Tall- and other stuff

In Daniel and Sam's math today, they are learning to use charts. The particular chart the book started with is the height and weight chart. So we carefully measured... Daniel is 59 1/4" tall, Sam is 58 3/8 inches. Sam is 96 lbs., Dan 92.

The boys are within 3" of me! No doubt by MY next birthday, they will be taller than I am.
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Matthew has been on a tear today. He whined and cried from the moment he arrived- the first time he has done that since the first day he stayed here after his last summer at Grandma's house.
He finally fell back to sleep, but was awake earlier than usual- on the go from 7:30 am. I have had to tell him "NO!" dozens of times today- various infractions of rules we have had since he began staying here. I gave him a swat after his third incursion into the laundry room- forbidden turf.
He got a second swat after locking himself in Ben and Tommy's room. (He is not forbidden to go in there, but cannot be in there unsupervised- and they were out here watching a science lesson. The swat was for locking himself in when I called him.)
He has pestered the dogs frantic- pinching, choking, kicking. He keeps trying to talk over the school lessons, and squeezing behind the boys on the couch and trying to push them off. I finally turned on the TV for him to watch, so that we can get our lessons accomplished.
I usually save TV for the last hour he is here- or during lunch if I am trying to cook and he is underfoot. I think he knows his daddy is leaving for out of town today- and he only has seen him one day in the last week.
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We need to go to the library this afternoon. Tommy has read his way through most- if not all- of the Ann Coulter books in the library. Daniel and Sam have both read three of the four new Hank The Cowdog books we bought, plus the three they checked out from the library last time we were there. I have been out of books since Friday.

Two more units + three pages left in our Social Studies book. Seven more lessons in Science. We have passed the halfway point in the two year Math curriculum. Whoo Hoo! Sixth grade is drawing to a close!
I think I will talk to Mr C about a celebration- a small party for Ben and Tommy's 'graduation', and Dan and Sam's promotion out of elementary school.
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