dear diary
Sep. 9th, 2009 12:08 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
kip_w.
Counted down to the end of summer. Sarah said she was looking forward to school, because she likes school. I said that was a good way to be. Much shopping was done, to prepare her for the demands of education. I went to her classroom for a prep session with the teacher, and volunteered for stuff. Art Ambassador (they'll be doing the unit I suggested on animation and Winsor McCay -- and the kids will do simple little animated gizmos), Science Action (I don't know yet which units), reading to the class (I'll bring scans of The Bear that Wasn't to project on the screen so they can appreciate the sight gags), and telling them what I do for a living.
On Monday, the last day before classes started, Sarah and I took a bike ride to Thornell Farm Park. She played a while (I took a movie of her making the circuit on the playground equipment) and then we rode home. I passed her on a long hill, so she had to get back in front of me. She cut it too close and got the pipe thing that sticks out from her back axle and we both became one with the pavement and our bikes and each other. "Where are you hurt?" I asked, and she said she was hardly hurt anywhere -- one elbow with a scrape about the size of a distorted dime. I had about a dollar's worth on my left knee. We were almost home anyway (a man in his driveway offered help, which we declined with thanks). We almost got in before she started crying, then Cathy was there to give first aid.
That evening was her first Chinese class with Miss Teresa (well, Missus, I guess, but everybody's Miss) at her home on Woodgreen. I got us there almost in time, but they fooled us by having two Woodgreens right next to each other. Some day, these will connect up. This reminds me that we drove out in somewhat the same direction to look at a bunk bed for Sarah, which met with everyone's approval. Her room should be painted (Cathy and Sarah are doing that) before it arrives.
This morning I put her on bus 420, with Brenda driving again. The schedule said she would come home on 400, but Brenda thought that might be a typo. I called the school and left a message telling them about the typo. Had a busy day after that -- talked to the author of the book I'm working on now, then went out to get a newsletter photo at the library, which led me logically to check the CDs for Bach's "St. Matthew's Passion." This led me to the catalog, which then had me end up at the main library in downtown Rochester, which is a nice library! I had an hour of free parking and barely managed to skim a quarter of the classical piano music after choosing a Matthew Passion, and after that I saw their used book shop and... well, I made it back to the car and hurried out the gate. I gave my ticket to the collector, not knowing if it would be free or $2 until she smiled and told me to have a good afternoon.
And then I realized I had to hurry home to wait for Sarah! I try to be home by 3:00, and it was twenty till when I remembered my parental duty. I acted quickly, getting onto 490 going the wrong way, and had to use the inner loop to get turned back around. It was maybe three minutes past three when I got in the house. Then I waited another 25 minutes before the bus came. It was 400 after all, which was interesting. Even more interesting, Sarah wasn't on it. Most likely because of me putting 420 in her head. The driver called, bus-to-bus, and spoke to Brenda, who rolled into view a couple of minutes later with my daughter.
She says she had a good day. Good.
Oh, yeah. Last night just before she went to bed, she came in here and gave me a hug and said "Thanks for a great summer." Sure, Cathy suggested it, but it was still sweet as all get-out.
.
Counted down to the end of summer. Sarah said she was looking forward to school, because she likes school. I said that was a good way to be. Much shopping was done, to prepare her for the demands of education. I went to her classroom for a prep session with the teacher, and volunteered for stuff. Art Ambassador (they'll be doing the unit I suggested on animation and Winsor McCay -- and the kids will do simple little animated gizmos), Science Action (I don't know yet which units), reading to the class (I'll bring scans of The Bear that Wasn't to project on the screen so they can appreciate the sight gags), and telling them what I do for a living.
On Monday, the last day before classes started, Sarah and I took a bike ride to Thornell Farm Park. She played a while (I took a movie of her making the circuit on the playground equipment) and then we rode home. I passed her on a long hill, so she had to get back in front of me. She cut it too close and got the pipe thing that sticks out from her back axle and we both became one with the pavement and our bikes and each other. "Where are you hurt?" I asked, and she said she was hardly hurt anywhere -- one elbow with a scrape about the size of a distorted dime. I had about a dollar's worth on my left knee. We were almost home anyway (a man in his driveway offered help, which we declined with thanks). We almost got in before she started crying, then Cathy was there to give first aid.
That evening was her first Chinese class with Miss Teresa (well, Missus, I guess, but everybody's Miss) at her home on Woodgreen. I got us there almost in time, but they fooled us by having two Woodgreens right next to each other. Some day, these will connect up. This reminds me that we drove out in somewhat the same direction to look at a bunk bed for Sarah, which met with everyone's approval. Her room should be painted (Cathy and Sarah are doing that) before it arrives.
This morning I put her on bus 420, with Brenda driving again. The schedule said she would come home on 400, but Brenda thought that might be a typo. I called the school and left a message telling them about the typo. Had a busy day after that -- talked to the author of the book I'm working on now, then went out to get a newsletter photo at the library, which led me logically to check the CDs for Bach's "St. Matthew's Passion." This led me to the catalog, which then had me end up at the main library in downtown Rochester, which is a nice library! I had an hour of free parking and barely managed to skim a quarter of the classical piano music after choosing a Matthew Passion, and after that I saw their used book shop and... well, I made it back to the car and hurried out the gate. I gave my ticket to the collector, not knowing if it would be free or $2 until she smiled and told me to have a good afternoon.
And then I realized I had to hurry home to wait for Sarah! I try to be home by 3:00, and it was twenty till when I remembered my parental duty. I acted quickly, getting onto 490 going the wrong way, and had to use the inner loop to get turned back around. It was maybe three minutes past three when I got in the house. Then I waited another 25 minutes before the bus came. It was 400 after all, which was interesting. Even more interesting, Sarah wasn't on it. Most likely because of me putting 420 in her head. The driver called, bus-to-bus, and spoke to Brenda, who rolled into view a couple of minutes later with my daughter.
She says she had a good day. Good.
Oh, yeah. Last night just before she went to bed, she came in here and gave me a hug and said "Thanks for a great summer." Sure, Cathy suggested it, but it was still sweet as all get-out.
.
