Monday/Tuesday: conversations

Yesterday...
Amanda: Joshua, do you feel ok?
Joshua: my problem is Dad.
A: that Dad isn't here?
J: yeah.


Today...
A: Joshua, what did you do at school today?
J: I dunno.  I took a drink.
A: Oh really.  Of what?
J: Water.



Isaac: Joshua, do you want to hear about the types of stuff in a house?
Joshua: yeah!
Isaac: well, a house has all three.  Houses with chimneys have smoke, and smoke is a gas.  Solids are the walls.  And houses have liquids like water, milk, chocolate milk, tasty water, and the water that Flurry drinks.

Sunday: clapping, rock show, mixel

Today was the start of the new school year programming at church, which meant that Isaac changed rooms.  I mentioned this to both boys separately, and they were both quite sad about it.  Isaac got over it quickly, but Joshua wanted to come to music with me.  We made a deal that he could come, but then had to go upstairs without a fuss.  It worked.

He enjoyed his clapping.  Even though no one else was clapping.

We went to the annual rock show this afternoon.  There was no a/c and it was hot.  But we saw some cool rocks and the kids got to play some games to win some rocks and buy a few rocks.  It was a good time.

At the library two weeks ago I grabbed a Lego book about Mixels.  Mixels are just little creatures that Lego was selling as small kits.  We got two in our room when we went to Legoland.  Anyway, Velectro was Joshua's favorite, and he told us so many times.  I finally made an approximation of Velectro using the pieces that we have.

For reference:

Friday: Isaac

I asked Isaac to put the silverware away.  He decided that the best way to open the silverware drawer was with his feet.

Isaac: Mom, I figured it out.  I'm going to make a tail.  Then I'm going to float away and you can grab the tail and pull and I'll grab the tail and pull and then I won't float away.
Amanda: Oh.

I'm also feeling a little bit better about whether or not Isaac is socializing at school.  He now as a best friend who has often been described as, "my new best friend that isn't in my class but I saw once in the bathroom but usually at recess."  It seems like it would be easier to learn his name, but that's apparently just me.  He is also sitting at the same table with a friend.  And then today he didn't play with his new best friend that isn't in his class but he saw once in the bathroom but usually at recess but instead played with someone else.

Thursday: Moodle

I remembered what I wanted to say a few weeks ago.  It's about Moodle.  That's the classroom management system we use.  It got upgraded over the summer.

There were some annoying things about it previously.  At the beginning of the school year, there were several very annoying things about it.  It seems as though one or two have been fixed, except for the main one.

There is too much clicking.

Say you're grading a homework assignment.  You put in a grade.  You then have two options.  You can click the "go to next student" to which it gives you a warning that you didn't save the grade and that it will do it for you and after you click ok it tells you the grade was saved.  (3 clicks)  Your other option is to click the save grade button, click ok when it tells you the grade is saved, and then click to go to the next student. (3 clicks)

Three clicks per student!  It used to be one.  "Save and continue to next student."  I definitely don't need a click that tells me it was saved.  Not only do I just assume that it happened, I can see that the score I put in goes from 1 to 1.00.

There are still a few other annoying things, but I can work around them.  (Such as not being able to grade in the order work was turned in.  I have found several plagiarism cases because they turned their work in at the same time.)

To be fair though, the highlight-what-day-we're-on is much more visible.  Actually, the preview works pretty well too and saves me one click on some assignments.

Wednesday: Joshua

Joshua and I were riding my bike to the library....

J: Mom!! Look!!!!!
A: It's a cement truck!!  How exciting.
J: Yeah, it's where we get our food.
A: What?  We don't get our food from a cement truck.
J: So where do we get our food?

J: Mom!! Look!!
A: A double dump truck!  Neat!

A: Ok, we're coming up to the railroad crossing soon.  Is it safe?
*The lights suddenly turn on and the dinging starts*
A: Oh, I guess not.
*No train appears and the lights turn off*
A: I guess it was just a test
*As we cross, we see a train changing cars or something*

Later
J: Dad!  We saw a train test.
J: A train test today
J: Dad! Did you see the train test?

The boys also wanted to run in the sprinklers tonight.

Tuesday: going to bed

I should go to bed in the "going to bed on time" campaign that I'm doing with myself.  Ben then proceeded to call it the "get in bed on time" campaign, which seems much more appropriate.

In other news, I tricked a computer twice yesterday into thinking I was a random coin toss.  Two out of two.  I was excited.  (https://nrich.maths.org/6078 - but you might need to use Internet Explorer).

In other other news, Isaac's best part of the day was playing with his new best friend.  The other child is probably not in Isaac's class and may be in a young fives program.  I'm fine with that.  As long as there is someone that he is playing with.

Monday: Isaac

Isaac got school lunch for the first time today.  He liked it.  Growing up I got to have it once a week...for the time being, it seems like a good way to do it for him too.  Maybe I'll change my mind after the 100th lunch though.

Next he wants home lunch with a water bottle, so that he can put his token in the last pail.  (Normally he gets just milk.)  Then he remembered that he really likes milk, which is why he usually get it.  I guess we'll save it for an extra special treat.

I also ordered a scholastic book for him.  Those are going strong, just like when I was a kid.  Joshua gets them too, but I usually just look and see if there is a robot book since those are not as common as one might think.  Anyway, I found a book for Isaac.  I figured that if we don't have to pay daycare expenses the least we can do is get him a book once a month.

He found a beautiful leave today.  He wanted a picture of it.  I usually use such occasions to get a picture of him.  He also made a new type of chalk running line...a funnel.  The line stops near the top of the driveway and near the bottom there's a catcher.  Why didn't I think of that?!?!  It would be so much easier to draw.  Maybe I'll need to do a trampoline.