School, and a swim test.

Today, we stayed home for the most part to get caught up on our schoolwork.  The kids worked hard all morning.  Cairn worked on reading narrative poems, mapping our route to Texas for our trip and Spanish.  She is studying maps in History and since I am doing lessons that meet the objective and not just doing the online lesson I changed her lesson.  We used mapquest but we talked back the symbols on the map, how to use a scale, how to change routes and we added stops.  She had fun and when we took the assessment later she passed easily.  It was nice to have her learn more and retain what she learned - I like this.

Skylar worked on learning the parts of a magazine and reading about litter, counting to 5 (she can count to 40 really) and reading eggs.

Andrew worked on learning the difference between solid and liquid. puzzles and beading.

N and C did math, handwriting and participated in Cairn and Skylar's lessons when they could.

After lunch, we headed to the pool.  I asked the kids to pack my suit while I cleaned up the kitchen and closed up the house - they forgot so I didn't get to swim today either.

While we were at the pool, Skylar and C came out of the pool and over to me looking very sad and forlorn. I asked why and they said the lifeguard told them they had to stay on the other side of the rope.  They had been in the deeper side.  I asked the lifeguard why they couldn't be over there even though they had spent the entire summer in the deep side.  She said they had to be 6 but they could go take a swim test and get a bracelet so they could go in the deep side again.

I asked the girls if they wanted to take the test.  Skylar said yes immediately so we went inside to do the test.  I found a lifeguard and asked, "What does the test entail so I can tell Skylar what to expect?"

He said, "she was to swim half the length of the pool,"

Skylar said she was ready and jumped in.  I was walking with the lifeguard while she swam and then he started shaking his head no and then said she failed.  I asked him why and he said because she touched the side of the pool.  I wasn't happy because he didn't tell her she couldn't touch the side.  Luckily, he let her do it again and she passed.  She was thrilled.  We went back outside to the outside pool, she walked over to the lifeguard and told her she had passed the test and could stay in the deep end.  We also found out that she could go down the slide now with her bracelet.  Remember she has been doing that all summer!!  Oh well, Skylar is happy and all is well.