Fruits of the lines like 'Splash of Cream' occasionally produce variegated fruits which are like the kind of striping seen here or on Green Zebra. With these (variegated striping) there is a white layer in addition to the two other forms of green (intensity of chlorophyll but referred to as "clear vs "yellow" skin) on their striped fruit. With these the white layer cannot be noticed once they ripen. It becomes "clear". ***** I think most folks will recognize Splash of Cream better by the name Variegated, or Variegata. It was renamed by someone in France and that was unfortunate, but is listed most places as Variegated. K, I was one of the first to grow Variegated and list it in the SSE Yearbook and while the variegation appears, best in cool weather, on the leaves and stems, I never saw striping on the fruits. When the immature fruits develop there's a darker green wedge shaped pattern of color at the stem end, but no striping, and they do ripen up red. Yes, the striping on Green Zebra is quite prominent as it is with several ofther varieties such as many varieties with Tiger as part of the name. K likes to misspell Opalka, so I won't go there,LOL, but the shape of what's being shown is not a typical roma shape based on the varieties I've grown out; rather I do think it's shape is similar to the many longer apste types I've grown, such as Opalka and Howard German and Sarnowski Polish PLum, etc. And yes, Opalka and many other longer, and even shorter paste types do have nipples at the blossom end and even certain weather conditions can cause the fruits of some other varieties to become slightly heart shaped and even develop nipples which is what I'm sure you're referring to at the end of your post. Carolyn, still waiting for Lazy to hopefully answer some of the questions I asked above. ( smile)

Is THAT what it is? Nice photo, but I would never have guessed it. I can't figure out why it looks wrapped in something.

LOL, good one, Doris! Glad she's smiling. JoanMN

I tend to agree with the teacher about the PreK circle time (although, I admit, I'm not quite sure how the circle time is being used at your school). The goal here is to have him learn to fit in to the usual school routines, not to single him out and 'demote' him. If he goes there and has a ball--then it's becoming a reward--not good. If he feels put down by having to visit the PreK, then he's not going to feel very good about himself and that could cause even more problems in the long run. And if he goes to the PreK circle, is he going to be missing out on classroom work? He does sound bright and motivated, keep him as busy as possible. I know how easy it is to get involved in your own work around the house, but be sure to be aware of his behavior and compliment him on quietly completing a 'sit-down' task whenever possible. I have nothing against any system that works--including rewards, but there is sometimes a fine line between a reward and blackmail, so depending upon the child, it's sometimes best to use the treat/gift idea sparingly. Let it be known that good behavior is expected--but this time you're rewarding the fact that he's been trying SO hard. Did that make any sense? It's great that you're working with a teacher who is so dedicated and receptive--keep up the great rapport with her. Do let me know how things work out. Good luck.