In my (very limited) experience in Casper's school, which is Title 1 (receives federal funding due to 80+% of the students being poor) and heavily minority (85% last year, closer to 75% this year due to a zoning change), I totally cosign everything Kat says. Our school is well-funded, has great teachers, a small but involved PTO made up of university professors and similar income folks that raises money for extras like a community garden, and many of the poor kids in K are already struggling in school. (Kids like Casper are doing just fine.) What got me the most was the kid who wanted to hug me and hold my hand all morning - he clearly was just DYING for attention in his life. He was 3 years older than Dillo and only marginally more sophisticated to talk to. Georgia is well aware of the importance of universal PreK and funds it and 80% of kids in our town attend (it's not mandatory) but home means so much.

A lot of the stuff Kat is talking about we try and begin to address with our preschool story times at the library. Free.

This is awesome. My mom was a 16 year old high school dropout when she was pregnant with me. I have no idea how or why, but I had tons of books. I was read to, and saw my parents read constantly. My mom's nose was always in a book or crossword puzzle. She taught me my ABCs and how to write my name on chalkboard.

And she was one of those poor teenaged mothers. So we did anything that was free. Story times at the library, museums when they had free days, and there was always a few bucks for crayons and drawing paper. We sang a lot to Beatles songs. I don't think she was making any particular effort to give me a leg up in the world, it's just stuff she liked to do, and it benefitted me.

Home means a hella lot, and I was ridiculously lucky to be born to parents who liked books, or I'd probably not live the life I have, with the nice neighborhood and the laptop and the book writin'.

This is very true, and is why I wish we had a zoo membership

This reminds me that next month is my niece's bday, and it's her turn for her own aquarium membership! Memberships to zoos and children's museums are awesome gifts people! Plus, kids like having their very own membership cards and "taking" grammy to see the turtles at the aquarium. They feel all grownup and stuff.

Allyson, why are you up now?

PS Kat: I loved the vid of Noah singing Itsy Bitsy Spider. I sang that to him eleventy billion times the last time I babysat, and he would keep saying, "agin!" at the end. Cutiehead. I miss his wee face.

I slept funny and woke up with a horrible pain in my right arm that would not give me a moment's peace to fall back asleep. It's loosening up, now. But holy crap, why didn't my body turn itself over?

Crap, I feel completely oogy. I don't think I can do another day of the stench and ash and smoke at work. My headache got so bad yesterday that I packed up and left at 4, two hours early.

All the mail and delivery people were wearing masks yesterday. My car was covered in ash.

I have two enormous windows that look out at the area of the mountains were Mt. Wilson is, and we saw the super scoopers and that huge canadian boat-plane come in. Now I'm trying to decide whether to call in sick as a precautionary or not. The health people keep saying that the stench is gross, sure, but the air quality in our buildings is below the danger levels.

Really? How far below? Because judging by the coughing and malaise yesterday I'm thinking, you know, it isn't very far below.

I was surprised to find out at the height of the 30s Dust Bowl, dust storms ran all the way to NY/NJ. Here's hoping that the fires in CA get contained pronto!

Ugh, that sounds terrible, Allyson.

I am excited that I made it here for my 9 o'clock meeting. Why did I tell people I was available at 9?? I hate that.

I hpe your arm is feeling better, Allyson.

I've been up since 4 and I have an interview at 11, so I'm unexcited.

Scroll down for pics of a lightning storm coinciding with a volcano eruption.

I'm just going to put it out there that 4 is not an appropriate time for waking up in the morning.