Lucas Turns 7

September 22, 2007

Lucas takes his swings:

Ian's turn:
The LOOT!

I'm still alive!

I'm still alive, but buried in homework. At present, I am learning how to convert radian measure to degrees and visa versa, how the Constitution affects business decisions, how information systems is so much more than just information technology, and how to critique short fiction. Repeat after me: This exhaustion will all pay off some day.

South Beach is going well, also. I've lost another pound. I'm at the stage in the diet where you start adding carbs back in, and for two weeks I added in way too many and, instead of losing, I gained 2. So I'm up to a grand total of 12 pounds lost. And I'm trying hard not to find them.

We have a virtual pet. Ian wanted a dog like his cousin Jeff had, but that is out of the question. (First because this apartment is too small for an animal, second because the landlord will not permit it, and third because Ian is afraid of most of them, so why he wants one is beyond me.) We now have a Tamagotchi. It sleeps, poops, eats and plays. If you had asked me even a year ago if I ever planned on owning a virtual pet, I'd have laughed. See how parenthood changes a person over time?

I hope everyone is doing well.


JT said...
Calvin? a doggie? He was terrified of Jack and all he did was lick you silly... maybe a small pet in time hamsters? fish?

Serena said...
We had a fish, but it died. I flushed it, and for three days Calvin didn't want to sit on the potty because the fish might come back and bite his butt.

He did decide, after you no longer had Jack, that he really liked him. I will never truly understand how my child thinks.

Ian and Danika

Danika Santina Fiebelkorn

(and deliriously happy but exhausted Mommy in the background)

Ian and Danika Fiebelkorn

(photos taken 9/3/07)

Stumped.

Suppose that a star forms an angle theta with respect to Earth and the sun. Let the coordinates of Earth be (x,y), those of the star (0,0), and those of the sun (x,0). Find an equation for x, the distance between the sun and the star, as follows:

a) write an equation involving a trigonometric funtion that relates x, y, and angle theta;

b) solve your equation for x.

In the accompanying figure, the star is at the point of origin, Earth is in quadrant I, and the line dropping from Earth to the sun forms a 90 degree angle with the x-axis. Not to scale, of course.

Any takers?

School is in Session!

You will notice the number of entries I make begins to drastically drop off now. This semester I am taking Business Law, Business Systems, Composition and Literature, and Trigonometry II. So far, Trig is my favorite. I don't expect that to change! :-)

Ian has been tested to death over the course of the last week, and it has been ascertained that he is at the high end of the second grade. Instead of moving him into third, he is being placed in a group within his own classroom that will be given third grade reading and math. He is not the top student in his class, but he is in the top 5. His teacher has promised to keep him challenged, and I have assured her that I will be checking in with her regularly to see how and what he is doing, and to let her know if he is bored or overwhelmed.

Ian has already informed me that second grade is even easier than first, so I let her know - we must do something about this NOW. Both the principal and the teacher have assured me he will be challenged, so we will see how it goes. I do like the idea of challenging him within his own class, as long as they keep at it. The principal and I will be speaking on a regular basis also to keep tabs on Ian's progress, and if he does indeed need to be moved, he will be. Poor kid is going to be under a microscope, but with a little luck, he won't know it!

The Check-up

"You want me to WEAR this?"