Happy Tuesday!  Did you know that today is free Pancake Day at IHop?   For a donation everyone can have a free short stack of pancakes.  Since it's to raise money for charity (Children's Miracle Network Hospitals), then I definitely need to go to dinner there with the family. Right?  We'll save money too so it's win-win. :)


I wanted to clarify something from my post yesterday.  Wes wasn't doing TERRIBLE in Algebra. He could do the problems and get them right.  It was the deeper meaning of WHY and the rationale of the process that he had trouble with.  That often is evident when kids do word problems.  But as much as we hate them, I tell my kids that word problems are often what I use math the most for in real life.  For example, how much would this cost if it's 15% off? How much tip should I leave?  How much is tax on that?  And, more complicated things while making things, etc.  Although I have a child that hates working with fractions and decimals, I've convinced him that they are some of the things I use the most often in daily life.


I also want to brag on Wes a bit. He recently read a book on Wilbur and Orville Wright and did a paper on the book. I was AMAZED at what a good writer he is.  He went through a phase of not like to write and I didn't really push grammar much other than the usual Language Arts workbooks, lots of School House Rock stuff when younger (c'mon, I know you're singing an episode now), and correcting their writing. I do a more intensive grammar course in upper middle/low high school when I think they're ready to "get it" rather than pounding it in over and over.  Frankly, it's boring and I don't see the point of trying to force a child to learn it over years and years when a good year at an older age does the trick.


Anyway, Wes wrote very well. His sentences were interesting and his grammar is getting better all the time.  It's encouraging to me to see the progress the kids make from year to year!


Today's workout:  Ellen Barrett's Fat Burning Fusion(pilates/yoga/dance inspired low impact cardio).  Aaaahhhhh......felt so good.