In a typical 8-year-old fashion, she rambled from one topic to another, and I took notes (!) so I could put her words down for posterity.

Here is what Ari thinks could make her life better – take it for what it’s worth!

Environment:

• spring and fall temperatures
• likely to snow, but not ALL the time
• warmer then here (Mid-Atlantic) but not hot (remember we are in winter right now, and it’s 35 degrees today)

Community:

• kids play outside after school/weekends
• farmer’s market nearby (to help handle money/make purchases)
• bus to school (she walks all of .5 block currently)
• girl scout troop
• local service projects to help others
• good kids who behave (positive influence)/no bullies

House:

• indoor garden (so there are no pests)
• eco-friendly house with solar panels
• near the woods (Dad might not like that because we will have more sticks fall in our yard)
• creek or small river to play in; “water makes me happy”
• treehouse
• big kitchen (wants to learn to cook)
• music room w/ music stand, where no one will complain about the noise!
• arch or arbor in the backyard
• cabinet in the playroom that lock, each person has their own
• garden with veggies and flowers
• Pets: our current cat and dog, a gecko or snake, and a horse
• My room: purple with blue stripes, hooks on the walls, ways to hang up artwork w/o holes in the walls, bay window
• own bathroom, bath caddy or hanging caddy in the shower for bath “stuff”
• room in basement
• two piggy banks – one for spend and one for save
• use place mats at dinner
• hand print stepping stones, roses, swingset w/o a slide (takes up too much room)
• TV in room (<- haha little girl)
• bed for Rory in room

School:

• see Lyra (a homeschooled friend) for joint schooling
• wants to be homeschooled but would like to take classes so she can meet new friends
• learn about ancient civilizations
• choice in learning/self-choice about learning topics
• cello and piano lessons
• more algebra (with variables)
• longer times to study topics in math
• hands-on activities that actually help
• personalization/don’t use techniques that don’t help
• French and Spanish lessons
• learn more about building things
• learn about how electricity works
• biography unit
• technology class
• archeology unit

Chores Around the House:

• making lunch (if we stay at home)
• water indoor plants
• feed the dog dinner, take care of gecko (if I get one)
• start laundry, fold my own clothes
• clean own room
• each person should be in charge of a room in the house to keep clean
• empty kitchen compost bin into outdoor bin
• assist cooking dinner
• dinner table: napkins and drinks, Abby – plates and silverware
• help out Saturday and Sunday morning by talking care of Abby and feeding/letting the dog out
• Fall – help rake, Winter – shovel, Spring & Summer – mow backyard
• babysit Abby (and get paid)
• Be paid for other jobs like babysitting or writing for a magazine

Family:

• at home job for Mom so she can spend more time with us
• “Family Sharing Night” to play board games, watch movies

I LOVED this time we had together! It was amazing to see what my daughter thinks not only about what she wants her life to be like, but I was amazed about her insight into her schooling. She knows what works for her and what doesn’t and she always amazes me with what she wants to learn about.

Well, what do you think? Any ideas on how I can meet her reasonable requests?

Help!

While running errands today at the grocery store we realized at the worst moment in the checkout line that we had brought the wrong bank card. As often happens, we had gone specifically to pick up a couple of items, including some shrimp scampi that Chuck had his heart set on. We realized we had brought the wrong bank card just as the cashier finished ringing our items and impatiently waited for us to get our act together while we were holding up the line behind us. We decided to put a couple of items back which were most expensive, namely, Chuck’s shrimp scampi. I could sense Chuck’s disappointment as we finished checking out and began heading towards the car.

As we crossed the parking lot, the gentleman who was behind us in line tapped Chuck on the shoulder and handed us the box of shrimp! He said that he had been in a similar situation before and someone had done the same for him and he wanted to pass on the goodwill. Needless to say, his act of kindness made our day.

These are the moments in your life that remind you that the world is full of magnanimity.

The tomatoes in the pictures are roma (oblong) and celebrity (round).  Roma tomatoes are good for canning and sauce, but I will attest that they taste great raw!  Celebrity tomatoes are more of an all-purpose hybrid.  They are supposed to be easy to grow, and so far, I would have to say that is true.

One of the best things about having fresh tomatoes is using them in a cold pasta salad.  Tomatoes, pasta, olive oil, garlic, basil, and a bit of parmesan cheese make for a tasty summer dish.  Mmmmmmmm!

This school year was stressful.  It was my first year teaching with Howard County, so I had to figure out a new curriculum and all of the ways the new school works (each school system has a different way of doing things).  I also had a room that was next to the school computer lab, which was convenient but also presented some unique challenges.  Our school was designed with open spaces and retractable walls which aren’t exactly soundproof, so several months of the year when they conduct testing in the lab I had to vacate my room and teach from a mobile cart.  It’s rougher than it sounds; when you can’t count on a classroom and have to make constant last minute changes and signs to direct your students, it eventually wears on you. Good thing I’m flexible!

Last summer was my first summer off. Previously I taught summer school, which takes at least a month out of the summer and is usually right in the middle of the break.  Last summer we had our condo on the market so we had to keep the place immaculate, which doesn’t lend itself to much relaxation.  When it finally went under contract, we had to continue keeping it clean in case something fell through while also packing up.  In the last few weeks of summer, we moved in with Mom, but then I had to look for a new job.  Basically, last summer was very busy.

This summer is different.  After a new roof derailed our vacation plans, I recently realized I have NO plans this summer!  I will soon start up a summer calandar, so I can keep track of playdates and programs at the library.  We also plan to spend a lot of time at pool.  It’s going to be a great summer!