(no subject)

[snowee]

Niece...
...moved out this weekend! I honestly thought it was going to take a lot more time for her to get it together, but she got a deal on a car a few weeks ago and took a stab at this cheap-but-decent apartment complex near her work. She's working at the same company as hubby, but on a different project and he mentioned that a lot of employees live there because it's within price range of their salaries. Next thing we know, she's packing. It's nice to have my house back, but I do worry a bit that she may have jumped in early when we did tell her it would be a good idea to save money before moving out. Oh well. YAY. She's getting life.

So, we had to ask. Yes, bf is "staying with her" too... but she's submitting his name for a job. Okay, let me predict the outcome right now. Something will happen or he will say something happened or there will be some other excuse as to why he doesn't get the job and doesn't apply for others. Makes me sad. Maybe when she's paying utilities herself, though, and getting tired of all the use with no return, she'll finally get why we couldn't stand letting him live here any longer.

The only part that makes me really sad is that I don't have the money to buy a billiards table, a wet bar, and a hot tub right now. HA HA... okay, that sounds really spoiled, but who wouldn't want a 70s Swinger Room in their basement?

Mom
In other news, Mom is well. She mentioned in front of hubby and self that she always liked big Christmas, bright, happy, but Dad wanted to remember Christ and keep it low key. She started saying she thought maybe this year she'd like to go big, but at the time her arm was still in sling so Scott and I offered to do it for her. Well, with the three of us she could think bigger so at her request we ended up with three trees spread throughout the house, wreaths, garlands, lights... A huge display. She's had a smile on her face almost constantly since then, so yay. I'm glad we can make her happy. Last year she went out to see my sister for Christmas - partly because it was the first without Dad. I think this year with it being all done up, it will help again. Year two has been a little harder for a lot of us.

Just because they call it school doesn't make it "education"
Jane is awesome. We are looking at changing schools for her next year because I've just had it with her current one. She's exceeding the class average in almost everything, reading way above grade level (even though she claims she doesn't like reading - although what's funny is when she's between the assigned school books, she'll sit in her bedroom all afternoon reading the preteen books and non-fiction we were given as hand-me-downs), and she's bored. She comes home and says the math is too hard. On further questioning I find the teacher was so busy helping the other students, that she didn't actually go over the math. Then I show her how to do it once and she'll finish the page in ten minutes. I'm not trying to say she's all brilliant and too good for this school or anything, but it is a clear example of how the system is FAILING!! So, I learned there's this test she can take which might put her in a program for advancement which she'll be taking in January.

When I was in elementary, they had a gifted program, a remedial program, then the upper average level and lower average level of each subject. THIS SYSTEM WORKED. Why don't we do it anymore? Oh, well, "the remedial program labeled student as dumb" so we have to get rid of that. The gifted program labeled those kids as "better than everyone else" and we don't want that. I know. Let's get rid of it all, then start losing the slow ones in the system so that we have to start this catch-phrase program called No Child Left Behind. Now, ALL the kids can learn at the slowest level.

Look, my best friend was in the remedial class. By separating them out and giving them more attention (which really didn't cost the school as much as they claim because they often took the gifted or above average students [myself being one of them on occasion] and had them come in to help the other students) this friend of mine was actually able to catch up by middle school and did very well for herself. Hubby's friend found it to work the same. It was working! Yet, someone has to whine and everyone gets all upset so that instead of seeing how it works for almost all, they coddle the one and suddenly no one is learning anything.

hubby
We're crossing fingers hubby gets promoted. We know of a couple positions that will be opening, but it's not even to the application stage yet, so keep fingers crossed. He's putting off school which is kind of making me mad. He's afraid of building up more student loans when it hasn't paid off yet, but I also know it hasn't paid off because he didn't go to very reputable institutions. Why didn't he just listen to me when I told him there IS a difference between colleges? I mean, we don't all need Harvard degrees to get good jobs, but there is a definite difference between an accredited university and "DeVry University" which I put in quotes because... is it really even college? Not in my opinion.

Happy Holidays, all.