random ramblings

The imp is doing a lot better with his spelling tests, but that's not surprising, since his memory work has always been really strong.  Last week's words included could, would, and should--words I couldn't reliably spell correctly until third grade--and he got 10/10.  I'm really proud of him when he actually tries.  And I tend to get annoyed because he's one of those who doesn't see the point in trying on the things that he doesn't see the point in.  And that attitude (and the actions and decisions it spawns) has him at risk of repeating kindergarten because he lacks the maturity and responsibility to go to first grade.

Sometimes, the difficulties he has at school makes me feel like a failure as a parent.

The pixie is doing better with her alphabet.  She recognizes almost all of the letters, but is still fuzzy on a half a dozen or so.  Mostly because she was absent when her class worked on them.  I'm still going to need to work with her on the things she missed being sick, but she really is learning a lot, and thriving in the environment at the little church school they go to. 

We got the cats a package of new rabbit fur catnip mice last night.  They're skittering around in the kitchen playing with them as we speak.  It's pretty funny--Shadow's kinda chunky, and hasn't realized that she can't still pull the same type of maneuvers as she used to be able to without losing her balance.

I'm having...issues...with the gmail account that I have listed as an email contact here.  I'm just about ready to write it off and create a different account for this blog as a contact point.

We're at the last stretch of class.  My classes have their last paper due for workshop next Wednesday, and it's due to me next Friday.  After that, I'll lecture on blogging, help students set up their blogs, and then we have another week or two of class, during which they'll be blogging, and coming in to pick up their last paper.  The last day of classes is 5/1.

I've actually made some progress on the novel--about 1,500 words' worth of progress.  Not much, but...better than nothing.  I haven't actually finished typing what I have written up, either.  And as I type what I have written longhand, I usually modify and add to it as I go. 

I have maybe another 1,500-2,000 words in the short story that will be going into the short story collection I have going, and another short story started.  Barely started.  This one is...different.  I'll probably email it to my beta readers when I have it finished with a synopsis of what the collection is doing before I decide what to do with it.