I am feeling quite frustrated with my main tutoring student (the Junior.) On Monday I told him very clearly that he was to get a copy (in English) of the book he'd chosen to do for his book journal (over 2 weeks late on Monday.) We were going to work on it today and Thursday. So today I asked him if he'd done it. He hemmed and hawed, but no, he hadn't. So ... on the way to his house I stopped at the library and picked up a copy.

We get to his house and he goes upstairs. He comes back down more than 5 minutes later. He proceeds to tell me that his father (in Korea) needs him to translate in a business matter *right then*. This is the fifth time this has happened. I told him that he was going to be charged for today's session, as well as for the extra time we will now have to do tomorrow. I told him how frustrated I was because we'd worked so hard to get him on the honor roll this year, and right now he's in danger of failing English!
He told me he's frustrated too, but that if he doesn't help his dad, then he'll have to go back to Korea. I asked him what did his dad do before - when he wasn't getting out of school early. He told me that he would have to hire someone to translate at $100/hr. So ... essentially it costs less to pay me for my time, than to pay for a translator in Korea.

ARghh!!! Supposedly today is the last time this will happen in April. I hope so for his grades sake.

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I updated both my Living Frugal and Children's Books blogs yesterday. I found out about a really neat website that I think parents of young children will really enjoy (old enough to "write" stories) which I wrote about.

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Good thing I gave myself a spending out for tutoring expenses. The same tutoring student I mentioned above has to do an essay comparing The Turn of the Screw to a modern day horror/ghost film. Neither of us are into the gory stuff, so I suggested The Sixth Sense. His job is to have watched it by Friday so we can begin the essay.

I myself haven't seen it since it came out in 1999, so I figured that I better see it too. I checked the library - all 8 copies were checked out. I checked Redbox - no copies in stock. The local Blockbuster - no copies for rent available, but had one to buy $15. Netflix only had it in disc. My SD finally suggested Half Price Books - voila! I got a copy for $5. I'll watch it tomorrow night, and bring it to Half Price on Friday (along with other books) and hopefully get a few dollars back on it.

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After having been solidly housetrained for a good 4 or 5 months, Buddy seems to be kind of regressing lately. About a month ago there was an incident where he did #1 on the stairs when we didn't take him out fast enough. Then today I'd taken him out at 10:30 a.m. before leaving, and when I got home at 12:40 he was jumping around while SD and I talked. Then he went right by SDs chair and lifted his leg. It took me a minute to believe what I was seeing.

I hope this isn't becoming a pattern.

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Wow! Last night I finished the book "Because of Mr. Terupt". I just kept repeating the word Wow as tears streamed. It is probably one of the better books I have read in quite awhile for this age level (middle grades). A brand new teacher changes the lives of his class - told from the perspectives of 7 of the students.

Today I started a teen fiction book called "My Life as a Rhombus." So far I like it - not great, but enjoyable.

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Almost forgot! Guess what I did tonight when I got home from tutoring? I set off the house alarm!!! I kept turning two of the numbers around!!! I finally got the alarm turned off so I could take Buddy outside. Of course I took the handheld phone because I knew I was going to get a phone call from the alarm company - which I did. Thankfully I remembered the password!