Tuesday update

Vincent surprised me somewhat by putting away his laundry and cleaning his room – in advance of Wednesday, when the plumber is slated to be there to fix his toilet seat and when his father may stop by. Still no word on the A/C repairpeople. Vincent and his friend Samantha are slated to connect with his father, who apparently is returning from helping his parents move back to Florida. Vincent hopes to have Sam over for dinner (he may cook!) Friday and have her go to counseling with him Monday PM.

I came home from the doctor Monday with instructions to take antibiotics and prescription ear drops (they were out at the pharmacy and so I’m taking Vincent’s). I haven’t yet caught up on sleep and Stephanie says I’m spending too much time on church activities. Church meetings Wednesday night, Thursday lunchtime, and Thursday evening, plus Derby-themed Children’s Fellowship Wednesday. Tomorrow is my appointment with my surgeon about my possible new hernia.

Stephanie has recently enjoyed getting her room back after she managed to get a college work-study student who has done little work and increasingly got on Stephanie’s nerves transferred to the school library. After last month's disastrous part one (open-ended questionsof the spring administration of IN standardized tests) tests at her school – not enough time, test questions that were too hard and covered material students weren’t supposed to have learned yet – students are taking the second part (multiple-choice questions) of the spring standardized tests in Indiana – on Derby week no less. (For one year only - a transition year during which IN is shifting from fall administration to spring administration - IN students are taking the tests twice in one school year.) There is less pressure because these spring tests are a dry run and the scores won’t count. With this past fall's test scores, Stephanie’s school managed to crawl out of last school year’s standardized tests doldrums and earn “Adequate Yearly Progress” – passing – marks this school year (based largely on those fall scores).

Both Stephanie and Vincent’s school districts were originally scheduled to have Oaks day – this Friday – named for the Oaks, the Churchill Downs race of 3-year-old fillies that precedes the actual Derby by one day – off, but the storms and days off then wiped out that. Constituents of Stephanie’s school district did get an e-mail message from the county’s public health officer with advice and caution about the swine flu, which has now apparently killed its first U.S. victims, in California. As I mentioned earlier, Stephanie’s school may come under scrutiny because two of her new students just left Mexico a couple of weeks ago.

P.S. Also on tap this week: My sister is preparing for end of the spring term dance performances – both as a choreographer and as a dancer – at Piedmont Virginia Community College’s fine arts “Extravaganza.” One of the pieces that Penny choreographed works with a piano compsition that eight-year-old son Jacob wrote and recorded. Penny is considering pursuing some kind of degree or certification in modern dance (partly so she might be able to teach dance herself). Penny was interested in dance but focused on music as a child. She already has a bachelor’s degree in history and certification in spiritual healing. They may have some more of Jacob's piano composition's recorded.

-- Perry