I Am NOT Smarter Than a 5th Grader

I had been going in to Andy's math class--5th grade--to help out a bit and to see what he was doing so that I could help him at home better.  The class has been learning fractions.  I know how to do fractions.  I know what the numerator is and the denominator is. I can simplify, add, multiply, and I think divide them.  I do have a hard time drawing pictures of them sometimes though.  However, I cannot explain how to do them very well.

Today was simplifying improper fractions.  so if you have a fraction of 12/3,  the answer is 4. But how to explain that to 5th graders is not easy.  Especially when they are required to draw pictures too.  Well I was confusing the kids when they asked for help.  Most of them would write 1/4 instead of just 4.  And of course it was even more tricky with something like 8/7 which would be 1 1/7.   I told the teacher I was sorry but I think I confused them.

Later that day I got an email from him saying "Thanks but no thanks."  Not in those words, but he agreed that some of the kids told him they were confused so he said if I still want to come I can come in later and work on multiplication and division facts with some of the kids.  Ouch.

On a happier note, here is something I can do--

Janessa and I have been "redoing" her room.  My little girl has outgrown her cute polka-dot curtains and wall with big decal pastel polka-dots of varying colors--so cute.  So now on to zebra stripes.

I went to work with contact paper.

We bought the little garbage can and I used contact paper and paint to make the bookcase match.

 I also put the zebra contact paper over the outlet and light switch covers.

I found a pair of pillow cases for about $5, and then used under-wonder to iron on some ribbon.  One square pillow and one regular pillow case.  (Cheaper than fabric).  

She couldn't find a zebra bedspread she liked so she picked turquoise and white.

Also used ribbon to "dress up" some pictures. 

We are in the process of making a few wall hangings to finish things up.  Oh, and still deciding about curtains.  It has been a fun project.

My Sad Little Man

"My pants are falling down and I can't find my shoes."  My six year old said sadly as he came into the kitchen the other morning.  And to me that moment was so cute and precious for some reason.  I really enjoy him.

He is my little detail man and usually ready for school before anyone.  He wakes up, gets dressed with shoes and socks and comes out of his room dragging his backpack and coat, looking for his sandwich so he can pack his lunch.  He cleans up his dishes after breakfast without being reminded.  If only all my children could be like that...

But that morning he was wearing new pants that apparently didn't fit too well, and had such a rare occasion of not knowing where his shoes were.  And he was so sad about it all.  I just wanted to pick him up and cuddle him and make all the sadness go away.  Which I guess I did by helping him find his shoes and making his pants tighter with those button stretchy things inside the waistband of the pants.

I don't really have anything more to write about that ... just wanted to share I guess.

All At Once

Like an ad says:  "Life comes at you fast..."

We got carpet!  New carpet in most of our house--4 bedrooms, the living room and hallway.  When we moved in there was only carpet in 3 rooms of the house.  The rest was mostly hardwood.  A year and a half ago we put some carpet in our downstairs which is just one big room and had really old tile that you used to see in schools.  I know lots of people like hardwood, but I prefer carpet.  Especially in bedrooms.  Besides, the wood was very old and stained and scratched and paint splotched.  So even when you cleaned the floors it still looked dirty.

I love my carpet! It's like a new house!  Before it came Scott and the boys put up new baseboards and I painted the kids' rooms. And we put Pergo in the dining room (because refinishing the wood costs lots more).

But getting carpet in most of the house is a lot of work.  Taking beds down, emptying bookcases and closets, and moving everything somewhere that isn't getting carpet.

A new  house!!

The carpet did not come on schedule and was over a week later than planned getting installed. And the Thursday and Friday it was installed I was already booked up with stuff.

--Cam stayed home from school those two days sick.
--Brennen had oral surgery Friday morning so when we got home and he was still half asleep I was steering him between carpet layers to get him to his bed.  (thank goodness we got all the beds put back together after the carpet people left Thursday night).
--One of our cars was in the shop so we had to shuffle getting us all where we needed to go.  (One night the neighbors had to pick up Andy from gymnastics)
--And, one of my nephews from out of town came home from his mission so I was packing and preparing to go to my brother's for the weekend to hear the returned missionary talk in church.

The carpet layers left by noon on Friday.  And do you know how hard it is to try to pack for a road trip and put your house back together and, and, and?

I was feeling a bit crazy--even more so than usual.

(Now I shouldn't tell you the next part because it is embarrassing for me but funny because of my Andy).

I hit the road with my 3 little kids after school for a 5 hour drive.  Only to be stopped before I was 1/2 hour out of town by a police officer.  Why?  Because he noticed the kids didn't have their lap belts on--they always put it behind their back.  He gave a us a nice warning and said to wear seatbelts correctly.

And as luck would have it a few hours later the lights of police were behind me AGAIN.  Out on the reservation I failed to slow down enough when the speed limit changed because of an intersecting road.  And luck really was on my side because I got another warning.  Especially since Andy was very eloquent talking to the officer.  He told him "This is the second time we got pulled over!"  Thank you Andy.  When the officer saw me with the kids he said I was probably distracted and didn't see the speed limit sign.  How nice to notice.  Andy assured him we would drive slower and safer.

Lots going on in a few days but I got through it.  Brennen's surgery to expose and band a tooth that won't come in went fine and he only took 3 pain pills.  Cam was better by Friday and probably could have gone to school that day.  Our car is still in the shop but we borrowed my mom's for part of the time.

but sometimes life does come at you faster than you are expecting...