v'hagita bo (yomam v') layla

Why does everyone want to learn after my brain turns off for the evening?  By 8pm I am winding down.  By 10pm I am downright cranky.  I frequently go upstairs by 9pm.  Last night I left it til 10 and I was practically growling when I got upstairs. 

Jack still wants to learn a page of Chumash every day so that he can earn a phone.  But he asked me to please not stop so much and ask him comprehension questions.  He said just read it and translate it and don't talk to him.  I was a little sad, because part of what I love best is the interactive part of learning with my children.  But also I think this makes it easier for him to focus on the parts he understands and to skirt over the parts he doesn't.  One thing that Chen taught me with her neurodivergent method of reading comprehension is that there is a benefit to going over the same thing many times, and each time you get another piece, and eventually it contributes to a bigger picture.  Maybe that's how reading the Parsha every week goes.  Over the years, you see it again and again, each time differently. 
I already know that just as Elazar is a kinesthetic learner who learns by immersion and touch, Jack prefers to stay back and observe and perceive.  So it makes sense that he doesn't want interaction.  He actually prefers the passivity of sitting back and listening. 

Something that I've learned in homeschool is to pay close attention when my children give me advice about how they want to learn.  They know.

While I was learning with Jack, Aharon came over and asked if he was going to have to take a turn.  Puzzled, I said not yet.  He cheered.

Then, when I went upstairs after 10, I realized that Aharon often remembers he wants to read Hebrew at 10:30, which is after our deadline and we've been trying very hard to make a clear boundary that after 10:30 we (Ari and I) are in bed and our time is our own.  So I called down to Aharon and asked if he wanted to read.  He did.  His ability with the nekudos and blending is very smooth, but he still has trouble remembering the letters.

And Ari learns mishna with Elazar most nights. 

Last night at 8pm, Elazar dragged me over to the computer to work on editing his story.  We are slowly working through it for grammar, punctuation, and to make sure it all flows and makes sense.  I had a bit of a hard time following it when he first wrote it, so this time I ask questions when I'm missing something and he fills in the information.  I have high hopes of following the plot better this time around.  Also, as he grew, he got more sophisticated.  It's fun to see how he wrote a few years ago compared to now. 

Also, I am finally having some leisure time and have been davening out loud many mornings.  I'm not sure if they pay any attention at all.  Though sometimes I hear Elazar humming the tune.