What a week of emotion!

I worked on the project again this morning. Actually I didn't do much work on it, I cleaned on the shop where the work takes place. The project was pulled about sixty yards down the hill from the shop. And it has a big target on it!

I drove in at noon, took a quick bath and loaded up Miss Maddie Merlene to go to Sylvan. Heh, I think Addie gets tickled with what name I am going to call her next! Krl has had a bout with a migraine, so I told her to stay at home until we needed to return to Sylvan for our conference. When Addison and I arrived, we barely sat down until the little girl came from in the back. She was ready for Addison. Today, the subject was math. I was instructed to return in one and one-half hours.

I drove back home and began doing some "project home work". Actually I was shopping around for steel square tubing. It is unbelievable how much difference in pricing there is. I was looking for 120 feet of 3" square tubing, in either 3/16 thick wall or 1/4 thick wall. There was $700 difference from the cheapest to the most expensive!

I woke Krl so she would have time to freshen up from her power nap, then we started driving to Sylvan. We were sitting at Southwest Drive waiting for the light when my cell phone toned. It was Sylvan telling me Addison was already through! We picked her up and we were instructed to return in an hour and a half to go over her testing. They preferred that Addison not accompany us back.

We made a call, and Addison was gathering her swim gear so she could go to the swim club with Kathryn while we made our meeting.

We returned for our conference. Mike, the owner of the local Sylvan asked us to tell him about Addison. Krl and I took turns giving him insight. Finally he told us, "We do not test intelligence here. No IQ tests, nothing close. What we test is academia. But usually if there is an intellectual problem with learning, it will reveal itself." He went on to say, "Addison is not stupid. In fact she is very smart." He began unveiling the test results, and told us, "Addison has mastered her learning from kindergarten. Where the problem surfaces is during her first grade year. Her teacher did a poor job of teaching Addison phonics. That problem should have been "noticed" by the second grade teacher and then again by her third grade teacher, or at least her counselor. what has happened is without those foundation blocks to build on, Addison has had to memorize, to compensate."

Mike went on to tell us that the math problems are reading related. Fix the reading, and it will help the math. So we are concentrating on the reading during the first two months.

Currently, Krl and I are trying to determine the best payment plan. We can do weekly at $270/wk, or monthly at $1080/mo. or we can pre-pay a block of hours at a discounted rate. We can do 60 hours for $2600.00 or we can do 90 hours for $3600.00. The saving is about $103 on 60 hours or $812 on 90 hours. My math tells me to sign up for the big block. Mike tried to reassure us about our investment for the long term.

We are not investing in Sylvan. We are investing in Addison. And that is priceless!

Addison liked the reading yesterday a lot more than she did the math today. I think the girls who tested her had a lot to do with it!

When I went to the "project" this morning, I was very frustrated. Frustrated that the latest problem was not in any way the fault of the project, it was a freak accident. Yet that doesn't help with the frustration. all the sudden we are in the early stages of a major rebuild. K. O. didn't pick up on my mood and before it was all over, I released him from any commitment to allow him to pursue an alliance with HWH. Maybe it will be HWHO. At least he will be able to sidle up to his buddie Mark! I told him I would rather drag all the pieces back to Pepa's barn than fix it!

About 4 this afternoon, he was calling trying to see what was going on. He told me I left him high and dry. I told him I didn't see how a release was leaving him high and dry. I told him I would return his call when we got out of our meeting.

Long story short, I told him I wanted out of any agreements regarding the project appearing or my announcing.

We did finally talk. I went out there again for about an hour and I drew and diagrammed all over the shop floor with chalk. Overhead, side, and rear view. I think I finally got my idea across.

When I came home tonight, I picked up supper on the way. When I arrived home Trc and Kat were just dropping off Addie. What a bonus for Addison! Two days in a row she got to spend time with Kat. A quick secret, Addie's teacher today said Addie didn't spend any tokens today, she is saving them to buy something for Kathryn.

After supper tonight, I was cleaning the table and the kitchen. Krl had gone to tuck Addison in, and as I made my way to my chair, I glanced in Addison's room and saw Meme and her both kneeling at the side of the bed saying Addie's prayers.

Priceless!

I hope this is a well rounded, high impact, stay.

One other quick note. Rian went in and signed his new contract yesterday. Two years. Last night, while he was at vacation Bible school at Greenlawn, he had a visitor stop by asking him if there was an opening at Lubbock Christian Schools for a High School Principal, would he be interested. He told the man, who is the Superintendent of Lubbock Christian Schools, that he would, but he only has seven day left to opt out of his contract. This morning the Superintendent called and told Rian that there WAS indeed an opening for the high school Principal's position. Now Rian has to go through the application, interview process quickly if he hopes to make the move.

Lots going on!

Hope YOU had a day!

FATHER, thank YOU for Addison's testing showing her weaknesses and that they can be addressed and corrected. We pray that her zeal will grow as she begins her course of study. Thank YOU for special moments between her and her Meme. Thank YOU for her special relationship with Kat. Renew and refresh us all.