Today I made the decision to be productive....no matter what. When choosing what I plan to accomplish throughout the course of a day I base my decision on what's bugging me the most. I could have raccoons rummaging in the garbage bin and spreading week-old waste across my yard but if the dirty dishes in the sink are on my mind, the raccoons can continue their carnage until the dishwasher is full. This morning I needed to clean the fridge. So I shipped Hubby off to work at 6:00 am, donned my haz-mat suit and gas mask and dove in. Having cleaned the fridge and tidying the kitchen by 6:45, I was already feeling very accomplished when Buddies #1 and #2 came into view at the top step.
We started school work at 9:00 am sharp and had made it through digit sums and consonant suffixes before the kids even knew what hit 'em! We had a short stall around 11:00 when Buddy #1 asked my what A-R-E spelled.
"It says are," I offered without skipping a beat.
"Yes, I see the R, it's in the middle, but what does it spell?!" He emphasized the last word to make his exasperation with my idiocy known. I used it in a sentence to prove to my 4 year-old that I can, in fact, read. He rolled his eyes and made his way to the computer to ask Super Why (who is clearly more of an authority on the subject than I) instead.
By 2 o'clock we were just about through with the exception of some busy-work so I told the girls they were welcome to play until the public school let out and they could meet up with their friends. I did ask them, however futile, to keep the mess to a minimum. I had taken my daughters shopping at some second hand stores a few days ago to look for some new dresses and my 7 year-old bought a container of marbles that have now become her favorite plaything. I am completely satisfied with the purchase because the box of 100 marbles only cost me $1.99. During their free time the girls decided they were going to make a marble museum out of their bedroom. It seemed harmless enough. I heard them busily finding the perfect spot for each marble. I was enjoying the fact that they were accomplishing the feat without argument.
When they were happy with the placement of each Cat's Eye and Aggie they called my to their room to admire their display. I walked past a note on the door that looked anything but ostentatious. Although I hadn't seen any words, a symbol caught my eye. I backed up to take a closer look.... It was a dollar sign!!!! My girls skipped the museum and set up a gift shop! They already had plans to invite their friends to peruse their wares priced from 5 cents up to $2....EACH! Not that I want to quash any entrepreneurial spirits blossoming in my future business women, but I had to correct them before they found out how lucrative the pharmaceutical industry can be. When I explained in layman's terms that a 2000% markup was completely immoral they were disappointed, but seemed to understand. They dismantled the marble boutique and scampered outside, the joy of the first snow overtaking the sorrow of lost profits.
My 6 year-old's best friend showed up just before dinner excitedly chattering about her upcoming birthday and the 3 younger girls disappeared into the basement to discuss party plans. A few moments later I called them to dinner but instead of sitting at the table, our little friend was putting on her shoes! My 7 year-old saw the confused look on my face and offered the explanation that she was just going home for a second.
"Whatever for?" I asked still confused.
My 7 year-old put on her best innocent face and replied,
"To get some money."
My little shyster had lured an unsuspecting customer into her lair! I put on my best appalled face and gave the child the marble..free of charge!
We started school work at 9:00 am sharp and had made it through digit sums and consonant suffixes before the kids even knew what hit 'em! We had a short stall around 11:00 when Buddy #1 asked my what A-R-E spelled.
"It says are," I offered without skipping a beat.
"Yes, I see the R, it's in the middle, but what does it spell?!" He emphasized the last word to make his exasperation with my idiocy known. I used it in a sentence to prove to my 4 year-old that I can, in fact, read. He rolled his eyes and made his way to the computer to ask Super Why (who is clearly more of an authority on the subject than I) instead.
By 2 o'clock we were just about through with the exception of some busy-work so I told the girls they were welcome to play until the public school let out and they could meet up with their friends. I did ask them, however futile, to keep the mess to a minimum. I had taken my daughters shopping at some second hand stores a few days ago to look for some new dresses and my 7 year-old bought a container of marbles that have now become her favorite plaything. I am completely satisfied with the purchase because the box of 100 marbles only cost me $1.99. During their free time the girls decided they were going to make a marble museum out of their bedroom. It seemed harmless enough. I heard them busily finding the perfect spot for each marble. I was enjoying the fact that they were accomplishing the feat without argument.
When they were happy with the placement of each Cat's Eye and Aggie they called my to their room to admire their display. I walked past a note on the door that looked anything but ostentatious. Although I hadn't seen any words, a symbol caught my eye. I backed up to take a closer look.... It was a dollar sign!!!! My girls skipped the museum and set up a gift shop! They already had plans to invite their friends to peruse their wares priced from 5 cents up to $2....EACH! Not that I want to quash any entrepreneurial spirits blossoming in my future business women, but I had to correct them before they found out how lucrative the pharmaceutical industry can be. When I explained in layman's terms that a 2000% markup was completely immoral they were disappointed, but seemed to understand. They dismantled the marble boutique and scampered outside, the joy of the first snow overtaking the sorrow of lost profits.
My 6 year-old's best friend showed up just before dinner excitedly chattering about her upcoming birthday and the 3 younger girls disappeared into the basement to discuss party plans. A few moments later I called them to dinner but instead of sitting at the table, our little friend was putting on her shoes! My 7 year-old saw the confused look on my face and offered the explanation that she was just going home for a second.
"Whatever for?" I asked still confused.
My 7 year-old put on her best innocent face and replied,
"To get some money."
My little shyster had lured an unsuspecting customer into her lair! I put on my best appalled face and gave the child the marble..free of charge!
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