Last Molecular Monday

Today's agenda was as follows:

• Breakfast
• Get Dressed
• Summer Bridge Activities Workbook Day 3-6 (it should take 5-15min per day. Each day has 2-3 short sections to complete. Ex: A word search of science terms, a synonym activity and 11 subtraction problems.)
• Read for 20min-Magic Treehouse
• Vehicle Story: Part 1)Pick a vehicle from your drawing book and draw it. Add color. Part 2)Write a fictional story about your vehicle. It must contain 4 characters. Don't forget where, when, why, how and what. Have fun!
• Chores (today's: take out trash, rinse recyclables, deliver clean folded clothes to rooms, wipe counter and stove, refill pet waters) No heavy lifting or meticulousness involved.
• Lunch
• Science Activity
• Summer Recap Activity
• Free time: first 15min must be spent outside.
• Dinner
• Case 7 in Social Detective

I tried to make it a special day. I talked up how much we'd learned this summer and how this was our last Monday together. It had no effect. Isaac wasn't done with the Summer Bridge pages after an hour, two hours, or even three. I finally went over everything he had done and made sure he understood the stuff that was unfinished. Then I had him help me with a few chore type things to get him moving around. Then I let him read and have lunch.

He promised to focus better after lunch. I was sure drawing an air craft would get his juices pumping. He "drew" from 1:00-4:30pm. So the lack of focus wasn't exclusive to things he didn't care for. He loves to draw. We picked up Riley and I explained that his morning work had taken up our science time and how disappointed I was not to do an experiment our last week.

He totally could have handled everything I gave him between 8:30-11:30 it was a very reasonable schedule. I try not to take it personally. It is 9pm as I type this and Isaac's vehicle story (which has no length requirement) isn't finished. I offered allowance bonus, internet time and all kinds of pep talks. He just gives up some days. I'm so very disappointed.

I was so looking forward to our afternoon activities. Sigh. I've been trying to teach him that in life you do what you have to first so can can do what you want to later. I've tried to make everything fun and be flexible, but today felt like such a fail. A slap in the face to all my enthusiasm. He'll have to get up tomorrow and finish his story and revise it before we can move on. He seems convinced (although it NEVER works) that if he just takes long enough we'll forget about a task. Anyway I hope it doesn't get us off on the wrong foot again.

It'll be strange with no library program, but I think we'll have a really loose day. Lots of books, literary discussion and maybe a movie. I'd like to have Isaac read some of what he's written this summer to Riley and I. We can all talk about it. Who knows?

On an unrelated note, in a perfect example of clothes karma I cleaned out Isaac's clothes and placed the too smalls in the Red Cross bin yesterday. Today, my neighbor brought over a giant box of clothes, shoes and books for Riley. It was like Christmas! After going through the box I brought Riley's take to her room and discovered her drawers were a little over full too. So, the cycle continues I packed a bag of clothes for my friend's daughter. I love clothes karma.