2007-03-19 - 10:35 p.m.

Glad this internet connection actually works tonight. Its irritatingly inconsistent.

I realized that the Statement of Facts is not due this week. Its due 15 days after the receipt of the Trial Record, not 15 day after the filing of Transcript.

Little detail I'm glad I got. For some reason when reading the Code on appeal criteria I was reading "transcript" and my brain was misfiring and interperting that to mean "court record" Thankfully I figured out that misunderstanding IN TIME to actually file the transcript in time.

For some reason I was making the converse error and reading "Statement of Facts and Questions Presented due 15 days after court record recieved" and interperting that as 15 days after Transcript filing.

Of course it wouldn't hurt to have anything filed EARLY. So that was on my agenda for this week and I am going to do my best to complete it.

I will double check and re read the VA CODE on appeals to be sure I do this correctly. After all, it might be on the 12th time I read it that I realize if I have misinterperted the SAME THING over and over again... like that reading of "transcript" and somehow interperting it as court record! I had gone into the records room to verify the whole trial record was sent to Richmond and they told me they had 90 DAys and would do so automatically. I insisted that I read I HAVE THE AFFIRMATIVE DUTY TO ENSURE IT SENT AND FILED....and only when they insisted that I didn't have to do anything, and I had STILL filed with the court a Request on their "FILE REQUEST" Form, typically used by attorneys to pull a file, did I THEN realize my error in reading.

I thought it a really stupid error to make ! Silly in a way... at least I read it correctly then.

I relaxed this weekend and spent today taking care of household needs: bills, taking garbage to the dump, cleaning my car etc... I was home with the girls and au pair until lunch. We actually had a nice time playing outside this morning with the girls until after the kindergartener got home. I told my au pair that the girls are to play outside every morning regardless of weather . I demonstrated how if she starts playing with something they will want to join in. She needed a bit of help to learn how to motivate them and take charge and not let them be too free spirited. So today I really just needed to be home to go through the routine with her. I hope to have the next few weeks home with her without too many other distractions (with the exception of when I go to my classes). Then I hope to do legal writing at night after kids are in bed.

She was surprised I think at just how well it works to motivate the kids by just being happy and engaged in an activity so that it looks like FUN and they want to join in. I told my au pair to bundle them up, take them outside and LOCK THE HOUSE so they can't run back in and insist it is play time. Then start playing and they will soon stop resisting. It works! Soon they were playing soccer and then basketball. We were all out for at least an hour and a half.
Then Pocahontas and her charges of the three adorable little ones she watches came over for a play date.

I was Just YEARNING to do some pruning as it was such a beautiful day. I unfortunately had some running around to do running essential errands.

Maybe I'll get to those trees tommorrow.

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