Ehlana and Ethan:
The students at other schools might feel differently about starting next-levels – especially in high school, but we do not suddenly have extra status or anything else for the transition to Grade Ten! I will start by confirming that Naomi impressed her boyfriend, and while he was appropriately dazzled; Ethan did manage to get through our first day of classes without any serious incapacity. That didn’t keep us from teasing him; and it is not fair that he gets more of that than Aiden or any of our other friends do. We did pay attention to the changes in our classmates and friends – especially for the friends we didn’t see a lot over the break, but we also want to mention that more of the next-gen kids are starting school today – including Sierra and her friends in Grade One and Ryan and his friends in Kindergarten. That feels strange to us, but that can’t be as-strange as it was for Cassie and Michael when we started school while they were in high school!
Our Home Room teacher this year is Mrs. Anita Reynolds, and as is often the case; she also teaches our first period Math class on our Day One schedule. Our classes in order today were Math, History, and Spanish this morning and then Music, Science, and Computers in the afternoon. For Day Two we will have Geography, Art, and PhysEd in the morning and English, Accounting, and Sociology in the afternoon. We know this is very different from other schools – especially the high schools that only have four classes per semester, but it works for us; and our high school students graduate ready to go into basically any college program out there. I’m also going to mention a year early that Ethan and I will be taking some different optionals starting next year when we have more options as subjects like general science split up for Biology, Chemistry, and Physics – and that’s true for Math and other subjects along with more alternative optionals. Naomi is doing that this year in Grade Eleven; and she’s tailoring her classes to be ready for the International Business program she’s going to take in college. Let’s also cover the news that Zack, Eli, and their buddies are in Grade Eight – so Washington D.C. should be afraid and get ready for next May; Sebastian and Caleb are in Grade Seven; Brianna is in Grade Six; and Faith is in Grade Five. We don’t really think about that five year gap between us and Faith very often, but that did cross our minds today when we had a little chat with our music teacher about another trip to Disney World and Florida for Naomi’s Grade Twelve year; since we would need the year and a half or so to revive the marching band and do the fundraising for the big trip. That definitely relates to Faith because she’d be the one cousin who won’t be old-enough to go on that trip with the rest of us – and Brianna will need to learn an instrument early too so she can play in the bands in Grade Seven. We’ll have to find a way to make that up to Faith, but Mrs. Robinson is willing to lead the marching band again; and we’ll start working on that next week.
We had fun with our classes and friends; Mother Nature gave us another sunny, hot day that might have been to help the parents with celebrating while we were away from home; and then Ethan and I were busy after school with the first school day football or cheer squad practices. That workout was tougher for Ethan as the afternoon highs topped triple digits; and that’s also why we went for a cool-down swim with some cousins and friends after we got home and before we had dinner with Mom and Dad. Ethan and I were on our own with them for that meal; and we’ve had a quiet evening too that included some homework, a Magi lesson, and some office work. Ethan and I want to work out lab and archives time too, but not tonight; and that might need to wait for next week; since we already have a lot on the go this week. Mom had us wrap up in the office at ten – after we’d gotten extra work done by using a time phase; bath or Jacuzzi time followed; and now we’re winding down fast toward nap time. Compared to all of our hometown awesome; the world news is not full of happy thoughts and dreams come true, but we do want to cover a few stories; so let’s get to them now and then we’ll get some sleep.
The politicians and media would like everyone to believe that a phone call between the American and Russian Presidents today was the top story – it was really only more theatre and nothing changed. The distractions are preferable to them if it keeps their citizens from focusing on the horrors happening in the Middle East and Ukraine where thousands die every week with no end in sight. The air strikes on Kiev resumed immediately after the three-day pause while ‘our’ envoys were in Russia and Ukraine; and no matter how badly western leaders want it; Russia is not going to agree to a ceasefire before a peace deal is agreed to and first demands are initiated – like a total Ukrainian army withdrawal that could end up being much-further than any earlier offers – as in as far as the Dnieper River. We’re worried about the risk of Europe actively going to war with Russia instead of accepting defeat in Ukraine; and hope that doesn’t happen. As has been the case for weeks now, the Straits in the Middle East either are or aren’t open, but the truth of that should come out imminently as those ships carrying tens of millions of barrels of oil from the region either will or won’t arrive at their destinations. If we don’t start seeing large increases in those deliveries; then we know who has been telling the truth and who has been lying! While we’re there, though, let’s also point out that the increased costs continue every day too – and that isn’t just the price of barrels of oil, but the big increases in transport costs that include more-expensive insurance and those tolls for the Straits that are – or aren’t – being paid for not-so-safe passage! Some of those costs apply to all oil; since every barrel costs more whether pumped out of the ground in Texas or Iran – and those expenses eventually get paid by the consumers. We could definitely be in the trillions of dollars in added economic costs six months into the war that weren’t there the day before ‘we’ attacked Iran! That does affect our family business, because we can’t afford as much with the same dollars we have to spend on our charities; and we might start ending up with few dollars for those charities as profits are affected by the increased costs for our businesses.
We don’t need to get into that tonight and we’ve had enough for this update; so that’s all and we are out of here and off to nap time starting right now.
Until next time, live with love, fellow Magi of the Light!
