This afternoon, teasing the kids, I came up with nicknames using their full names.
Cameron is Cameron Insane (Cameron Elaine)
Logan is Sara Loco (Sara Logan)
Luke is Lucas Stinky (Lucas Stanton)
Cass suggested that Luke should be Loopy Stanton. I like Lucas Stinky, though, because he's a boy. Boys are stinky.
Sunday, February 17, 2008
Thursday, February 14, 2008
More MSMSers
When we were in Dallas last weekend, we had dinner with some fellow MSMS grads. Chris C. was in the class of 1991, and his wife Emily was in the class of 1993. Emily is also from Indianola, like me, so even though she wasn't at MSMS at the same time as us, I definitely know her.
We've exchanged Christmas cards for a few years, so we knew they lived in the area. Their email addresses on MSMSAA weren't up to date, but Cass was able to track them down by using their blog - which is linked over on the side of my page.
We met them at a restaurant in Richardson, TX called Ali Baba Cafe. It had good Mediterranean food. I'm not food-adventurous, but my beef kabob with vegetables, rice, and pita bread was really good. Cass got the baked kibbi - not sure exactly what that is. LOL!
Anyway, it was good to visit with them for a little while. I had my camera with me, but I forgot to take pictures of course.
In other news, we are still signing and faxing contracts and addenda for the new house. The bank is in a rush to get everything signed, because they are getting lots of interest in the property. Ha! It's ours. :)
We've exchanged Christmas cards for a few years, so we knew they lived in the area. Their email addresses on MSMSAA weren't up to date, but Cass was able to track them down by using their blog - which is linked over on the side of my page.
We met them at a restaurant in Richardson, TX called Ali Baba Cafe. It had good Mediterranean food. I'm not food-adventurous, but my beef kabob with vegetables, rice, and pita bread was really good. Cass got the baked kibbi - not sure exactly what that is. LOL!
Anyway, it was good to visit with them for a little while. I had my camera with me, but I forgot to take pictures of course.
In other news, we are still signing and faxing contracts and addenda for the new house. The bank is in a rush to get everything signed, because they are getting lots of interest in the property. Ha! It's ours. :)
Wednesday, February 13, 2008
Selling/Buying
Our house in RR is going on the market tomorrow. We've decluttered the inside, cleaned everything, moved some furniture into storage, touched up all the paint, had the exterior power washed, had the exterior wood stained, and washed windows.
Last weekend, we found a house in Heath, TX. We looked at about 10 houses there, and we were quite surprised that about 8 out of those 10 were foreclosures. We haven't seen a lot of that around here, but that real estate market gave us quite an introduction to the mortgage crisis.
Our house is, of course, a foreclosure - on the market for about a week. I think we got a pretty good deal on it. It's sort of a gamble that the real estate market will stabilize in the next 5 years or so, but we really like the house so that makes it easier to take a risk. It's about 4500 sq. ft, in a great golf course/country club neighborhood with great schools. While we were looking at it, I noticed 2 little girls about Cameron and Logan's ages riding electric scooters right across the street. It's also a short commute to Cass's new company.
We're supposed to close mid-March, so that gives us time to decide how to time the move and school transfers.
Last weekend, we found a house in Heath, TX. We looked at about 10 houses there, and we were quite surprised that about 8 out of those 10 were foreclosures. We haven't seen a lot of that around here, but that real estate market gave us quite an introduction to the mortgage crisis.Our house is, of course, a foreclosure - on the market for about a week. I think we got a pretty good deal on it. It's sort of a gamble that the real estate market will stabilize in the next 5 years or so, but we really like the house so that makes it easier to take a risk. It's about 4500 sq. ft, in a great golf course/country club neighborhood with great schools. While we were looking at it, I noticed 2 little girls about Cameron and Logan's ages riding electric scooters right across the street. It's also a short commute to Cass's new company.
We're supposed to close mid-March, so that gives us time to decide how to time the move and school transfers.
Thursday, February 7, 2008
For Sale
We met with the real estate agent today. Our house is being professionally photographed on Tuesday, going "live" on the market on Thursday, Valentine's Day. It sounds like a reality show or something.
I may go MIA from my Oasis for a while. Send xanax!
I may go MIA from my Oasis for a while. Send xanax!
Wednesday, February 6, 2008
Expiration
When we moved to Austin nearly 8 years ago (EIGHT YEARS AGO!), I got a Texas driver's license. The expiration date on it was 2/18/08 - my birthday, eight years in the future. I remember laughing to myself and thinking I'll never be here to have to renew it in 8 years' time. LOL!
I got my notice 2 weeks ago that my license needs renewing. They had already taken into account my ZIP code change, which I thought was really nice (unexpected forward thinking) of them. So I got to do it the easy way and renew my license online. $25 plus a $1 "convenience fee" later, and my new license is on its way, eight years later.
I got my notice 2 weeks ago that my license needs renewing. They had already taken into account my ZIP code change, which I thought was really nice (unexpected forward thinking) of them. So I got to do it the easy way and renew my license online. $25 plus a $1 "convenience fee" later, and my new license is on its way, eight years later.
Tuesday, February 5, 2008
We'll Take It
Last night, Cass told the company in Dallas that he wants to take the job they offered. Still haven't signed on the dotted line, but it's pretty official. So after nearly 8 years, we will cease to be Austinites - and join the club of Dallasites. (They really need to come up with better names than that.)
The new company is id software, and they make the computer games Doom and Quake. The founder/CEO of id, John Carmack, is thought of as a computer gaming guru. Cass has been their nVidia contact since he started there, so they've known him for a long time. In recent years, Carmack has gotten interested in aerospace engineering and formed his own company, Armadillo Aerospace, to compete for the X Prize. He's hiring Cass to replace himself as lead graphics engineer on their next game engine, so he'll have more time to focus on his aerospace endeavors.
So now we're waiting to find out when they want him to start work, and we'll go from there. I don't know if we'll (the kids and me) will try to stick around here until the end of the school year, or if we'll try to price the house to sell quickly and move ASAP.
Other random info:
- I fell down the stairs (4 of them) Sunday night. Ouch. I feel like somebody took a baseball bat to me.
- Cass is giving up alcohol for the month of February.
- Logan's 2nd grade class is putting together a book of their short stories to be bound and printed (copies for parents). The teacher chose Logan to draw the cover artwork.
- Tawn K. (from MSMS) is an assistant high school principal in the school district I'm most interested in. Can't wait to get in contact with her via email!
- Juno is a very good movie.
The new company is id software, and they make the computer games Doom and Quake. The founder/CEO of id, John Carmack, is thought of as a computer gaming guru. Cass has been their nVidia contact since he started there, so they've known him for a long time. In recent years, Carmack has gotten interested in aerospace engineering and formed his own company, Armadillo Aerospace, to compete for the X Prize. He's hiring Cass to replace himself as lead graphics engineer on their next game engine, so he'll have more time to focus on his aerospace endeavors.
So now we're waiting to find out when they want him to start work, and we'll go from there. I don't know if we'll (the kids and me) will try to stick around here until the end of the school year, or if we'll try to price the house to sell quickly and move ASAP.
Other random info:
- I fell down the stairs (4 of them) Sunday night. Ouch. I feel like somebody took a baseball bat to me.
- Cass is giving up alcohol for the month of February.
- Logan's 2nd grade class is putting together a book of their short stories to be bound and printed (copies for parents). The teacher chose Logan to draw the cover artwork.
- Tawn K. (from MSMS) is an assistant high school principal in the school district I'm most interested in. Can't wait to get in contact with her via email!
- Juno is a very good movie.
Wednesday, January 30, 2008
No Pressure
A couple of years ago, Mike M. (PhD) emailed an article to Cass and me. It basically was talking about how public schools were changing their approach to teaching mathematics to students, because the old method "stifled their creativity," or some such bunk. I was slightly appalled, but relieved by the fact that so far, Cameron had received mathematics instruction that was similar to mine in elementary school.
So now Logan is in 2nd grade, and they're transitioning from single-digit addition/subtraction to double-digit addition/subtraction. At this point, they need to know addition/subtraction tables up to 10. I get an email from her teacher.
Excuse me? Cameron did the timed tests in 1st and 2nd grade. Heck, I did them in 1st and 2nd grade. The entire point of education is to prepare kids to become adults and go out and get a job. Do you think they won't encounter frustration in the workplace? Shouldn't they be learning to deal with it now? Now I realize that there are kids with challenges who actually need to learn in a different way, and I'm all for that. But this is a case of dumbing down the entire population for a few.
Let's not stifle creativity or introduce frustration in math class. But they put so much pressure on kids to excel on the TAKS test that my oldest was throwing up Sunday morning at the thought of all the work they've got lined up to prep them for the writing portion that's coming up in March.
Give me a break.
So now Logan is in 2nd grade, and they're transitioning from single-digit addition/subtraction to double-digit addition/subtraction. At this point, they need to know addition/subtraction tables up to 10. I get an email from her teacher.
We were told last year by the district that we can no longer give timed math facts in class. This is to prevent frustration. Many kids get upset if they don't get through with the test.
Excuse me? Cameron did the timed tests in 1st and 2nd grade. Heck, I did them in 1st and 2nd grade. The entire point of education is to prepare kids to become adults and go out and get a job. Do you think they won't encounter frustration in the workplace? Shouldn't they be learning to deal with it now? Now I realize that there are kids with challenges who actually need to learn in a different way, and I'm all for that. But this is a case of dumbing down the entire population for a few.
Let's not stifle creativity or introduce frustration in math class. But they put so much pressure on kids to excel on the TAKS test that my oldest was throwing up Sunday morning at the thought of all the work they've got lined up to prep them for the writing portion that's coming up in March.
Give me a break.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)