diff --git a/experiments/outline-editor/editor.js b/experiments/outline-editor/editor.js
index 226baa3..2d51ce2 100755
--- a/experiments/outline-editor/editor.js
+++ b/experiments/outline-editor/editor.js
@@ -1120,13 +1120,15 @@ var JSONOutline = {
 						attrs.splice(i, 1)
 					: undefined } }
 
-		var children = data.children
+		var children = (data.children ?? [])
 			.map(function(data){
 				return that.htmlBlock(data) })
 			.join('')
+		// NOTE: the '\n' at the start of the textarea body below helps 
+		// 		preserve whitespace when parsing HTML...
 		return (
 `<div class="block ${ cls.join(' ') }" tabindex="0" ${ attrs.join(' ') }>\
-<textarea class="code text" value="${ data.text }">${ data.text }</textarea>\
+<textarea class="code text" value="${ data.text }">\n${ data.text }</textarea>\
 <span class="view text">${ parsed.text }</span>\
 <div class="children">${ children }</div>\
 </div>`) },
diff --git a/experiments/outline-editor/index.html b/experiments/outline-editor/index.html
index af5680d..ae69058 100755
--- a/experiments/outline-editor/index.html
+++ b/experiments/outline-editor/index.html
@@ -52,14 +52,25 @@ var setup = function(){
     - blank line at end of block is initially not shown
       - this block contains two lines (empty below)
         
+        - `editor.Block(editor.data(editor.get())).querySelector('.view').innerHTML` -- '\n' present
+        - _...is this a resize issue???_
       - 
         this block also contains two lines (empty above)
       - 
         this block contains three lines (empty above and below)
         
-    - blank line at start of block is shown but removed on edit
+    - DONE blank line at start of block is shown but removed on edit
+      collapsed:: true
       - 
         this block also contains two lines (empty above)
+        - `editor.data(editor.get()).text` -- no `\n` at start...
+        - `editor.get().querySelector('.code').value` -- no `\n` at start...
+        - ```
+          d = document.createElement('div')
+          d.innerHTML = editor.htmlBlock({text: '\nabc\n'}) // -> '\n' exists...
+          d.querySelector('.code').value // -> no '\n' at start...
+          ```
+          ...seems that the `\n` is lost on html parse...
       - 
         this block contains three lines (empty above and below)