School Days

I am writing to you from my dance history classroom.  My students are taking their mid-term in dance history.  We have tried to cover (or at least hit the high points) of ballet from the Renaissance through 20th century (no British or European 20th century).  I just gave them 7 minutes of open notes.  I hope they do well.  

I had to go to the dentist yesterday to get a crown taken off and a temp put on.  The process wasn't painful but last night I gave up and went to bed at 8:45 in pain.  And I just took more medicine because my teeth are hurting again.

Ruth is doing well.  She is starting to show her Smith side.  She is very, VERY strong willed so this can lead to some very loud fights.  But she seems to embrace life which can lead to some great giggles and smiles.  She is walking as long as we hold on to her.  She just started doing this on Tuesday afternoon which couldn't have come at a better time since Tuesday morning I was so down my friend Heather R. got onto me at music class.  Ruth also has started the cycle where for 2 - 3 days she will eat anything and everything in sight.  Her new favorite food is eating some of my soup.  (Which I have eaten a lot of due to the teeth problem.)  Then, she will go 2 - 3 days without eating much of anything.  I don't think I have written about some of the others things she is doing.  About six weeks ago she crawled up the stairs all the way on her first try.  Now she doesn't want us to carry her up.  She can go down but that takes longer as she will start the upward motion half way down.  She is starting to feed herself with the spoon, very little.  She has great comprehension but has only a few words.  Daddy, of course, is her favorite although she did say Momma first.  She very rarely says it now.  Uh-oh, yucky, yum and something that sounds like "I done."  

Brian is enjoying his new work phone which is a palm.  Now he can do almost everything a computer can do on his phone.  

Students are starting to turn their tests in.  I should look academic now.