I can’t shake the cotton wool clouding up my brain and so seems like every thing work-related is taking longer. I think I’ve developed allergies as an adult because I keep getting a sore throat these days and sometimes when I’m running I start to wheeze and sometimes I don’t and all I can think is that it’s allergies. That would explain some of this cotton wool, too.
Bullet-style ‘cuz I’m tired:
- I had the best visit with Thorn and Lee this Sunday. Great conversation, lots of laughing and I learned some, too. Stellar!
- Also was happy to finally get ourselves to another IFIF meeting and yes, we will be making it a regular thing. It’s odd because in lots and lots of ways the only thing we all have in common is kids of African-descent (usually by adoption but all sorts of kinds of adoption). There are people I feel like I click with and people who I feel like I probably never will and Madison was more interested in swimming with Brett than in playing with the other kids but we’re going to keep going. I think Madison needs black kids in her life who are being raised by black parents but I also think she needs other black kids being raised by white parents. I am fortunate that we live in an area with a well developed, strong support group so that she won’t feel like the only transracially adopted black kid.
- On the way home I was saying to Brett that a couple of other parents said that their black kids never expressed any concern about being the only black kid in the family (these were both families where there are white siblings) and Madison — despite sitting in the way back of the van with the windows down and the radio on and despite not being able to hear me say, “Please clear your place” while sitting RIGHT NEXT TO ME at the table — heard me and hollered towards the front, “Well, it’s OK for me to feel that way because it’s just true.” She told Thorn and Lee that, too.
- On the GRE front, I’m consistently acing the quantitative test (you know, vocab) but just hitting the minimum score I need for the math. Yikes. I’m studying slowly but surely and finally realized I need to quit trying to understand the math and just learn it. Honestly, I’m never going to use it again once I take the test (because I haven’t used it yet since I forgot it all in middle school or high school or whenever you learn this stuff) so why bother to really try to get it? Since deciding this it’s all gotten a little bit easier. There are a lot of study tricks when you’re not trying to actually learn something.
- I have more to say but I’m too hot and/or tired to manage it. Pennie just called and I could barely form complete sentences. Time for a cold bath, I think!
When my kids asked me why they had to study Algebra II I told them, “To give you something to do while we keep you out of the job market for a few more years.” As I understand it, that was the original purpose.
I suppose I could add, “so you can do well on standardized tests.”
Becca got me three GRE study books and I like the Princeton cracking the GRE one because it says stuff like, “You’re used to looking at graphs designed to share information but on the GRE you’re looking at graphs designed to trick you into answering the question wrong.” I can get with that.
We had so much fun! I saw Lee nodding proudly when Madison looked at her and said, “I’m black and I’m adopted!” and then Lee responded with the same. It’s just great to see your parenting in practice and how awesome your kids are, plus the conversation just about made my summer. (I need better real-life friends.)
And GRE questions are only about being able to understand GRE questions. It sounds like the Princeton book will put you on the right track. I mean, you still need to know sine and cosine and all that, but mostly you need to know how to look at the questions as a puzzle and get into the heads of the question-makers or whatever else it takes to be able to outsmart them.
I developed allergies as an adult (it sucks!) – I kept thinking I had some weird mutating cold that was lasting (on and off) months and even dared to argue w/ the specialist “I DON’T have allergies…I must be really sick!” but no…allergies! BTW, whenever I do get out there to run they are triggered by something outdoorsy (pollen, trees, bushes…whatever).
You go Madison! She is my role model!!
p.s. don’t forget I need your address- want to try and send stuff thursday…
For the record, I use algebra all the time at work. I realize that not everyone does, but it does have some function besides standardized tests
Oh no, I know algebra is useful but so far in my life, it hasn’t come in handy so I’m thinking I’m probably safe to forget it again once I get past the GRE! (And also, I like algebra but GRE algebra is kind of ridiculous.)
The humidity is killing me too…
Well, good to know how things are going over there. Too bad I cannot write more than two complete sentences due to low blood pressure & humidity brain… blah…
Hee! Are you sure you’re acing the vocab section? Because quantitative is the math.
I can’t even imagine trying to handle the quant. now. I barely made the 60th percentile straight out of college. Good luck!
And by vocab, I mean verbal, of course.
That’s it! I’m throwing in the towel! Ok, I can read the words good. (heh)
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