Emails to Shan, Hank, Nate.

[xp_daytripper]

To: [Shan]
From: [Amanda]

Re This email



Thanks a heap for agreeing to help with Meggan. Means a lot, especially now.

It seems like she had a bit of a jump while she was gone - she's gone from single words to sentences. But yeah, still getting the hang of verbs and the like, tho' I'm probably not a great example. *wry* So probably basic language first. She knows her alphabet - she's got that really good memory you psis have, and we do a lot of reading together. Fairy tales mostly, since she likes those the most.

As for what she's scared of... seeing people or animals in cages upsets her a lot. More so now, I'm guessing, after what happened. So no zoo books or shows on TV about zoos. Um, she isn't that fond of Manuel, either, but I think that's less likely to come up in reading material. She's... actually really girly. She loves pink, and playing with her toy piano.

As for me... help with English would be brilliant. It's not my best class, tho' I'm a lot better than I was. Hopelessly addicted to the spellcheck, but. You might have seen in Dr Grey's journal I like the old stuff - Shakespeare and Chaucer and the like, since that's the sort of English I learnt to read first, out of spell books and the like. Not so much with the fantasy stuff, no, since they always get the magic wrong, but I don't mind that Pratchett bloke since he has a sense of humour and he's British. And Paige got me onto Neil Gaiman back when I first got here - I like the way he thinks. How about I bring you some of the work I did last term and you can get an idea of where I'm at and when and where and all the rest of it?

Thanks again for this - I really want to pass high school this time 'round, and it helps having someone who knows what it's like when you've got extra (but cute) distractions. Besides, I think your two would be good for Meggan to play with, too - she spends too much time with me or the older kids, and she needs to run around and play more too.

A.



To: [Dr McCoy]
From" [Amanda]



Thanks a heap for your offer to give me Biology, Doc. Um, I know you teach maths as well, tho' the scary high-level stuff. If it isn't dumbing down too much, could you maybe give me maths stuff too? I can get Doug or Kitty to tutor me, but again, need something to work from. Especially since maths books aren't exactly page-turners.

Okay if I come by and sort out stuff? Meg's been asking about seeing the baby again, if you can handle someone babbling 'bout how cute he is. Besides, sort of wanting to keep her with me today, as you can probably understand.

A.



To: [Nate]
From: [Amanda]



I meant to ask you about it this morning, but there was the burning toast distraction and all. Any way, those notes and stuff - you still up for giving them to me? Trying to do what you said and get things back to normal, and sorting out my make-up stuff for the summer is a big part of making things normal for me, and will mean I'll be able to work out how much help I need with Meggan, too. I'm working out help for Meggan too with the language and writing and all - won't be long before she's on the journals, and that'll be a sight to see. But yeah, hammering out the Schedule of Doom, and I think I can get it all put together in the next day or two.

Amanda.

PS: You all right? You never burn stuff and you've obviously got something on your mind...

Comments

[x-beast.livejournal.com]

To: Amanda Sefton
From: Hank McCoy

I'd be delighted to work up some math materials for you as well, and I'll try to make it as un-dull as math can be for those who don't have a natural fascination for it. :) I've finished the Biology stuff - there's even little pictures which I culled from the internet. (The very bad line drawings are my own work, I admit... it's not easy to find a diagram of how People Wings work online, as yet, and I thought adding some mutation stuff would help keep things interesting)

And I'm very glad that Meggan is safe... I can only imagine what you must have been going through. I'm very glad mine is still small enough to tie to my person, and I imagine I'll have quite a few heart-attacks once he's not. Please, do bring her over to visit - afternoon would be best, as I'm about to crash after another long nightshift. Billy and I should both be up and alert by two, though. I think I can have some candy on hand for brave little girls, too. :)

-Hank

Reply to Amanda

[x-cable.livejournal.com]

Well, given that I drew them up for you, yeah, still up for giving them to you. It's suggested readings, short assignments and the like. Nothing too onerous, but enough to keep you on a regular schedule and get you back on track. A few of my other students from this past year are doing independent study projects over the summer for credit - would you be interested in that? It'd be more work than what I've drawn up for you already, but it'd also be reflected on your transcript in the end, too.

Nate

PS: Raincheck on the explanation? There is something, but I'm still trying to sort it out. It's not anything bad. In fact it could be pretty good. There are just some things that need clearing up first.

Reply to Nate

[xp_daytripper]

Sounds perfect. I'll come grab them off you in a jiffy. As for independent study... can I talk to you about that? I'd love to do something that'd get me credit and use what I'm good at, but there's that time thing again. I know I've got people to help, but I don't want to spend all my time buried in books. Strange as that is coming from me. *grins*

A.

PS: ... All right. I understand the whole needing to sort things first, and if it's not anything bad, I can stop worrying. Since that's what I do.

Reply to Amanda

[x-cable.livejournal.com]

Something carefully structured might work - break up the work into small, manageable chunks spread over the rest of the summer so it's not too much of a time-suck at any one point. We can come up with something, not to worry.

N.

PS: Really nothing bad. Just really complicated. And kind of confusing, hence why I'm not entirely with it this week. You'll probably flip when you find out what it is, actually.

Reply to Amanda

[x-karma.livejournal.com]

To: [Amanda]
From: [Shan]

Hey, kiddo,

No problem. Actually, I really love working with kids, so I'm glad for the opporunity. Girly stuff is definitely do-able, and cages are easy to avoid. Is there anything you can think of that you don't want her exposed to? Stuff like violence or sex I know about, but - for example, how do you feel about Disney? There are the big hardcover picture books in the library, and if she likes fairy tales those might work to get her interested in the subject material, but I have known some people who've chosen to keep away from the company. We've got lots of other material on hand, and I know I've got a box of Leong and Nga's old books somewhere too. It's fantastic that you are reading to her - keep that up whenever you can. Kids, even non-psis, pick up a lot just from that. (I still occasionally get hit up for storytime before bed.)

For the English - I agree, let's work from where you're at. We can definitely do the middle English stuff, and I can brush up on my Shakespeare - though picking one thing might be better considering the short session. Let's see where you need to go, first, and what kind of workload we can negotiate in consideration with your other courses. There is nothing wrong with spellcheck! I use it myself rather frequently.

And... I will let the twins know they're wanted. *grins* They're little hyperactive tornadoes, I warn you, although I'm sure you've already encountered the messes one kid can make - wait 'till you've got three or four up to their necks in soot from the fireplace who really think "We were trying to find Santa" is a legitimate excuse. ;) And Amanda, if you ever need some kid advice, or just want a free babysitter to take a guilt-free day off, give me a shout. Adopting kids is hard work, especially if there are extreme circumstances in the leadup, and it's easy to burn out trying to do too much. That said, you sound like you are remarkably under control and handling everything beautifully; I thought I ought to go ahead and offer just in case you ever need a break. (Or if you want to know how to make model volcanoes AND get the red dye out of the carpet afterward. That one I'm really good at.)

~Shan

Reply to Nate

[xp_daytripper]

I did have an idea that uses the language thing and the history and the resources I can get at through Strange and Rom and the rest - remember that talk about the history of witchcraft? I was thinking maybe I could try my hand at collecting together some of those facts, see if I can't make some sense of the whole mess. Might be too much, tho'.

A.

PS: See, now you're just teasing me. *grins*

Reply to Hank

[xp_daytripper]

Ta, doc. I'll drop by this afternoon and we'll work out where you fit on the Schedule of Doom. It's actually looking less scary than it did the first time. And bring Meg as well, tho' not too much candy - I hear it's not good for you. *innocent*

And yeah. Like I said, not something I ever want to do again. Tho' some people might say it was poetic justice after all the trouble I got into last year. I'm just fucking glad she's safe and I get another go at making this work.

A.

Reply to Shan

[xp_daytripper]

Brilliant. I figure between us we can work something for everyone.

I did think of something else I don't really want her getting too much of - magic. Yeah, sounds weird I know, but I'd rather she didn't get the idea magic's a good thing to do. So not so much of the Harry Potter and that sort of thing. She likes the talking animal sort of fairy tales - we went through Aesop's fables when I started reading to her, and she liked that. And I dunno if she's too young yet, but I remember a book about rabbits that actually was pretty good - Water-something. But I'm guessing you'd have a better idea what's best for kids, since I didn't exactly have much in the way of censorship meself. Demons and blood rituals and giving people boils and the like - not exactly Disney. *wry* I'm willing to listen to what you suggest, since yeah, your two have done more than all right - they're nice kids. Even with the messy. *grins*

Dr Grey's running a Shakespeare summer class, and I might be able to score enough credits to give myself the chance to have a fun class next term, which would be the full-scale one, so we can probably look at something a bit more recent. *wry*

And... thanks. I don't know what I'm doing most of the time, except the exact opposite to what Rack did to me. So having someone who understands what it's like helping like this... it means a lot. I thought I'd lost her the other day, and I really want to make sure nothing like that happens again, but I know I can't do that if I'm flat out exhausted or I fail school again. Meg makes it easier, tho' - just seeing her now, when I think of how we found her, makes all the difference.

That's me saying I'll take you up on that offer of babysitting, by the way. :)

A.