Random ramblings

The imp had instructions to color his day yellow, yesterday, even after having hit the other kid in the face.  He still doesn't listen to instructions for the whole class.  Guess what we'll be working on this weekend? 

His homework for the weekend is beginning to memorize a bible verse (I strongly approve of memory work--no matter if it's bible verses, or poetry--because it works the whole brain.  I just happened to suck at it in school), and going over the vowel and consonant sounds in a small beginning phonics booklet.  So, while Odysseus takes the pixie out for her treat for having been a good girl, I'll work with the imp on his homework. 

The pixie has brought home consistently good behavior scores--best for the preschool 3's is three stickers, and every day has gotten three stickers.  We're incredibly proud of that, and even more proud that she listened well enough during her preschool Spanish class that she brought home an award certificate for it. 

So, since she's been so good, Odysseus is going to take her to the padded play area inside the local, air conditioned mall for her to be permitted to play with other kids for a while (or just run crazy if there aren't any small children for her to play with). 

We're still trying to find a new routine for the school year.  I think we've got the morning routine down pat--up at 6:30, dress, breakfast, play or read after they're done eating, and out the door by a quarter 'til eight.  I have office hours--in my classroom, since the admin twits decided to move their classes without telling anyone because the room was "too small"--until eleven, and then class until 1:00 (two fifty minute periods back to back) on MWF, and the pixie has classes on MWF until noon (about when Odysseus gets out of class).  I don't know precisely what Daniel's class routine is, but I know he has, at different times, art, music, Spanish, and PE, as well as two recesses and lunch.  And a rest time. 

It's after school that I'm struggling with, and that's partly because plans depend on the imp's behavior.  Green days means he's permitted to watch TV; yellow or orange means he's not.  Red means he's not permitted to play, period, and has to sit in the kitchen by himself quietly until supper, then shower, then bed. 

The imp, in particular, needs routine.  The pixie is a lot more flexible, but the imp, like his daddy, doesn't like change and disruption, and doesn't have many resources to deal with it except bad behavior, since he's not quite six.

The cats have not appreciated having all of us disappear for three mornings a week, and have been skittish and unhappy.  Shadow has expressed that by trading a few traits with Cricket: Shadow gets clingy and affectionate, and Cricket goes poof.  Both cats try to comfort upset imp when he's being disciplined by being sent to sit in the kitchen.

The dog is still with my mother.  She's happy, for the most part--she's got friends to play with (one at a time, or she gets jealous and attacks the interloper), a huge yard to run in, a wading pool to splash in (I know--you'd swear the little Scotty dog was part Lab).  She's got people to love on her (though she does get jealous and bite when they stop to go do something else--something that worries me).  But she still gets depressed and mopes when we visit, then have to leave without her. 

I have been having issues with FlashPlayer, lately.  It'll eat memory like nobody's business, and wind up taking up more memory than everything else put together.  I keep having to tell the computer to kill it--sometimes three or four times per online session.  I don't know if it's an issue with the recent Adobe updates, my laptop's available memory (or rather, the lack of--I've only got two gigabites for the laptop; Odysseus's has double the memory, and no issues), or what.  All I know is that it's getting really irritating.

Because it freezes everything, until I kill it.

As for classes, I've walked my students halfway through the first paper.  We started with topics on Wednesday, and moved through working on thesis statements yesterday.  Next week, we fill out the organization worksheet, and then go through development.  There will be a freewrite day, for them to bring a laptop and work on actually writing the paper, in class, with my help.  And then, we have Labor Day, and have it off.  The first paper is due the Friday after. 

Which is good--it gives me about two and a half hours three days a week to work on writing in peace and quiet.  I finished with chapter 27 yesterday of Fire and Forge, and started work on chapter 28.  It's up to right around 74,000 words (around 236 pages in the same print size as the Modern Gods series, of which this is a part), with about five chapters to go.  Chapters have been been most often between 2500 and 3000 words, so that should put the final word count somewhere around 86 to 90,000 words for the first draft...which I plan to finish in the next two weeks, before I'm swamped with grading.

After that, I'm taking a short break and setting Fire and Forge aside, before I go through and edit a print copy.  I plan to start drafting whatever comes up next in November.  See how much I can get written before classes start back up in January.