Random things

Todd--dealing with work and home issues. At work they're implementing some cost-cutting measures and as the GM he helps in making the final decisions as to what measures will be taken. The biggest source of contention is employees will now be flying economy class instead of business class. You'd think they were being asked to sacrifice a limb. At home the driver told the housekeeper he couldn't drive her anymore which greatly upset her (she was in tears.) Todd had to be the go-between since he's our Arabic speaker. Todd smoothed things and told the driver we approve of him transporting the housekeeper but the housekeeper is still mad at the driver.

Catherine--homeschooling takes up most of my days. I started taking tennis lessons. I'd forgotten how much I enjoyed tennis. I was never fast but now after 20 years I wish I could get back even some of the speed I had back then.

Petey--She's been working on a Young Women's project of cooking our meals. We've had some amazing dinners that she's made all by herself. I'm thinking the YW should make that project a permanent goal for the entire time she's in YW. She loves her computer, enjoys piano lessons, and tolerates me making her take tennis lessons.

Critter--In the States in early 2007 he got a new type of braces that is supposed to shorten the overall time of orthodontic treatment. We paid lots of money for those. Paid another orthodontist in Kuwait lots of money. Paid another orthodontist in Jordan lots of money. Now the Egyptian orthodontist tells us whatever they've been doing the last couple of years is wrong and he basically needs to start all over. Will get another set put on in a couple of weeks even though he's had braces now for 2 1/2 years. Will be paying lots more money. He's trying to work to move ahead in his homeschool and perhaps get through more than just one grade this year at least in some subjects. He's progressing in piano. We've come to learn he's a closet tennis pro. Who knew he had such a talent?

Batman--Paid lots of money to have his braces put on in Jordan. Have now been told it was wrong. Will pay more money to have them redone here in Egypt. He is my entertainer of the littler kids. He takes them outside to play ninjas and wrestle with them on the trampoline. He tolerates piano lessons. He's the only one who smiles both before and after tennis lessons.

Cricket--Has been told it's a 50/50 chance that she'll need braces in 6 months. She just finished the Harry Potter series and we're all happy about that. She's pretty much talked non-stop about it since she started a few weeks ago. She questions why her piano teacher gives her songs she doesn't know. She enjoys the fitness part of the tennis lessons more than the tennis part.

Red--Played tennis for a month but decided gymnastics with Nic looked like more fun so he's been doing that for about 2 weeks now. And he is having fun. I recently decided to combine his and Nic's music, art, history, and science to streamline things a bit. The jury is still out on whether or not it will work out to have them do things together since they get a bit distracted by each other.

Nic--Loves everything about gymnastics except when she has to get on the high bar and hang with her hands underhand (think underhanded pull-ups.) She'll try and accomplish much harder tricks but for whatever reason that scares her. She's a reader now and her favorite part of school is when she gets to practice her reading.

T--is basically ignored most days. I feel terrible about this. I'm trying to figure out how to include him more in our homeschooling. Right now he pretty much just sits and plays with the math manipulatives (he calls them his legos) and seems perfectly happy. When we can we also include him while we're reading out loud for something. He also participates in the coloring and painting whenever we do those things. He's talking more and more and is becoming his dad's shadow.