Question for Americans

School-related fic questions:

How old are third-grade kids? Would kids that young get homework?
Here children aged 4-11 go to primary school. Am I right in thinking it's called an elementary school there?
Are there such things as classroom assistants? (Non-teachers who help with the kids)

ABoD

650 words done (I write slooow). That's just the first and last scenes. Suddenly this 3000 word thing's not looking so bad after all.

I'm using the tried and true "get it written down no matter how much it sucks, then redraft the hell out of it" method.

Everyone who answered my school questions rocks. Probably stuff I don't need for the fic, in the same way the mountains of background connorbeast and I made up for Lindsey had no bearing on Beautiful Buddy Movie, but I have this odd getting-to-know-the-character compulsion.

Link

Photoshop Phriday (link plagiarised from anniesj) is the Funniest Thing Ever.

( Silliness about my dreams, feel free to skip )

Presents

With my 21st birthday 4 scant months away, I think it's time I started dropping unsubtle hints as to what presents I want.

Hmm, this t-shirt is quite nice...

Badly drawn Paint spam

It's sad that this is the most productive thing I've done today...

( the most important scene in Chosen )

ETA:

"When you become a serial killer and the cops interview me, I'm going to show them this picture" : connorbeast, art critic extraordinaire

Fanfic awards

Looking at the Believe Award nominations. Some of them really good. Some of them really not. And a bunch of terrific authors that aren't there. Even apathetic me may feel inspired to nominate people...