- Stay up later
- Have a raise in my allowence
- Have the computer in my room
- More sleepovers and playdates
- Science stuff
- Science posters

Sighnd,
Savannah (in very curly cursive)

I'm actually surprised that she got this far into her eighth year without hearing this word before. And it's not that I mind saying it to her, but after hearing the word, I know her next question. "What's that mean?", and I haven't yet tailored a good answer for a 7 year old.

I told her that you can't love everything, but if you have to do it, like Phys. Ed., you might as well find something to enjoy about it. That's when she said, "Oh, so that's why you eat sushi."

:) ??? :)

Of course it was in a prime spot to swing by both the mall and Target. Two pairs of my most worn earrings have torn up. So I bought some small, sparkly, silver balls. It was a girl's day. She found a blue and white headband for herself. I've said before that when I go out with one child, I'm able to see the personality come out in a way it doesn't with siblings around, and I get to hold her hand again. She talked about her boyfriend, who I've yet to meet. We'll call him R. It's strange to hear her talk about these things because the boyfriend/girlfriend games seem so far away, but I remember how the boys and girls were in second grade. It still seems innocent enough. Brad and I did have to tell her today that she will not be calling boys on the phone for a long time.

But the entire testing process lasts 4 hours. They have small breaks in between but filling in bubbles for hours is endless to them. Her teacher says that children often cry before it's over.

I think there is a chance that Savannah is in that top 98%. But I'm inclined enough to say that she's below it, that I keep arriving at "No, it's not for her. at least not right now." I believe there'll be another opportunity in a couple of years. And in talking to parents lately, I like the idea of keeping my children's education well rounded, exposing them to enough culture and my own homeschooling/public ed. hybrid form or parenting that I wonder if putting her in a gifted group of children would really even matter.

She took an arts and drama class her first summer here. She had good fun, made some really vibrant paintings. It lasted 4 hours a day for 4 weeks, and it was free. I intend to finally learn Spanish and including the kids in that will help me, I know, as well as them. There is also a build-your-own-website summer class, even for children Savannah's age. Daddy especially showed interest in her taking that one.

It'll be interesting to see what truly interests our children. I still intend to start them on a few piano lessons. Get them a real teacher if they show real interest. Right now our only piano is a large electronic keyboard, although a very nice one, and it's scaled to that of an average piano, only shorter. Maybe when I go out looking for my Spanish lessons, I'll pick up some beginner piano books. We'll see. It's easy to say all that I'll do when the day is slow.

She's noticed too, how much time I get with Seth and Arwen. She's at school for 7 hours. So today, Saturday, we went shopping just the two of us. At Starbucks she picked up a strawberries 'n' cream while I got my mocha. She got a few pieces of clothing and hair doo-hickies (we're actually going to share those.) I'd planned a trip to the grocery store, but the mall has a way of really sucking up your time. Even though we didn't buy much, we were there for 3 hours. I've always noticed on these outings that when I don't have the stroller with me, I get to hold her hand.

How do you explain terrorism to a child? She's still wrapping her mind around the random possibility of an earthquake, since we moved to California 2 years ago. She'll have to be old enough to understand that a) countries commit acts of war, sometimes in the name of their god; b) she'll have to understand that the chances of a terrorist attack on our home, school, church, library, ice cream parlor are almost nil, but then there's c) and she'll have to understand that it can happen to us or those we love, as much as it happened to the people at the Pentagon or in the twin towers. Then she'll have to take that information and live her life anyway, trying not to fear this possibility.

I used to know nothing about children. Even now I don't know much about them past the age of seven. But I've gotten bolder in my authority with them, especially when they're parents aren't within earshot. I followed Arwen to a corner of the play structure that is meant for little toddlers. Some big, wild boys were running in and out of it. Arwen ran right into the middle of the pack! just like a little girl who has a big brother. I told the boys, twice, that they were too big to play in that area, "Too big and too wild" I said. They sort of listened. We didn't stay very long, and I'll plan our outting better next time.

We came home and had two neighbors over to play. Later, I turned Savannah and Seth loose in the backyard with the sprinkler and water balloons. Then after we picked up Daddy at the train station, he treated us to pizza!

And the reason Savannah had already claimed the red bowl was because she had planned the whole breakfast herself, getting up just a hair before 6. She set the table and laid out strawberries and almonds for me, with water from the fridge, ham and strawberries for Daddy with a lovely room temperature glass of milk :) and crispies for the little ones. And she remembered to wait to pour their milk until we all got to the table.

This was all for our wedding anniversary, technically yesterday. She had asked me last night what my favorite breakfast was; when I said fried eggs, she stopped me and said, "things you don't have to cook." I knew then that she was up to some party planning.

My last Sunday for the the quarter, I'd intended the make bar bells out of balloons. I showed her my supplies, and she flipped for the balloons. She kept asking me for some. I held out pretty well because I wanted to have enough for class. Then I realized that the kids would go on to their children's Bible Hour (children's worship) and pop those balloons! Then their teachers would find out who I was!

So guess who gets 30 balloons to play with? I'm rationing them out though, a balloon a day. Doesn't that sound like a nice treat for a 6 1/2 year old?