You have been warned.

School is going well...no freak-outs by any of us. I'd venture to say we've moved beyond the danger zone for separation anxiety, but watch this space...

However, we did just have a major (and, I have to say, entirely unexpected) freak-out over homework. Robin was showing me some other thing she was doing and mentioned in passing that she had some homework today but had forgotten to bring her notebook home. When I asked, she said it was a drawing she was supposed to finish.

So simple, right? She makes the drawing on a piece of paper (when has this child EVER declined to draw something?) and sticks it into her notebook tomorrow. Well, you'd think I had suggested she rip out her current loose tooth to stick in the notebook

Best I can tell--and I'm not completely sure, but I think this is it--the drawing (which is of the solar system) took too much work for her to do all over again, when all she actually had left to do was some coloring. I suspect she's also worried that she won't be able to get it "right" if she does it on her own.

So in an effort to dial her down a notch--she was really REALLY upset about this--while still sticking by my original point (forgetting the notebook doesn't mean she doesn't have to do her best to complete the assignment), I'm looking for a solar system coloring sheet so she can do the coloring she was meant to do, then tomorrow she can finish the original drawing in the notebook.

All this as a prelude to my favorite line from the various education websites I've just visited. (Well, and to throw you, the reader, a bone here. I know I've been out of touch.)

So, I leave you with a word of warning.

WARNING Teachers in grades 5 and under. DO NOT tell your students that the Sun will eventually die. Avoid any statement dealing with the death of our Sun or any other star. Believe me, telling kids that the Sun will eventually die greatly disturbs them and you will get bombarded with 'anxiety' questions. Again, just avoid the topic all together. The Sun is about 4.5 billion years old and will start to die in about 4 billion years, but to kids, 4 billion years might as well be tomorrow. I have warned you.