Whew!

I am happy to say we have finished up the ITBS! It went very well and the kids were fabulous throughout. I tested two boys from our homeschool group as well as Leah. I never thought I'd say I enjoyed it but it was great for several reasons. It was so good for Leah to see that other kids have areas of strength and areas of weakness- and that it is ok. It was also neat to test in a less stressful manner. We were able to determine our pace and how often we needed breaks. When they needed to move they were sent to run up and down the hill or they'd just sit and chat for a few minutes. It was the most laid back testing I've ever been a part of. Don't get me wrong- there were folders put up for privacy, silence during testing, and of course the long boring test. But, when the grammar sounded so ridiculous we just took a break and laughed. No one pointed out the errors. We just giggled and moved on. It was also neat to get to know some more kids Leah's age. Specifically the boys. Leah has long had an attitude that boys are pesky and not fun to be with. This week she changed her mind. By the time the testing was over she was hanging out with the boys, laughing like crazy, and having loads of fun. One young man in particular has her giggling like a silly little girl. Oh man, I'm not ready for this. She was constantly looking for opportunities to be near him. Scary!!

At lunch, my sweet friends surprised me with a gift card to Kohl's as a thank you for testing the kids. What a timely gift! My wardrobe was starting to look like an episode from What Not to Wear. To make it even better one of them took my kids home with her and I got to go shopping- ALONE!!! Another timely gift. I was able to find some great deals and, best of all, I found a swim suit that meets both my requirements- 1) modest and 2) inexpensive. Man, was I excited! I found a great suit and, in the end, saved myself 70.00. Thankfully, it passed the scrutiny of everyone here at home. Boy, they are a tough crowd.