Are we nearly there yet?

Do you see this?

 

 

Goth Child took this pic as part of her 'Food Photos' week for Photography near the start of December and since then I've been begging her to take some pics of our Christmas decs. However, today and tomorrow she has 'Final Exams'.....except they're not 'Final'.

I'm still only getting my head around this American school system. At the moment she does 7 subjects at High School - English, Accelerated Math(s), History, Honours Biology, Mandarin, Photography and AFJROTC (Air Force Junior Reserve Officer Training Corps). And we're at the end of the 2nd quarter of 4 quarters (derr, sorry, it's still only half 6....I'm never totally awake this early). The marks from today's and tomorrow's exams go are weighted and added to her first two quarters class averages to get her grades and half credits in each subject. Is that as clear as mud? Yeah, me too.

I have to say I am incredibly proud and impressed with her. I'm sure she's working way harder than I ever did at school. In the first quarter she was a straight A student. As we speak before exams start (although her first one started just over 15 minutes ago at 6.25am.....yes, you read that right, 6.25am!! and Goth Child is the last person on earth you'd call a morning person) she has 3 As and 4 Bs where she's hovering under the magic 90% on a 86.55, 85.75, 89.37 and 89.75.....but hopefully she'll be able to nudge a couple or maybe all of these over into the As with the exam results.

And all of this revision whilst we've all been battling a seriously yukky cold. Goth Child had 3 days off school with it the week before last...that's unheard of, she's the last one of all 4 of us ever to be ill. Melchett had a day off, I took it easy for a couple of days when my throat blew up making me look like Jabba the Hut and Mr D. has had the most hacking cough for a few weeks now.....plus he's jet-lagged, as per usual.

So at 12.05pm tomorrow we'll be done with getting up at stupid o'clock for 2 weeks! And we can finally do Christmas properly, as a whole family, with no worries about having to break off to go and do more revision/homework etc.

Huzzah!

Before then I've got one last volunteering session at Melchett's school, marshalling for a run, which makes a change from all the art work I've been doing with her class, including a gift thing that I allowed the kids to 'hypnotise' me to forget as I need it to be a complete surprise when Melchett brings it home as a present tomorrow. (Psst, don't tell them I know but it's a calendar of their drawings and a piece of poetry for each month of the year that they've been writing and creating since December 1st.....but obviously I don't know that, I know nothing, where am I and what's my name?)

Other than that we're pretty set to have a jolly old time.....decorations have been hung, cards have been sent, presents have been wrapped, Christmas baking supplies bought in ready to do some serious baking with Melchett (and Goth Child when she wants to get out of bed), we even have in the fridge what Melchett calls "our ham that's a turkey" (it is indeed a turkey). We've been to all our favourite speciality shops to buy British provisions - we have our Bisto gravy, Paxo sage and onion stuffing, cranberry sauce, brussel sprouts, Christmas pudding, rum sauce, mince pies, Quality Street, After 8s, Matchmakers.....and courtesy of a lovely lady in the UK, a Christmas Radio Times is winging its way to us via airmail.....I seriously hope the USPS (United States Postal Service) get it to us on time so I can be pathetic and highlight my desired viewing with a highlighter. Though let's be honest, we all know the only show I'll kill to see is EastEnders (I SERIOUSLY need to see Yusef get his come uppance, for some reason I've found his and Zainab's story far more harrowing than Denise and Lucas's....and not looking forward to one of my faves popping her clogs, but at least it's not Dot....if/when Dot ever leaves or dies I'm going to need therapy again).

Aaaaaaaanyway....

I hope your last minute rushes aren't too hectic....and I promise I'll have some house tour photos on here in the near future, if I can get Goth Child out of bed at all once school breaks up.