18 and 32!!!

Today I am the proud and happy mom of an eighteen-year-old daughter.  Well do I remember her arrival in this world, and many are the memories of innumerable special and funny times with her in the intervening years.  I am again so grateful to God that we have been able to have her at home with us all this time.  What a blessing and delight Jessica is!

This afternoon, when Jessica arrived home from her birthday camping trip, (the reported details of which may someday be shared in another post – or possibly on her blog:  http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/mime4jesus/), she received an email announcing her ACT score.

Scores on this set of exams range from 1 up to 36, with 36 being a perfect score and the national average being about 20.   Only true geniuses and/or people who take the test over and over to improve their scores get a 36.  Jessica took it once and scored a 32!!! That means that she tested higher than 99% of the the students who took it.  Wow!  It also puts her well above the thresholds most colleges use in determining eligibility for academic scholarships.

I am so VERY proud and happy!

Way to go, Jessica!

No more tests

Hear ye!  Hear ye!  Jessica has completed both the SAT and the ACT and she will never take either ever again in her natural life.   Scores on the SAT are expected circa October 31, and ACT scores will arrive by postal mail in “five to eight weeks.”

T-minus eight inches and counting

Shortly before she headed back to Patrick Henry for her sophomore year, Katie asked me to cut her hair.  This did not initially seem to be an unusual request.  I have cut our kids’ hair since Katie was about six years old, and every few months, she asks me to whack off a couple inches of split ends.  Being a wise and thrifty woman, she has never seen the need to pay a “beautician” for what Mom can do in 30 seconds at no charge.

This time, I was little surprised at her choice of the verb “cut,” rather than “trim.”  It turns out that after growing her hair long for a number of years – and it was approaching her waist – she wanted it cut much shorter.  She was hesitant to make a major hair change while Jessica was away on a mission trip, because she and her sister are like Twinkies with their long hair.  Jessica’s is longer, but they enjoy wearing it the same way and causing people who don’t know them well to mix them up.

However, after much analysis and contemplation, Katie decided that, as the Walrus said, “the time had come.”  So, in two stages, I cut away eight inches of hair.  That’s a lotta hair!  And she looks WONDERFUL!  It’s about down to her shoulder blades and I’d say “cute and sassy” would describe her new look.

Even if Katie were to mourn her missing tresses, not to worry; her hair truly grows like a weed.  I bet she’ll regain three inches (in hair length, that is) by Christmas.

All’s right with the world

I had a bunch of clothes to get folded, and to help motivate me, Katie offered to play Take Two if I got them done by 9:00 PM.  I haven’t folded clothes so fast in a long time, and we began our five-round match at 8:55 PM.

I’m pretty sure that if I had beaten her, the Earth would have wobbled off its axis or something, so I am pleased to report that she beat me by a score of 827 to my 672.  Or did she have 872 to my 627. . . ?  In any case, we had fun.  I ended up the final draw with NINE vowels I couldn’t play!

More than recognition

It turns out that Katie won more than prestige by being nominated as the MAP at work last week.  The MAP also gets a $50 gift card to any store of his/her choice!  Wow!  Katie selected the VF Outlet, which is a nice place to get good deals on casual clothes.  She and Jessica went shopping Monday night and, by spending a mere $5 of her own money in addition to the gift card, came away with seven new tops.  Since they both wear the same size, I think there will be considerable shirt-sharing going on around here.

The joys of living with a M.A.P.

Our family is deeply honored to know we have a M.A.P. among us.  The M.A.P. has been with us for quite some time now, but public recognition of her status only occurred yesterday.

It seems that in the office where Katie works – the office comprised of almost 30 employees – every two weeks, folks submit names to the office manager for the co-worker they currently consider to be the Most Appreciated Person.  That person is then recognized as such on payday (every other Friday).  Katie called us yesterday with the great news that after a mere four weeks of employment there, she was voted the M.A.P!

We are all proud and happy, and we’re glad (but not surprised) that she is proving herself to be a valuable asset to the company.

What a mom she’ll be

O Jessica, my Jessica, an awesome mom you’ll be.

You’ll play with kids and make them grin a lot more times than me.

You’ll cook and clean and organize and all your days will flee

Away with joy for girls and boys; now just you wait and see.

You’re always an encourager and helper so unique.

You offer, then you LOOK for chores.  You serve and you are meek.

The kids all love to be with you.  They know you’re lots of fun.

You laugh and giggle, but “in charge” they all know you’re the one.

You’re born to lead and love and play and teach and mentor, too.

O, what a mom you’ll be some day;  your kids the bless-ed few.

Katie has either great faith or great favor

She loves rain.  Rainy days are Katie’s favorite days.  When she landed in Springfield Thursday night, she was greeted by the drizzly remnants of  a “tornadic thunderstorm,” and this afternoon we drove home from church through constant heavy rain.  I suppose all this rain is falling just because Katie’s home.

And, as if all the precipitation weren’t enough, the Cardinals are on TV right now!  Katie is smiling broadly.

We have an employee

It looks like Jessica may have landed a fairly steady part-time job.  One day a week, she is babysitting 8:30 – 5:00 for another homeschooling family about seven miles from home.  They have two girls, ages 10 and 1, so Jessica is able to experience both the thrill of changing dirty diapers AND the challenge of trying to explain prepositions.  Mom stuff.

I’m really happy that she’s able to earn some money, especially doing something she loves – playing with and teaching kids!

What Jessica said

Jessica sent me this last month, and I keep meaning to add to it and then post it.  However, since I haven’t added to it yet, I’m just going to post it and give her credit for it.  Maybe I should give homeschool hours for it!

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You know you’re a homeschooler IF:

- you go to bed at night with your science text book under the sheets next to you
- when your feet are cold, you sit on the edge of the bathtub with your bare feet in the hot water reading about 1956
- you take catnaps in between subjects
- you watch a calculus lecture while eating lunch
- playing pool counts as academic credit
- when asked when you’re going to graduate, you reply with, “I don’t know.”
- same response as above when asked what grade you’re in
- your family has six library cards with a capacity of fifty books each and at least three cards are near maxed out at all times
- spring break only happens if Mom feels like it
- schoolwork begins at 6:30 A.M. and is intermittently continued till about 9:00 P.M.
- the roads are covered with ice and you’re doing schoolwork
- you do schoolwork on the 4th of July, New Year’s Day, and Christmas Eve, but you have off on your birthday