Seven minutes to the next shift 6:55 pdt

The Yahoo fake is still sending email and my Yahoo is still working fine in spite of my "suspended account".

Does anyone have an idea for a gender neutral singular pronoun? The English language is missing one. "It" sounds very odd, "he/she" is silly, and "you" sounds like I'm singling someone out. "One" sort of works but it sounds too much like tea at the Ritz.

Yesterday, in the midst of the Yahoo panic, Rebecca came home missing her reading log and Rochelle lost her spelling words. Elcie couldn't find her glasses. I think they're buried in her desk at school. Probably both pairs. First time ever for Rochelle, she's obsessive about getting everything right. Too obsessive, she cries sometimes when everything isn't perfect. Rebecca could use a little more of that and Rochelle could use a little less. I finally remembered I had stashed Rebecca's reading log because she was forging my name. Now I can't find it. More about reading logs in a minute - have to bounce kids out of bed.

Kids out the door. Laundry whirling and I'm goofing around until my friend comes back for our morning coffee. Rebecca is unhappy because I wouldn't let her redo her log. She will miss recess today. That happens a lot. Bad as my handwriting is, it's better than her forgery. She has to learn that actions have consequences and I won't cover for her with something like this. I will, however, be at the school in a heartbeat when she's right and the school is wrong. I need to schedule a conference with her teacher but I think I'll wait until report cards come out. I hate reading logs; they're easy to fake, so why bother. Kids should be free to read once they're at home without it turning into one more piece of homework. Elcie's teacher agrees; I initial date and duration but we don't have to keep up with page numbers or even titles. Rebecca needs to learn that cheating is wrong and that she has to obey the rules until she's old enough to work for change. I can already envision her in Union Square with a picket sign. She has written her campaign speech for class President (just a writing exercise). No homework, more recess, you get the idea. She tags along to some of my political action meetings and takes in every word. She's been a pint-size version of me from her very first word. Oh dear.

Rochelle found her "words", finished her homework, and left for school a happy child again. She has a slight learning disability (probably mild dyslexia) and has been in "special day" classes since second grade. Now she's in 5th, still not quite caught up but getting there. For her, special day was a miracle. I watched her go from beginning to shut down to blossoming. Let's hear it for good teachers and compassionate administrators. They're out there.

Today I get to push cooking off on the church ladies. The girls go to a once a week after school program which includes dinner and then bell choir. They usually take a couple of neighbor kids along so I never know how many I'm going to be trucking. The van holds seven legally. I have to remember to send canned food for our food distribution program. It's fairly new - we used to coordinate with one of the community agencies (which folded) so we're trying it on our own along with a clothes closet.

I must learn the art of a closing sentence. I guess this is it.