I just got home from tutoring and dinner out at Moe's, and then a quick grocery store visit.
The kids had off from school today, of course, and they'll be off for some time yet. But they didn't watch the movie, and that meant no movie reports! They have strict orders to do that before my next visit on Wednesday. They have lots of time, since there's no school. No excuses!
Today, we read about George Washington and Abraham Lincoln. I found a short, easy piece on the Internet about Washington for the little girl, and there was a quiz at the end for reading comprehension. I said she could look back at what she just read if she needed to, but she insisted on answering the questions without looking, and she got them all right. She was really pleased with herself and wanted to do another one, but I hadn't found something easy on Lincoln.
So then she wanted another Presidents' Day word search, this time words related to Washington. While she was doing it, her brother came into the room and she asked him for help, so the 3 of us finished it together. He found the last word, breaking a tie between him and his sister, so he won. I don't encourage competition, but the kids seem to want that, and maybe it is good, since they work harder if they want to win.
So then I had the boy read something about Lincoln. We found a bunch of words he didn't know, which also is homework. But I told him more than the words, I want that movie report! If he does that, he doesn't have to study the words, but if I don't get a movie report, I expect the words to be learned. Maybe that'll urge them to do the movie. You'd think they couldn't wait to watch a movie, right? I think in their time off, they're allowed to do whatever they want, and they'd rather play video games.
I think they got addicted because often they sit in the restaurant playing them. I guess it keeps them quiet and their parents can work while they're there. I wish they had other activities, though. Even their little brother, who's about 3, has his little tablet with games and Thomas the Train in Chinese on it.
After the boy read about Lincoln, I read aloud to them about Washington, which included the story about him cutting down the cherry tree. They had never heard that tale, and I said to them, "This may be the first time you hear it, but it certainly won't be the last." The boy asked me what I meant by that. I explained that it's such a famous story, he's likely to hear it again at other times and places.
Did you know that the cherry tree story is probably fiction? It was written by someone named Weems some years after Washington's death. But it's generally considered made up by Weems to illustrate Washinton's famed truthfulness.
Then we did a Mad Libs, and then it was time for me to go.
I stopped at Aldi for a few things, like bananas, which we ran out of this morning. Unfortunately, they didn't have cat litter, which I'm getting low on. The cat has been staying in more and using the litter box with all the cold weather. Maybe with it getting warmer, he'll decide to go out more. In fact, today he wanted to go out, and he wasn't back when I left for tutoring, so he was out in the cold for hours. He seemed OK, waiting impatiently by the door when I got home. He's really been upset lately that it's too cold to go out for long, so I guess he got a good outing today.
I really like the explanatory blurb at the end too. 
This entire week is supposed to stay above freezing during the days. All of this 
snow and ice will melt away. For once, I won't be the least bit saddened to see it go.
