65 degrees

Rebecca turned the thermostat down to 65 degrees a couple of weeks ago when the weather warmed up a bit outside. Then it got cold again, and we've had to adapt to the cooler indoor temperature by increasing the number of layers we put on. It only gets really cold after the sun goes down and the air seeps through the uninsulated walls of our 89-year-old home. Lily sleeps on the sun porch, and it does not have a vent connected to the central air, and she has neglected turning on the space heater, so her room is usually the coldest.

At school, Lillian and her friends have been given access to the district's Moodle account, and they have been using the discussion boards. This week, one of the kids listed several reasons why one should not eat pigs (they're cute and they are a lot like humans; therefore, do not eat them). Lily noted that this is a stupid argument, and it is. Probably the best reasons not to eat pigs and other animals have to do with impact on human health and environmental degradation from modern agricultural techniques.

Emma has adapted to the cold house by wearing a fleece hat. We purchased this one at Old Navy for 50 cents during an additional 50% off men's clearance sale. Women's and children's clothing were not on sale. Fortunately, Jacob is now big enough to wear the small men's sizes, and we were able to get a couple of pairs of pants for $7.00. Anyway, the hat has kept Emma warmer, and it gives her a cute Euro-girl look.

Abby seems to be the only one not affected by the lower indoor temperatures, at least in her choices of clothing. Her favorite dresses are sleeveless sun dresses. She does tend to be more cuddly now. Rebecca's other huge accomplishment was to clean out the attic. It took about a week to go through all the toys, separate them into keep, toss and garage sale piles. It's really nice to be able to move around in the attic again. We're trying to simplify our living conditions because we will not be moving to a larger home in Cleveland Heights. We need to make do with the space we have.

Sam finished making his fleece blanket quilt this week. Rebecca has been teaching the kids how to sew, and these blankets came as precut kits we found on clearance at JoAnn fabrics a few years ago. Our home becomes occupied by blanket monsters during the winter. It's often difficult to distinguish one from another, though couch lump size is a key indicator.

Our other big news is I have been invited to participate in the Oral Assessments as part of the Foreign Service Officer selection process. This means that out of the 5,000 or so applicants that applied for the jobs last fall, I am one of the ~500 that make it to the final round. During the OAs, applicants go through a series of practical exercises that assess candidates' abilities to analyze data and present solutions and work in group settings. There is also an interview. The goal for candidates is to show how well they demonstrate the 13 dimensions that the State Department looks for in their FSOs. The OAs for this round take place in May and June. Check out www.state.gov for more information.