That would be a little disconcerting to me too, Nora. Plus, getting dressed! Blech.

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{{{Cashmere & Christopher}}}

Gud, your kids are adorable.

Yesterday I had a mini-panic about money/housing issues, complete with self-flagellation about everything I would've done differently in the past 5 years or so if I'd known what I know now--e.g. bought a house like the one we rent now early in our marriage, because that way we'd be in a better position to trade up to something with 3-4 bedrooms, etc. But at the time I wasn't happy in Seattle, and I was in major sticker shock over housing prices, which made me think they had to go down soon or at least stay fairly stable. Which they haven't, and now we can't afford this house, much less one of the size we need, unless we move further out than we want to. Enter self-flagellation about how such a supposedly intelligent and financially well-educated person could allow herself to be so ignorant about something as important as the housing market.

Except, of course, that it never was important to me until recently. And it would've been stupid to buy a house here when I was still kinda hating Seattle and trying my best to talk DH into moving. I just wish I could see a way clear out of our current bind that didn't involve painful sacrifices, so I'm in woulda coulda shoulda mode.

As is, well, we can hang on here for another year. It's not like it's hurting Annabel to sleep in a crib in our room. But after that, barring some kind of miracle, we're going to have to move further away than we want, and unless I kick major ass in freelancing in the next 9-12 months, I'll be looking at going back to work at least for a time. Which doesn't have to be a disaster, because it wouldn't be forever. I'd still have time to work on the novels, after all, and I could go back to freelancing in a few years once we're through our current bottleneck of getting rid of debt and finding better housing.

Dammit. Don't wanna compromise.

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At least 5 entire weeks Bobby had no homework so that the children could focus on either the practice or real testing.

Thank goodness they didn't do that here. He won't have homework this week, during the test, but that, and some practice exercises over the past week have been the only interruption to their regularly scheduled coursework.

The teachers are frustrated with the lack of time to teach required curriculum, and zero time for anything enriching.

I bet. I want my child to learn what is grade-appropriate, and am even somewhat in favor of standardized testing that makes the school system answerable, to some degree. But the tests that make teachers teach to the test remove so much freedom from the creative teachers, who are giving the students so much. It's a difficult thing to balance.

Like anything else the students, including my boys, do better on these tests with practice. The test taking tips and tricks that apply to SAT tests are pretty much the same tips for the younger kids. Look for the tricky almost right answer. Read all the answers, etc.

Thanks, Laura. Our school did offer a before-school "enrichment" program to any student who wanted to go, for a minimal fee. We signed Ben up, so I think he's reasonably prepared, except for these open-ended questions. I don't want him to be a stress freak about it though.

Cindy, Ben is me. Try to impress upon him that he should read the directions at LEAST twice. As for his writing, I'll be willing to bet that his bare-bones style is more effective than adding flowery detail. *shrug* I hate standardized testing because I think it does a great disservice to individual style when it comes to writing. Tell him I said good luck.

I'll tell him, Cashmere. Thanks. I will also pass on the tip about reading the directions twice. That kind of specific tip is something he'll do, whereas I'd only thought to stress that he had to read them. Great tip.

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Nora, have you called your insurance company to make sure this is on the up and up?

yep, I told Tom, he checked, and apparantly it is all OK. So, I feel better.

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I love FoxTrot

[link]

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I finally got an update on Christopher's friend. He was in Afghanistan, not Iraq. Last we heard from him he was in Afghanistan. Christopher's dad told us he was in Iraq. Still sucks.

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That does suck, Cashmere. I am sorry for your loss.

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Leif drank some purfume,

Mmmmm, perfume....

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Mmmmm, perfume....

He smelled really good for awhile.

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I'm sorry, Cashmere.

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