The Parts of Speech

This is just terrible! I cant seem to get a tiny minute to update this blog! You know me, there's just gobs of stuff I have to say and not enough to time to say it in. Life is so busy and so full - which in reality is a good thing but it sure makes for a busy day. It also means I don't have time to do the things I want to do for fun which includes blogging here in my corner of the blogosphere and reading all you peoples good blogs.

So here I am trying to school Tink in the differences between the three forms of the word to and then on to labeling the parts of a sentence. She knows this like the back of her hand but is being obstinate because she wants to go volunteer in Peters PE class. The teacher told her she could a couple of weeks ago and I wish the teacher would have never said that because this 10-11:00 hour was when I worked with Tink on her studies between classes. Now she wont concentrate and it's become an hour of battling with the wills.

I told Tink today that if she completes this Language Arts page she can go help but now she is trying to ask me every question instead of figuring it out on her own. Now its time to implement stage 2. Now the rule is if I have to help her on this entire page we have to do another one so she can prove to me she understands it. Amazingly enough she is now sailing through the page. Hmmm, how did she suddenly remember it all?

Tink is working with the different forms a word and identifying the parts of speech for the italicized word. The sentences are like this:

1. The apple is on the ground.
2. The miller ground the wheat.
3. The grocer sellsgroundcoffee.

The answers are as follows:
1. noun
2. verb
3. adjective

Could you do this?

Lets try one:

1. She enjoys many hobbies like knitting and sewing.
2. She put like colors together.
3. Do you like peanut butter?

Can you identify the parts of speech for the word like? If you know them leave your answers in the comments. Lets see what we moms still remember. Sometimes teaching the different parts of speech seems so trivial and unnecessary when dealing with a learning disabled child and yet, who knows what she could become? As a writer or a teacher she would have to know this stuff. Admittedly, most people never have use for this knowledge after leaving school; and to think that we spend long hours and months studying this!

Well I am running out of time. Both kids are going to tech class in about ten minutes so I have to pack up and get out of here so I can join them in tech. My coffee that was steaming hot from McDonald's is now cold from sitting on the window sill here in the library. Its a shame. Coffee should never be allowed to grow cold!

Oh, one more thing. I'm reading a book entitled, Why Christian Kids Rebel. Its an incredible book and I plan on sharing with you the thoughts of the author later this week. I have very little time for reading so when I do I make sure my books are loaded with practical advice and lots of food for thought. I have about 10 library books loaded with "thought food" on my shelf at home and no time to read them. Its a sad commentary of my life, I'm afraid.

Okay, so now I'm outta here and on to tech. Oh and I must stop at the office here and sign both kids up for Mad Science. Man that class is expensive; $75 for just one kid and I'm enrolling two. Madness for sure! And yet Tink told me that she knew most of the answers on her state test from what she had learned in Mad Science. So it behooves me to enroll the kids - we do all we can to appease the State gods.

From there it's off to the music store to buy Tink a new violin book. Then out to the Christian Academy for another PE class. You cant have too many PE classes when you have a son like Peter who loves to eat and who is gaining weight at the rate of 1.5 pounds a month! He's been adding in a lot of bike riding lately and he's still gaining weight. He's involved in two hours of PE and two hours of Martial Arts a week besides all his outdoor play at home. I have no idea how he can gain weight like he does!

Anyway while the kids are in PE I'm going to be cleaning house like a maniac, unless...well...unless I get caught up in some good conversation at the Academy. Oh woe is me. I like to visit with friends far more than is good for me.