Random ramblings

The kids had their last day of school, yesterday.  I think it starts back up a couple days before the fall semester starts for the university--or, at least, that's what they did last year. 

The imp earned a certificate for having the absolute best manners in the kindergarten class.  Considering that that's what I'd been hearing from all of the teachers and staff working with him all year, as well as all of the other kindergarten parents, I believe it.  I even see it, sometimes.  But it still strikes me as the "reward absolutely everybody so that nobody feels like a loser" mentality.  Granted, this is kindergarten, and the imp did show, according to his teacher, some of the most impressive improvement over the course of the year,* but still. 

The pixie brought home a huge packet of practice sheets for making sure she remembers what she learned in preschool, this year.  I'll probably do a few with her each week she's out, but I'm also going to work with the handwriting worksheet practice I found online last year...once we get the printer replaced.

Yeah, thank God that was still in warranty.  And we need to get a new surge protector for the one coming in.

I've got plans for both of them over the summer.  We're going to drill with the imp over math stuff, and see if we can't get him to doing better.  We're also going to work with both of them over being able to do stuff independently.  And I'm going to teach the imp to make his own peanut butter sandwiches.

I'm also planning on taking them up to my mother's one day per week and leaving them there for the day--sort of a parental hookey day.  My mother has been begging for such for a while.  It'll start when my mom and sister have recovered from whatever nasty virus laid them out for the past three weeks.

So, yesterday, the imp spiked a fever after school.  Don't know what was wrong.  He's done it before, and been over it the next morning...as was the case this morning.  But last night?  Yeah, he was miserable.  And then happy, because he had Shadow curled up on one side of him, and Cricket sprawled on her back (and showing her little white belly) on the other.  The cats love the imp very much, and it's only when he's not feeling his best that he's still enough to cuddle with.

I didn't get much writing done last week.  Only another 2K words.  I've been too busy.  I'll try to do better this week (total is 14.5K words).