4 (the letter R).  

Tutored B12 on his trumpet.  He really wants to play Happy Birthday for P7's birthday next month.  (The thought crossed my mind of a homeschoolers marching band.  I bet we could smoke 'em at competition!)  

D15 cleaned the kitchen, P7 and B12 took care of clutter patrol, I worked on laundry.  I listened to more of the TJEd conference while I was in my room folding laundry.  Then Jared came home and I turned it off.  When I did, I heard songs from Hamilton playing from the living room.  The king's song comes on and suddenly I can hear all the kids singing at the top of their voices and dancing in the living room.  I should really get a video of this, but they'll be done by the time I get my phone and get to them.  

Transcription again.  Jared and D15 went for some errands.  D15 has Improv class tonight.  

Adventures in motherhood... Mom versus the red CoolAid.

Never a boring moment.  We were happily having lunch, the 5 of us, at Costa Vida.  As it approached time to leave, Mom and Dad sprang into action... because no movement is accomplished without a little prep work anymore.  Dad refilled Braden's drink cup with red CoolAid.  Mom sat the baby carrier on the table and began to strap Peyton back in.  Everyone ready?  Good.  I'll just sit back down in my seat so I can reach the diaper bag from under the table and.... CRUNCH!  What the...?  I totally just sat on Braden's cup of CoolAid that he sat on my chair for who-knows-what reason.  Now to figure out how to get out of this restaurant with red CooAid on the back of my white-and-blue plaid shorts...

Mom versus Kix

Every day before school, I wake David up and ask him what he wants for breakfast.  Then he gets dressed while I prepare it.  Sometimes he has cereal, sometimes eggs, sometimes oats, and he varies it up pretty good.  But over the last 2 weeks, he has been eating Kix... every day... and asking for seconds... every day.  I didn't think anything of it, kind of convenient that I don't really have to prepare anything.  He always eats with the box in front of him so he can look at it.

This morning, he again asked for Kix.  I poured the last of it into his bowl, and he ate.  When he finished, he asked for seconds. 

Me - "Sorry hun... they're all gone."
David - "Oh thank goodness!"
Me (confused) - "Why are you happy the cereal is gone?"
David - "Now we can cut out the coupon for the toy on the back!"

And the lightbulb goes off.  There's a $5 coupon for the Tag Reading System by LeapFrog on the back of the cereal box.  Ha!  What a weird kid!  I don't even know if he likes Kix, but he was determined to eat them all.  Braden would've just dumped them on the floor if he wanted something like that. 


To continue the story, I then also found a $10 target coupon for the toy, and adding my $5 manufacturer coupon and my 5% off for using my RedCard, I got the thing for almost half off!  I'm putting it up for Christmas though.