Spring Break List

1.  Go to Weedon Island to watch a group of archaeologists close up a dig.
     Two weeks ago my son and I were on the paths of Weedon Island, which is a nature preserve that features boardwalks, elevated berms between tangles of mangroves, and a "museum" that documents Weedon Island's unique history:  Indian community, an airport, mosquito control, power plant...  We came across some archaeologists from USF who were excavating a site looking for arrow heads.  They hypothesized that under the nearby tree, Indians may have sat while they formed their arrow heads.  They had found "flakes" when a post hole was being dug to set up a boundary line fence.  My son was "invited" to return to watch them close up the dig.  When we were there the hole was only about six inches deep and about two feet across.  They had planned on digging down THREE feet, skimming and sifting each inch!

2.  Attend a parens teacher conference for my daughter.
     My daughter is a talented math student.  She is freakishly capable of solving problems.  But she doesn't know her times tables quickly.  (She figures them out using skip counting patterns that don't even match sometimes.  However, her answer is usually right.)  Her biggest problem lies in attention to detail.  Her handwriting is sloppy.  She doesn't read the directions carefully.  When doing her scratch work, she often transfers the numbers incorrectly.  We've had her vision, hearing, IQ, and speech/language processing tested.  The results are all passing but there's a kink somewhere in the system.
     Her math grades are poor.  Hiring a tutor might help.  Since she understands the "how-to" of geometry, fractions, problem solving, I'm not sure of how to help/reward/punish her.  Drill facts?  Write the directions dozens of times?  Get a "Bop-It" to reinforce listening skills?
     Even as a struggling math student myself and an elementary school teacher, I can't figure her out.  It's like I'm watching her at a fork in the road.  I'm at the end of a smooth road, waving to her, shouting, "Come down this path!"  But she is going down the pitted, twisted, treacherous other road and calling to me for help.  Ugh!

3.  Visit my primary care physician for the first step before my hysterectomy.
     Oh joy!

4.  Take my car to be serviced.
     The driver's side window makes a grinding crackling noise.  The tire pressure light is on despite no obvious tire issues.  A plastic "hook" broke off of the canvas on the inside of the convertible top.  A plastic part keeps falling off the glove box.  (I put it back on myself, and currently it's fixed.  Yeah me!)

5.  Set up my new drill.
6.  Exercise.
7.  Work on my crossword puzzles and Sudoku books.
8.  Read.
9.  Hang out with my husband.
10.  Relax.