It’s Over

Well, we just got the notification that the builder is refunding our deposit.  While I’m very glad that I didn’t lose $5,000.00 - I can’t help but be a little disappointed.  I know that this is the best thing for us, I know that there are so many other, better deals for us in this market.  I know all those things, but I really thought that was our house. Oh well.  Onward and upward, right? 

Summer Session

We have our evaluation appointment set up for April 24th.  We’ve used the same evaluator since we started so this is our 5th(!) evaluation with her.  Every year, I get a little apprehensive about our approaching evaluation, I have these horrible thoughts that I’m going to be evaluated myself and fall short.  But every year as I start to gather the materials and samples to show, I’m always surprised by the amount we’ve accomplished.
This year, I’m especially proud of the math accomplishments and the writing achievements.
If you’re looking for a great evaluator, just leave a comment and I’ll send you her contact information.  She rocks.
So, now it’s time to think of what we’ll be doing this summer. We don’t stop learning just because it’s summer, right?
I just put in an order with Adobe for Creative Suite Premium Edition, sent them my proof of homeschooling and I’m waiting for my approval. I think I’m going to set the kids up with .mac accounts and let them explore all the creativity that the web offers.  Starting out on .mac makes things much easier, but I’m hoping that they’ll want some more control over what they’re doing and then we’ll set them up with their own domains.

We’re continuing through the summer with Mathusee and starting with a new writing curriculum.
So that’s the plan.  What are you doing this summer?

Wow…

In going through the hard drive on the old PC - I found the back up of the sql data base for Colormepink! before the big hiatus.  I’ve been reading the posts and I’m considering adding most of them to this incarnation of it, but since I don’t have the wordpress back up, I think I’m going to have to import them one at a time, by hand.   They’re obviously an earlier version of wp and importing them via the import command in WP doesn’t work as far as I can tell.  I’ve searched the support forums and that’s what I’m coming away with.  Of course, if you know a better way, I’d love to know it. I’m so glad I found this, if for no other reason than to look over where I’ve been and how far we’ve come.  *update* Maybe found a better way, I’ll let you know. 

Jericho

I just finished watching what is, according to the network, the last episode of Jericho ever.  What a shame. The first season was so good that I was floored to find out it was cancelled.  The “Aw Nuts“ campaign convinced the powers that be to bring it back for a second season and I was thrilled. (I love Hawkins!)  We waited for the new season and the first two episodes were very dry and lacked the excitement of the first season.  I commented to my husband that they were setting the season up to be the last.  They gave a lot of information in the first two episodes and I feel that they didn’t let things happen naturally; everything felt rushed.  The last three episodes were so good, once again and I have to wonder - did Jericho commit suicide by trying to bring the viewers some closure?  I appreciate what the writers were trying to do, not leave the loyal viewers hanging, but I can’t help but feel that if they had stayed true to the spirit of the show, it wouldn’t have been cancelled.  In the same vein, my husband and I sure can pick ‘em!  Our favorite shows of the last number of years have been:

• Lost (still going)
• Entourage (still going, I hope)
• 4400 (cancelled)
• Six Degrees (cancelled)
• The Nine (cancelled)
• Studio 60 (cancelled)
• Rome (cancelled)
• Carnivale (cancelled)

You know what?  This is way too depressing to continue.   

Mannahatta

So last night while I was reading the October 1st issue of New Yorker magazine (yeah, I’m that far behind) I came across a terrific article about the Mannahatta Project.  Basically, Eric Sanderson is trying to reconstruct an ecological portrait of what Manhatten appeared to be to Henry Hudson in 1604.  From the article: 

“Eric Sanderson, a landscape ecologist with the Wildlife Conservation Society (W.C.S.), is in charge of a project called the Human Footprint, which seeks to map the human race’s impact on the surface of the earth. New York is the ultimate case. “It’s probably the fastest, biggest land-coverage swing in history,” Sanderson said.”      

The Wildlife Conservation Society  has a section of its website devoted to this project - click through to see the all the fabulous information. I’m so fascinated by what is and what used to be.  Imagine being able to conclude that your favorite coffee shop is located over an ancient creek bed.  I just love that.  September 12, 2009 is Mannahatta day, the quadricentennial celebration of Henry Hudson’s arrival to the island of Mannahatta.  (Download the .pdf) While we’re on the subject, here are two of my favorite books that deal with the history of NYC: 

• On This Spot by Susan Goodman, a children’s book dealing with a spot in NYC and what may have happened there through the course of time. 
• Winter’s Tale by Marc Helpern, a beautifully written part fairy tale, part historical novel - Maybe my all time favorite book. 

 

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