What does SEN stand for? I gather, from context, that it's a behavioral/neurobiological thing, but I can't parse what the abbreviation maps to.

Sorry! Teacherspeak for Special Educational Needs (a term which covers a vast multitude of things, of course). I've got a couple of kids in my class with SEN issues of one sort or another. Well, 3, I suppose, if you count Pun - but despite the fact that he's got a mild speech impediment and doesn't have the usual complement of fingers and toes, he's a very bright kid, and he's got great fine motor skills - very tidy writing & drawing, loves those Bionicles thingies and playing games on his own mobile phone, all that malarky. I didn't actually realise he had any lack of digits for a couple of weeks. Pun's Special Educational Needs are actually more a matter of adequately differentiating to stretch and challenge him, as one of my more gifted kids.

("Can you think of any number sentence with the answer '42', kids?"

"Er...40 plus 2?"

"Great! Anyone else?"

"41 plus...plus 1, Miss Fay?"

"Well done! Yes, Pun?"

"168 divided by 4!"

"....ooookay. Sticker!")

Right, have just deleted another long paragraph gushing about my kids, because, really, who cares? They rock. That's all you need to know. They rock mightily, in a variety of ways, and I feel remarkably lucky to have had 3 terrific classes, because, alas, more often than not there are at least one or two kids who tax your patience. But I've got awesome kids. Yay!

because, really, who cares?

I care! I love your kiddo stories!

Hee!

Well, you guys will probably appreciate that my Number Of The Week has been 42 for quite a while. I have an interactive display which reads:

The answer is...

What is the question?

and has a handy sketch pen there for kids to use to scribble questions with that answer. And I can stick new digits up, and a new piece of paper once the old one is full. But it's been 42 for several weeks, because it makes me laugh.

Right, have just deleted another long paragraph gushing about my kids, because, really, who cares? They rock. That's all you need to know.

See, now, the thing is, we have no shortage of angst and stuff to worry about and grieve over. Your kids and your stories about them give us plenty to smile about, plenty of hope, plenty of joy. They are a blessing to us, just like the Buffista sprog stories and photos. We need them.

Seriously, Fay. Need.

It's weird to think that if I were a schoolkid today I'd probably be classified under a special needs somehow. Very smart, very quiet, a bit tonguetied, hiding in a book somewhere away from the noisy kids. Though maybe not. It's another of those things that make me grateful I didn't take on the challge of Kid (1), For the Raising of a Person.

Can you think of any number sentence with the answer '42', kids?

Would the kid who answered "What is the answer to life, the universe and everything?" get a gold star?

I love hearing about your kids, Fay. You could fill the thread with stories and I would be happy as a clam.

Sean, I wish there was anything I could say. Going way back, the fact that you are a loving and giving person means you will not be single forever and that some woman is going to be very lucky. You're just on a very rocky and painful detour.

Fay, I love your student stories too, keep telling them.

Gronk. I upped the dose of my meds, and now the feeling of being overheated is back and I couldn't sleep last night. I never used to get side effects from upping a dose of a med. Is this a getting older thing? Either way, I don't like it.

Sean, people here are very wise. I'm sure it's difficult to take the advice to take time for yourself when S might seem to be the one more in need of your time, but I hope you know that no one here would advise you to work against the interest of S; we just want you to care for yourself as well.

Keep up the stories, Fay!

Why must doctor's offices insist on asking my insurance carrier before my name? I keep thinking I should have a pithy reply to this that shows how dehumanizing it is, but end up just bleating out the information as asked.

I bank at Wachovia ... from what I've read it sounds like CityBank just bought them. Do I still have any money?

Do I still have any money?

Yes. Assuming you had any before. None of these takeovers and buyouts and the rest touch normal individual accounts at all, because they're federally insured. All the mess is on the investment banking (i.e. stockbrokers and mergers and such) side of things.

(Sadly, this also means that I still have to send my next credit card payment to JPWaMuChase.)