What is going on today

I drove C.E. to school today.  I told her she looked like a beautiful modeling princess.  She does.  I hope she is as happy as she is pretty.

A.J. biked with his best friend to school.  They are the cutest little nonstop talkative third graders in the universe, so happy and so bubbling all the time!!!

The baby got his 1 year shots yesterday and did not even flinch or cry for the first three of them.  The last two made him fuss a short while, but no hysterics.  D.H. said, "This is a tough kid. This is why I wanted to name him Thor."

Today I am reorganizing.  I'm putting the cleaning chemicals up high, and the baskets of clean rags, bibs and tablecloths under the kitchen sink.  (The baby broke the baby-proof plastic lock that was on the cabinet.)  I'm also putting his toys in the bottom two shelves of the pantry, throwing out the out-of-date boxes of rice, mashed potatoes, croutons and hot chocolate mix, and putting scissors and other office supplies up high.  It's more mental work than physical, but it makes me feel better.  Sometimes I want to burst into tears about the monumentality of space between what I want this house to look like, and what it looks like.  But first things first:  I'm making it safe before I make it pretty.

I'm mad that kids have to go to school for SO many hours every day.  Wouldn't four hours do?  One for math, one for reading and spelling, one for the arts, and one for science or history, per day.  I think they do a lot of playing and busywork.  And I miss them.

I also miss my husband, and now that he's losing his job and has interviewed for another one that's over an hour away, I'm sad that I'll lose our lovely lunches together, plus two hours a day of drive time, which means 3 hours less per day, or 15 hours less per week.  That hurts!  It makes me consider moving to where the new job will be.  Even though I love this little town, and feel its peacefulness and hear the donkey bray on our block, see the deer coming in the cold months to our yard, see horses, cows, sheep, and llamas sprinkled through the streets of the "city" --and I love it.  I just love it.

My family gave me a kindle for my birthday this week.  I found over 150 free classics on the kindle store, after wading through much muck.  (They don't make it easy to find the freebies, but they are there.)

Quote of the day: "There is no reason why good cannot triumph as often as evil.  The triumph of anything is a matter of organization.  If there are such things as angels, I hope they are organized along the lines of the Mafia."  -Kurt Vonnegut.  (I add:  there are such things as angels, and yes, they are extremely organized.  I am so glad I believe in them.  I am so glad there is a Lord above.  I am so glad that no matter what happens, good will triumph in the end.  Just hang on!)

How to Memorize the Multiplication Tables With Songs

LINK TO MY OWN SONGS ON YOUTUBE: 

http://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL55C1AB1D8C5FBEAF&feature=mh_lolz

Three Times Tables:  http://youtu.be/E5-0gHvBu6Y

(They are all there-- from 3 to 9)

How to memorize the multiplication tables with songs

(These are a hybrid mix of youtube songs, songs my friend uses in her classroom, and songs I made up or adapted myself.  Enjoy!   --We are skipping past the zeroes, ones, twos, fives, and tens because they follow such simple patterns.)

3   THE THREES:  (Tune of "Jingle Bells")

Three six nine,             twelve fifteen,               eighteen twenty-one
Jingle bells,                   jingle bells,                     jingle all the way

Twenty four,                 twenty seven,              thirty, thirty-three.  (Shout):  Thirty Six!!

Oh what fun                 it is to ride                      in a one horse,  open sleigh.     Thirty six!

4   THE FOURS:  (Tune of "Row Row Row Your Boat")

Four,   Eight,  Twelve         Sixteen,        Twenty                 Twenty-four
Row,    Row,   Row              your boat       gently                    down  the stream

Twenty-eight                  Thirty-two             Thirty-six          Forty

Merrily                            Merrily                      Merrily                Merrily

Forty-Four         Forty-Eight

Life is                    but a dream

5   THE SIXES   (Tune of "Yankee Doodle")

Six, twelve          eighteen          twenty-four            thirty        thirty si-ix
Yankee               Doodle              went   to  town      a-riding   on   a   pony


Forty-two and               Forty-eight               and fifty-four and sixty.
Stuck  a  feather              in his cap                and called it macaroni


Sixty-six and Seventy-two  (Shout:  "Yankee Doodle Doodle Doo!")
Yankee Doodle Keep it up   (Shout:  Yankee Doodle Doodle Doo!")




--Also, for fun, watch this:      http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cwkgNf69ihY  
It is called "I got six" on youtube

7   THE SEVENS   (Tune of "Twinkle Little Star" which is also the ABCs tune)

Seven    Fourteen    Twenty-One    Twenty-eight     Thirty-five
Twinkle  twinkle       little star           How I wond(er)    Where you are

Forty-Two and Forty-Nine                     Fifty-Six,  Sixty-three

Up above        the world so high            like a diamond in the sky

Seventy                     and Seventy-seven,  eighty-four stars up in heaven.

Twinkle twinkle             little star                   how I wonder what you are.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uvqTizEfrhU          (link to a rockin' version similar to this one that skips 7x11 and 7x12)

Or, just for fun, watch this School House rock video:      http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LDHTJGVWgG4    It's called "Lucky 7 Sampson"

8   THE EIGHTS  (Tune of  "Rubber Duckie"    )

Eight    sixteen        and twenty-four,      thirty-two    and  forty  more
Rubber duckie         you're the one.           You make bath-time lots of fun.

Forty-eight,   fifty-six, and  sixty-four     Boop Boop Dee Doop   

Rubber duckie,   I'm awfully fond of you    boop boop dee doop


Seventy-two     Eighty   and,            Eighty-eight    and ninety-six
Rubber duckie,     joy of joys,                when I squeeze you, you make noise

Da ba da ba da ba ba da ba ba dah!

Da ba da ba da ba ba da ba ba dah!


Also, check out this rap-style longer song for the 8s:      http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nNK9Q-mDS1U

9  THE NINES  (Tune of  "Three Blind Mice"  )

Nine Eighteen               Twenty-seven            Thirty-six                    Forty-Five 
Three blind mice.         Three blind mice.        See how they run.        See how they run.

Fifty-Four                             Sixty-three        Seventy-two                                Eighty-one 

They all ran after the          farmer's wife    who cut off their tails with a     carving knife.


Ninety    a-a-and                                                 Ninety-nine                      One-Oh-Eight
 Did you ever see such a                                   sight in your life                 as three blind mice!?!

Helpful  "trick" to learning the nines with your fingers:   http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qPgs9LmV5wc

11   NO SONG, since they're all "twins" of the other number:  22, 33, 44, 55, etc.

When you get to 10x11, 11x11, and 12x11, there's a pattern:  110, 121, 132.  The one stays the same, but the middle digits and the last digits go up one consecutive number.

12  NO SONG, BUT  A SHORT CHANT:    "12 x 12 = 144 !   Close the shop and sell no more!"

You already know all the 12 times tables, from the 0 through 11 times tables.  --All except for 12x12, which =144.  Just memorize that one.  No song needed, but for fun, watch this:    Little Twelve Toes from "Schoolhouse Rock" --sped up "Alvin" style:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C4NjgURDT54

    

Turning Fourteen

I'm letting my daughter go to her first real boy-girl party dance today.  It's a little scary.  I've grilled her about the rules-- no getting in a car with a teenage driver, dance with many boys instead of just one until you are much older, text me to come pick you up if there are bad movies, bad activities, or a bad feeling of any kind.

She is a free agent.  We all are, little by little, bit by bit.  Just like the baby's getting weaned bit by bit.  Independence dawns too fast for this mom, though.

I just want her to be as happy, carefree, and rich in every way that she can possibly be.  And I hope she can outsmart this wily world.  It ain't easy.

Meanwhile, we just got back from back to school night for my third grader.  He wishes school started tomorrow morning instead.  He is so excited.

I miss the kids when school starts.  I don't even understand people who don't miss their kids.  I am not on that planet.  I wish the school day were shorter. 

Sigh.