School Is Upon Us!

School is starting next week for the fam. Everyone, with the exception of me, seems to be ready.

Collin is taking a class on Chaucer's Troilus & Criseyde, Introduction to Graduate Studies, and a "directed study" with one of his professors. *I* think it is going to be good for him to get the analytical side of his brain in motion again.

Thane is taking a class, through our charter school, that is created to give the kids a "kindergarten experience". He'll be reviewing (I say 'reviewing' because he already knows it) the ABC's, memorizing poems and nursery rhymes, working on handwriting, and even participating in a play at the end of the year. I am glad he is getting the opportunity to learn in an environment like this. Magnus was able to attend preschool at our church and it was a fantastic experience for him. Oh, and the class is only once a week for 2 1/2 hours.

Magnus is also taking a class...a science class. This came as a huge relief to me as I still had not planned out my science for this year. I know we are going to start/continue Barb's Nature Study, but beyond that, I only had a few ideas mulling around. His class is once a week for an hour. They are going to be studying habitats and animals. I am hoping to expound on it and complete some activities like lapbooks, other hands on stuff, and reading.

I am having a hard time. I don't feel prepared. When I don't feel prepared, I start feeling inadequate to teach. I know that is a bunch of baloney! I am a good teacher and I know what my boys need. It's just hard. Maybe it's because of everything else that has been going on in life. Moving across country...away from my friends...away from my church (that I loved!)...away from the familiar...away from everything. I haven't made any friends, have only met a few people. We haven't found a church and that is really discouraging. I don't know where anything is, with the exception of In-n-Out Burger, Safeway, and Target (I know...what else does one need!?). Wow...I didn't intend to write about his, but obviously it is weighing heavy on my heart. Alright. I am off to think about this some more. I'll post about our school plans later.

California Update...

I seriously DO NOT know where to begin. There is so much to tell. I guess it'd (is that a proper contraction for "it would") be best if I just picked a topic/subject and write a little bit about it. But let me just say that I could not be happier with Collin's decision to come to CA for graduate school. (I hope I will not be choking on those words later!)

Saying Goodbye to Dear Friends...
The boys and I got together with some of our homeschooling friends for one last final hoorah.

LBJ also planned a very special "(insert our last name) to Davis" party with our buddies. It was not a "goodbye" party...she made that very clear. :0)

The Gang at Camino Real

The sweet LBJ and her beau, Nathan.

FRIENDS!!!!!!

Packing up the truck and heading West...
This was no fun/easy task. We had a 22 ft. truck and were still unable to shove Magnus' mattress in the back. Even after getting rid of SO much stuff!


We were blessed by our dear friends...LBJ, Nathan, Steph, and Eric...helping us out. Thanks y'all!! (Had to say it at least once!)

Palm trees and bright blue skies! Isn't this amazing!!! The weather has been great. Apparently the 100+ temperatures we have been having are above normal for this time of year, but we haven't really minded. There is NO humidity!! We can breathe when we walk outside and don't sweat in the shade. It is unbelievable! CA is agreeing with me!



Davis, CA...
I LOVE this town!!! It is fantastic! It's clean, safe, family oriented, cute, ect. You can learn more about this great town at the Davis wiki site. This site has everything you could possibly want/need to know. It has helped us a great deal. I will refer more to this site as I post more about our life here.

Old Sacramento Gold Rush Days...
This was the first event we went to in our new area. There isn't a whole lot I want or need to say about it, but I did want to share some pics.


There were several re-enactors there doing their thing from the Civil War period. It looked really strange and then it dawned on us...they are all wearing blue and not gray! It was really strange for us to see that since we have been to several Civil War Battlefields in TN.

Magnus and Thane panned for gold and then took it to the "bank"...

They were a little disappointed to find out that they were not receiving real money for their efforts.

Me and my buddies.

The Little Tiny Baby Pretend House...
Our 594 sq. ft. apartment really isn't that bad. Seriously. I haven't cried about it yet. They actually planned the space out well and I feel like we have more room here than in the 1000 sq. ft. apartment we just left in TN. I know you are anxious to see pics...all 3 of my faithful readers!...and I hope to have some up this week once we get settled more.

Alright...that is about it for now. Life is good here in CA!

We Made It!!!!

After 4 1/2 days on the road, we finally made it to CA! I will post more about our new town...which I already LOVE!...and pictures of our Little Tiny Baby Pretend House...which is not as bad as I had anticipated!

Thanks for your prayers and good thoughts!

Packin' It Up! Packin' It On Up!

The past few weeks we have been wrapping things up here in Middle TN.

I have tried to say goodbye to various friends, but have been unable to do so. We keep saying, "How about next week?"

This coming Monday is our going away party with our college buds (just struck me funny to refer to them as that since I have been out of college for 15 years!), but we aren't calling it that. It's our "(insert last name) to Davis" party. It'll be the last time we hang out with "our group". Sad, yes.

I have spent my Dillard's gift card on Calphalon frying pans and Clinique make up since there isn't a Dillard's store out there.

Changed over our utilities and changed our address.

Have sold and given away a ton of stuff. Still have a chocolate fountain that has become a thorn in Collin's side. Maybe LBJ will want it?

What do we still have left to do?

Packing, packing, and more packing. We got a pretty good start though. The boy's room and our room are pretty much done. Just have the bathrooms, living room (which is almost done), and the kitchen. Guess that is the advantage of living in a 1000 sq ft. apartment. Have I mentioned yet, in this post, that we are moving into a 594 sq. ft. apartment? Still can not wrap my mind around that...which should be easy since it is so small! The apartment, not my mind!

Tuesday we pick up the truck. We'll start packing it then and finish up on Wednesday. This should seriously be our easiest move yet. I haven't even begun to panic yet!

Thursday...the wagon train is heading West! We are planning to do a total of 9 hours drive time a day. This will be very doable even with all of the stops and breaks we will take. If you have to have kids travel with you, you want our boys. Seriously, they are fantastic! They keep themselves busy without a tv in the car. We like listening to music and books on tape (Chitty Chitty Bang Bang and The Enchanted Castle by E. Nesbit are this trips picks), talking, and telling stories. The boys read, draw, play, you name it! We just make sure to take breaks and stop at playlands or parks. This trip I made special travel binders with cool coloring pages, activities, roadside bingo, ect. I am also planning to give them a special "treat" to unwrap every morning and afternoon. I got things like bubble gum, a coupon for an ice cream cone, silly putty, and collective rocks. One is going to ride with me and the other with Collin in the moving truck. We'll switch periodically.

We should pull into Davis on the 24th or the 25th. I am excited to explore our new town. I think I am going to like it there very much.

We are scheduled to move in on the 26th. I am going to try very hard not to be overwhelmed by the size of our new home. We will make it work and it will work great. Not really planning to spend much time inside anyways. We'll be in Northern California!

So, if you are reading this and you are the praying kind, please pray for safety as we travel across America next week. And maybe throw one in there about us being able to settle in quickly and make friends. :0)

Yankee Girl Says Goodbye to Dixie

As our time of living in the South is drawing to a close, I have been thinking a lot about the things I have experienced and learned from spending 7 1/2 of the past 9 years here. It's different here than the NW and even the Midwest. Not in a bad way. Not in a good way. Just different. And I have come to appreciate those differences. For instance, things/items have different names here and I get funny looks when I call them by what I am use to.

Examples...(Now, not everybody in the South refers to these items as I mention, but several people I have run into here do.)

1. I call it a purse. Here, it is a pocket book or even a hand bag.

2. I call it a couch. Here it is a sofa.

3. I call it a cart. Here it is a buggy or a basket.

4. I call it pop. Here it is coke. Everything is coke. Then the server asks, "What kind?' You then answer, "Dr. Pepper." Why? Why not cut out the "middle man"?

5. I say "you guys". They say "y'all"...and I have caught myself saying that on occasion!

6. I say "maybe we could". They say "we might could"...okay, I have been told by my very southern friend that that phrase is not typical for the South, but maybe only in my area of the South.

7. I say "the canoe tipped over". Murray says "the canoe tumped over". (There is a little red line under this word as I typed it to indicate IT IS NOT A WORD! :o)

8. I say "we're gonna"...I know...very poor English. They say "we're fixin'"

9. I call it the Civil War. Here it is the War of Northern Aggression...but only to the real die-hards!

While living here, my boys have learned to call adults our age, "Miss First Name" and "Mr. First Name". If they are older than Collin and I then they are to refer to them as "Mrs/Miss Last Name" and "Mr. Last Name". This is not something Collin and I were raised to do and if they boys had not lived most/all of the life here (thus far) we probably would not have insisted on it. We have come to view it as a sign of respect and they will continue to refer to adults this way. However, we do not require them to refer to us as "ma'am" and "sir" as I have heard many kids call their parents. We are just plain ol' "mom" and "dad".

There are also some things that I am going to miss that are not necessarily "Southern", but they, from my understanding, are not in N. CA.

1. Cardinals. These are my favorite bird. I love their color, their markings, and their song. I love to watch them eat the sunflower seed from my feeder and chase each other away.

2. Lightening Bugs...some call them Fireflies. Collin has referred to them as "magical", and I think he is right. They are magical and amazing. No more catching them and putting them in jars at night only to escape from the holes that were punched too big in the jar lid.

3. Thunderstorms...need I say more?

And finally, things about Middle TN I will miss...

1. Barfield Crescent Park and Radnor Lake. MANY good memories hiking the trails at these two parks. Lots of dreams and plans made while trekking about.

2. McKays Used Books. Holy Cow! This is the biggest used bookstore I have been to. And really reasonable.

3. Our Parish...St. Patrick's Anglican Church. But more importantly, Father Ray and Beth.

4. The Nashville Zoo. I love this zoo. It is a great zoo.

5. Five Guys Burger and Fries. Only the greatest burgers in town!

6. #3 stickers on the back windows of cars...just kidding...no Dale fans here.

7. Bluegrass Music. Not sure how popular it is in CA, but I LOVE IT!

8. Clogging competitions and showcases. I will forever regret not learning how to do this.

9. Amy...my wonderful hairdresser who never messes up and knows exactly how I like my eyebrows waxed!

10. Last, but certainly not least, all of the many wonderful friends we will be leaving behind. (If you are reading this...I love you!)

Well, that about covers it. Good bye Middle TN and good bye The South!

Small Tour

The internet has been our constant companion as we have been planning this move. Google, Craigslist, ebay, are just a few sites we view each and every day. Searching through google, I was able to locate a floor plan of our little, tiny, baby pretend house, that had the dimensions down to the inches. Collin, in his brilliant sort of way, decided to make it into a grid, measure all of our furniture (well, the stuff we are taking...everything else is being sold or given away), scale it to size, and arrange it. You know what?!? It looks as if it will fit! Unbelievable! Here is what it will look like...hopefully...

By the looks of the above map, we have placed the dresser in front of the sliding glass door on the left side of the living room. Our apt. has the sliding door on the wall where the orange chair and armoire are located. Yep, we will have to cover a bit of it.

We also scored by finding some pictures of the inside that someone had posted. Gotta love google images! So, keep in mind this is not our stuff. I'll post some of those once we get settled.


I am actually a bit excited about the kitchen. It looks like there is a lot of storage and definitely laid out better than our current one. There is space on the other side of the refrigerator to place a washing machine...but no dryer. I thought that was a little strange. I like having a window over the sink as well. Maybe I'll place some bird feeders there so I can watch my lil' feathered friends.


The living room will be our homeschool area as well as our dining and seating area. The walls will be lined with our huge bookcases and my long green dresser that holds all of our crafting supplies.



There is a little alcove in the bedroom I think is going to be the Master. That area will be converted into a small (who am I kidding? Everything in the place is small!) work area for Collin. A narrow table with shelves extending up to the ceiling. He will have is own office in the English building, but it is across campus and frankly, I like having him around.

The boys will have about the same amount of room as they do now. As long as they continue keeping it picked up, they'll do fine.

Thanks for coming on this little tour with me. Remember...practical but pretty!

We Have An Offer!!!

We got an email from the Department of Student Housing today offering us an apartment! We have accepted the offer and move into out "little, tiny, baby, pretend house" at the end of August!

I am relieved! No more waiting. No more wondering.

So, what does this mean? Well, we will continue selling what we can on Craigslist, continue taking items to the Goodwill drop off, and continue scaling back. We have about 5 weeks to pack up the apartment now. No rush.

Finally...We Have Some Answers...Well, Kind Of

(If you missed the previous post concerning my anxious feelings about our up coming move, you may want to scroll down and read the post below this one.)

Here is the latest:

Student Housing...We found out there are 20 families on the waiting list ahead of us. 20 families! I submitted our application way back in February and we still have that many people ahead of us. Crazy! Anyhow, she did say that we will have a good chance getting an apartment sometime in August. So, that is good news. I think. I really have mixed feelings about living in student housing.

Cons...(1.) I am not sure how this can even qualify as a two bedroom family apartment. This thing is 594 square feet! For those of you who have been to our current apartment, that is like cutting off the entire Master Bedroom Suite and 31 more square feet from some place! Click here to view the floor plan so you can get an idea of what I am saying. We are going to have to get creative with our space and storage.
(2.) The noise level will probably be high. I guess the walls, floors, and ceilings are pretty thin. And it is graduate family housing so there will be lots of kids.
(3.) No more dishwasher, garbage disposal, washer/dryer, central heat and air. I know those are conveniences and not necessities, but I will miss those nice conveniences.

Pros...(1.) It's on campus and centrally located in Davis so we will be able to walk or ride our bikes most everywhere. We'll definitely save money on gas! We're also going back down to one vehicle so we'll save on insurance and maintenance costs too!
(2.) We will be living in a community full of people in the same situation we are in. We have great friends here in TN and we will miss them tremendously, but none of them are in the same situation we are in. None of them are married with kids trying to live on a very tight budget, juggling many jobs, while going to school full time. Granted, they have their own things they are dealing with, but it would be nice to have someone else who understands exactly what we are going through.
(3.) Free DSL!
(4.) No dogs allowed! Sorry "dog people". I like dogs but when they interfere with my well being, I don't like them anymore. So, no more stepping in dog droppings in front of my apartment! No more listening to unnecessary barking! No more worrying about my boys getting jumped on or bit!
(5.) Here is the biggie...the rent is roughly $250 cheaper than other two bedroom apartment in Davis.

So, now we just have to wait until they send us an email letting us know an apartment has become available to us. We will need to respond in two days by accepting it or declining it. If we accept, then we have to start paying rent from the day it becomes available to us whether or not we are able to move on that date. So, we pretty much have to be packed an ready to go by the first of August. If we decline, then we will be placed on the September move in waiting list. But, we will be placed ahead of those who requested a Sept. move in date from the beginning. Confusing!

We're going to give it a year commitment. If after that time we chose to move, so be it.

Natomas Charter School...Just received confirmation that our application has been received but I forgot to include some things. I'll be mailing that stuff out tomorrow. As far as the curriculum and books, I am going to wait to see what they have available for me to borrow and will also check out the Sacramento Library System's online catalog to see what they have. (Thanks for the information Sharon!)

Job Stuff...I am going to try not to worry about this until I get there. I really can't do much from here anyways.

So, I am feeling a bit better but am still a "glass half empty" type of gal these days. I don't like it and I am trying to snap out of it.

What's going on this coming school year?

Things are up in the air and I am not liking it. I am a planner. I like to plan. I like having a plan. Right now, I really don't have a plan. I had a plan, but there is so many things I don't have control over that are messing with my plan. I don't like it.

We still have not heard from UCDavis if we have a place to live. We've been on a waiting list for student housing since February for a move in date of August. Nobody is returning my emails to give me some sort of indication of where we are at on the list. We have to give a 30 day notice at our current apartment. We have to pack. We have to reserve a truck. If we are unable to move into the large apartment (594 sq ft!), then we need to somehow find a place to live there, while we are here. Sight unseen. AND most other 2 bedroom apartments I have looked into are anywhere from $250-900 more a month! We are on a fixed income and that is just not going to work for us. Besides, a lot of these places have already leased everything for the coming school year. I need a plan.

Homeschooling...we have decided to register with Natomas Charter School. The boys will be able to take a few classes there (like Latin, Art, Martial Arts, Music, ect.) a couple days a week and they will pretty much buy/lend me curriculum of my choosing (with the exception of curriculum with overt Christian content). It will also provide us with an instant community which is something we will need since we know no one! With that being said, I am not sure if we have been accepted yet. If accepted, I don't know exactly what classes are being offered and when. I am also a bit unclear as to what they will buy/lend as curriculum. Do they just supply the framework (the teacher manual, the student manuals, ect.) or the additional books to supplement and read along with it. It's making it impossible for me to make final decisions to what we will be using next year as well as how to plan my time during the week. I need a plan.

Jobs...I will need to work part time. I don't want to, but it really might be good for me. It'll get me out of the house and with other adults. I need that. Plus, we need the money. But, where am I going to work? Who is going to hire a homeschool mom with scheduling issues? Okay, I am probably borrowing trouble from tomorrow as far as this is concerned, but it is still on my mind.

It's just hard. This summer has been hard. We know we are not staying here. We know where we are going. We are doing our best to prepare for the coming school year, but it kind of feels like we're running in place.

That's all. Thanks for "listening".

The Four Day Graduation Celebration...days 3 & 4

Day 3...

Our parent's finally got to go to church with us. We love our church and they have never been able to attend. So, off to St. Patrick's Anglican Church...

We were all completely exhausted to everyone went their separate ways and took naps. Well, except me and Mom. We did what we do best when we get together...went shopping!

Later that evening we hung out, talked, and munched on food. Thane also taught Grandpa how to play chess...

The game was "taking too long" so Thane let Grandpa win.

Day 4...No boys for a week!

Poppy and Nana left in the morning carrying precious cargo. They are taking the boys back up to IA with them for the week while Collin and I go to the International Medieval Conference in MI. He is presenting a paper on King Alfred and Boethius. We'll go to IA on Sunday (Thane's Birthday and of course...Mother's Day), stay a week, and then head back to TN.

So, we got to spend the entire day with Collin's parents. We spent the day in Nashville. We ate at the Pancake Pantry...a Nashville tradition, went shopping in Hillsboro Village, took a walk in Centennial Park (where the replica of the Parthenon is) and had a magnificent dinner at J. Alexander's. Later we showed them a slide show of the pictures from our trip to Europe this past summer. Needless to say, we condensed the 300 pictures of the Eiffel tower to a select few.

We had a great four day graduation celebration!!

The Four Day Graduation Celebration...day 2 part 2...PARTY TIME!!!!

We had the best time! It involved all of Collin's favorite things...family, friends, nice music, great food and great drinks.

The dinner and snacking menu included grilled salmon, grilled shrimp, grilled chicken, cheese and crackers, pasta, cheese bread, glazed carrots, nuts, more bread, chips and salsa, more crackery type things, and some other things I can't remember. Oh, Collin whipped up puff pastries "a la creme chantilly et fraises" later in the evening. Yummy!

After dinner, Collin brought out the cheese plate. We sampled a lot of different cheeses while sipping on wine.

(clockwise from far left - gruyere, roquefort, double gloucester, Kerrygold Dubliner, Kerrygold 2-year aged cheddar)

My mom's reaction to the roquefort was anything but positive!

Also did a bit of Scotch tasting (Glenlivet 12 yr. old, Abelour 10 yr. old, and Glenfiddich 12 yr. old, for the curious)...

...and he finally opened up the bottle of Calvados he bought in Normady and carried with him, in his backpack, through France and Switzerland.



Drew got crazy with the ginger ale!

Later that night we went down by the river and smoked our pipes. Well, I didn't. I just blinded everyone with the flash from the camera!


Here are some other picture from the night...

Me, Steph, and LBJ...Steph was born the year I got my driver's permit!



A good time was had by all!

The Four Day Graduation Celebration...Day 2 part 1

GRADUATION!!!!

After four long, hard years, Collin is finally getting his much deserved diplomas.

You can actually see Collin in this picture. He is on the right side, last row, on the aisle.


Our Dear Friends... Marcus, Steph, Collin, Me, Laura Beth, and Nate...missing Drew and Wes.

Collin's Senior Picture! LOL!

Our self Senior Portrait!

The ceremony was nice BUT....the party was better! Stay tuned!

The Four Day Graduation Celebration...Day 1

Many of you have been following our journey to graduate school either through this blog or IRL. There have been many ups and downs, but we are very excited and confident about his decision to go to UCD. So, after paying library fines, picking up his cap and gown, my husband was ready to receive his diplomas. My parents drove down from Iowa and Collin's parents flew in from Washington State to help us celebrate Collin's accomplishments. I boasted about my husband here.

On their first full day here, we actually split up. My parents tried to go to a WW II museum, but discovered it was closed when they got there. The rest of us hit the trails at the Fiery Gizzard and checked out The University of the South in Sewanee. Here are some pretty cool pictures...


We met up later that evening for dinner at Five Guys Burgers and Fries. Our town was having their annual Jazz Festival so we loaded up the camping chairs and headed to The Square. We got to hear one song and the rains came. We sat under an awning and watched the lightening. Collin's parents don't get the privilege of witnessing many thunderstorms where they live so this was a real treat. We all turned in early that evening to get some needed rest before the BIG DAY!

Goodbye MTSU...Hello UCDavis!!

Congratulations, Collin!!!!!

I am so proud of my husband! He has worked so hard and has gone above and beyond the call of duty.


He is graduating today with TWO Bachelor's degrees...English and French!

He is graduating today Cum Laude!

He is graduating today as a McNair Scholar!

He is graduating today with a GPA close to 4.0 in both of his majors (English & French) !

He is graduating today with 3 Independent Research Papers under his belt already...the kind of thing you are expected to complete at least one of in grad. school!

He is graduating today having presented those Research Papers at 3 International Conferences!

He is graduating today having scored a 1420 on his GRE...he took it once and didn't even study!

He is graduating today being admitted directly into a PhD program at UCDavis!

He is graduating today have done all this while working to improve his relationship with his wife (it's been the best it has ever been!), wrestling with his two little boys, and working full time while taking a full load of classes.

"The Envelope, Please"...

And the winner of the desired "Collin" award in the category of graduate school goes too...(drumroll please...)

UC Davis!

What's the Meaning of This?

April 15, 2008.

To most people, that date is commonly known as "tax day". To those who are finally seeing the light at the end of the tunnel and continuing their education on into graduate school, that date means, "You mean after 7 months of waiting I will finally have an idea of where I will be living in the fall?" That's right. By now the schools should have made their formal offers and you should be able to make an educated decision about your future. Key word here is "should".

For better or for worse, we will be making that educated decision.

University of Connecticut?
University of New Mexico?
Arizona State University?
University of California at Davis?
St. Louis University?
University of Oregon?
West Virginia University?
Western Michigan University?

Who will it be?

I'm Lonely

Collin is flying somewhere over the central part of the US on his way to the University of California at Davis. It is very exciting as they have shown tremendous interest in him attending their University in pursuit of his PhD. He will be there for 3 days and then he is heading to WA to visit family.

I don't like it when he is gone. Something is missing. The dynamics are all wrong. I miss him already and am impatiently awaiting his arrival in 6 days.

So, I have a feeling I will have a few more blog entries this week than I have previously. No pictures though, since he has the camera. Stay tuned....

3 1/2 years down...5 1/2 to go!

We are officially off "survival mode"! Collin has successfully finished another semester. Now we get him all to ourselves until the middle of January. Well, maybe not "all". He still has a few graduate school applications to fill out and send, a paper and more research to do on Boethius so he can present it at a Medieval Conference in May, cars to fix, and some fiction writing to do. But at least he will be around! :0)

So, he only has ONE more semester left in his undergraduate studies! Yeah!

Oh, and his application to the UC Davis Medieval program will be completed and sent electronically tonight! Yeah! Collin finally has some free moments to give all of this grad. school stuff that has been looming around the attention that it deserves. I know it has been weighing on him. Once all of the applications are in, then we just wait...

And the Award goes to...

Last night the boys and I had the honor of attending an awards ceremony for Collin. Collin was nominated by two of his professors to receive the University's Peck Award. This award is given to outstanding English students for "academic excellence, professional promise, and potential for living the examined life with liberality and courage". Out of the nine people chosen to receive this honor, Collin was one of three undergraduates and the rest were graduate students. Dr. Philips introduced him as having "accomplished in his undergraduate studies what most graduate students and young professors hope to accomplish"! It's so great to have his hard work and dedication recognized by the University. I am very proud of my Husband!

Another day. Another grad school thing.

Well, he is off again. It's early in the morning and Collin is on his way to take the GRE subject exam for English. He'll have 4 hours to answer 250 questions about English. He's a bit nervous since it will cover all time periods. He is a Medievalist so there are gaps in his knowledge regarding the modern stuff. He'll do fine though. He always does.

Not all grad schools require this test. WARNING...proud wife comments ahead!!....Many are satisfied with the usual GRE scores (which he scored a 1420 on!!!!!), transcripts (a BA in English and a BA in French), letters of recommendation, statement of purpose, and academic achievements (he has 3 original research projects that he has presented at international conferences under his belt!). A couple of the schools he knows he is applying to require the scores for this test as well. So, he is off again.

Here are the schools we are looking at right now...
1. University of California at Davis.
2. Western Michigan University (Kalamazoo, MI)
3. St. Louis University

He will be pursuing a doctorate in "early medieval languages and literatures." He has decided against pursuing a PhD in French.

That's where things stand now. There will be updates when things start happening.