Day Four, Afternoon

This afternoon, we did a math test for first graders. I didn't really expect the kids to be able to answer all that many questions, but they seriously exceeded my expectations. Mike got 22/30 questions correct, with no guesses, and the only help was to define some of the math symbols he hadn't seen before (greater than, less than) and to help read the questions. I didn't coach, explain, or direct. Kayla got 18/30, though she declined to answer or even guess some of the answers, and that dragged down her score. The fact that both of them answered more than half of the end of year first grade math test stunned me! I'm so proud of our kids.

After our math test, we started making our chicken soup. I'd already made the broth up with the remnants of last night's roast chicken, so all I had to do was pick the meat off the bones and add in the veggies and such. Mike carefully peeled and coined the carrots (he was posing for that picture, by the way; he was very good when doing the cutting about keeping fingers out of the way), and then poured them into the soup.

Kayla was responsible for the potatoes, and carefully picked off all the eyes, then peeled and cut up the potatoes into cubes. She did it all by herself, and did a very good job, I must say. Her cuts were even, smooth, and she was very careful about her fingers. I reminded both children that knives are designed for cutting meat, and that they are made out of meat, and therefore they must keep their fingers out of the way. Neither of them wanted to make "kid soup" and so they both paid very close attention. LOL!

After the veggies were in (I diced the onions and garlic), they then measured out the barley and the split peas. Each one measured out a cup worth of their dried legumes, and poured it carefully into the soup. We then added the last few items (cabbage, extra water, a bit of salt) and they stirred it. We brought it to a rapid boil and then reduced it to a simmer.

The smell is now wafting around the house, making everyone drool. We have some leftover bread in the fridge which I'll warm up in the oven and serve hot with butter. It's a simple dinner, but delicious and hearty. On top of that, the children have the knowledge that they helped make this meal, something they truly enjoy doing.