An eight-year-old's update

Sometimes it pays to clean up. Earlier we allowed Dot to have the Playmobil Grand Mansion (we found it at a consignment shop), with the promise to "get rid" of her Barbies. (We are keeping the house Mike made. Can't get rid of that!!!) After a morning of sorting through her stuff, we took the decent items to Once Upon a Child, where Dot made a total of $25! With that money she has purchased a Our Generation doll from Target - an American Girl knock-off with a much lower price. Dot now dreams of all the outfits she will be sewing for her doll.
When not playing Playmobil or with her new doll, or doing school, Dot gets limited time on the computer. Lately all that time has been spent playing "Battle for Wesnoth." If allowed, she will spend all afternoon sucked into this game. If not allowed, she will then go read, with Calvin and Hobbes being one of her favorite ways to pass the time. Another favorite, Pick Me Up, a new library book that covers a bunch of different topics. It is an interesting read. (Watch out for evolutionary and cultural ideas, however.) In school we are reading Rolf and the Viking Bow. It is an Icelandic adventure set in the chivalric past. The book is more of an adventure (a "boy book"), but it is good for her to read.
Gym class has been introduicng her to the basic sports - football and basketball so far. Dot has not been enjoying that so much, but it is good for her to learn the basics. She hopes that next year we will opt for doing our own gym class of geo-caching. Hiking would be a good "sport" for her...
New things are on the horizon... preliminary plans include summer camp!