1. A physical therapy patient came into the office today. He looked at me rather oddly while he was signing in, but he said nothing. I chalked it up to the fact that I am subbing at a satellite office rather than being at the main office, so I also said nothing. On the way out, he stopped by the front desk again.
"D'ya live in H'sk'll?"
"Pardon?"
"D'ya live in Haskell?"
"Oh! No, sure don't, sorry."
"Hrmph. *grunt of acknowledgement* Well, ya gotta twin there."
I now have twins in McAlester and Haskell as well as one that makes appearances at one of the local hospitals. I'm going to start telling people I'm a clone.
-----
2. Doodlebug came bounding down the stairs this evening.
"MOM! MOM! You've got to see this. It's SO CUTE!!!"
"What is??"
"Tom. He's in his hide, and he has his head and one leg sticking out, and it's adorable."
I reflected for a moment that it will only be a matter of time before he stops describing anything without boobs as 'cute' and decided to go see what the lizard was doing. Glad I went. The little bugger was, in fact, as cute as advertised. (Note to Self: Must start taking phone along for these things so I can share the with you all.)
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3. After dinner, Boo decided she wanted to mime instead of talk. I figured I'd relish the silence for ohhhh, 30 seconds or so. But no. She stuck it out for a good 20 minutes. The fact that her brother joined in did help, I'll admit, especially when they started miming me and Oz and making fun of us while attempting to stifle giggles because, you know, mimes don't make noise.
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4. I unpacked an Amazon box this evening. Well, OK, I unpacked some of it. One of the things I had bought was a new sieve/strainer for the kitchen since my old one is falling apart. As I unpacked it, Oz came into the kitchen to see what I had purchased. When he saw the strainer, his face puckered.
"Hmmmmm…"
"What?"
"Well… I bought you one of those for Christmas. But where did I put it?"
He found it, after searching various rooms and his car. His purchase is nicer than mine. Now to decide whether to return mine or just have two. I'll probably double up or give mine to someone. The debate continues…
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Happy End of 2014, y'all!
Showing posts with label M2. Show all posts
Showing posts with label M2. Show all posts
Tuesday, December 30, 2014
Sunday, December 28, 2014
Christmas 2014
Christmas this year was quieter than most. For one thing, we stayed at home so that Doodlebug could cook Christmas dinner for us. He was very excited about this, and he had planned his menu well in advance:
Roast Duck with Mushroom Gravy
Stuffing
Roasted Red Potatoes
Green Beans
Apple Danish
Everything (except the stuffing, which was good old-fashioned Stovetop) was homemade. I insisted that he get into the kitchen the day before Christmas to start the danish; really, if I'd been smart and read the recipe myself instead of relying on a 12-year-old to do it, I would have had him start on Tuesday, but I may have been a little TOO trusting of his abilities. Anyway, I had him start the danish on Christmas Eve day. Everything else he cooked on Christmas. I wish I had gotten some photos of him cooking, but I was supervising and stirring the gravy. He cooked everything himself. The only part I played, other than stirring gravy, was to help him figure out in what order things needed to be started and subsequently cooked. It was all delicious, and we still have a little bit of leftover food. I even took the duck bones (and a chicken carcass that I had previously frozen) and made a whole bunch of poultry stock yesterday evening. Waste not, want not, right?
Of course we opened gifts on Christmas morning before the boy got in the kitchen. I did take a few photos of that, but I used Oz's phone as my camera since I wasn't coherent enough to either grab my own phone or my camera before plopping on the couch. I think both kids were happy with their gifts, and I think Oz was happy with his, too. I got him a nice new watch since his old one had finally bitten the dust. Doodlebug got him a Himalayan salt block for grilling, and Boo gave him some jerky made with all kinds of meat - venison, ostrich, alligator, etc. I received a gray coat, some earrings (one nice pair of crystal and one pair that features Schroedinger's cat(s), a couple of computer games that Oz and I can play together, a candle from Boo, and new placemats, napkins and napkin rings from Doodlebug. I felt like I made out like a bandit.
We didn't get the kids huge gifts this year; Boo got a replacement iPod Touch, since the button on her old one had never worked well and the charger was fraying, but that was the most expensive purchase we made. We got them a bunch of little things instead, and I think they're just as happy. Boo has been happily making duct tape crafts, for instance, and Doodlebug asked me to teach him to play Risk today. Doodlebug is also starting to lobby hard for Xbox Live (mostly so he can play some games via that outlet with his friends), and I have told him that if he can continue to demonstrate positive behavior with regard to electronics, he'll have a good shot at getting that by his birthday. I may even consider buying him a new game console if he does particularly well.
We've been steadily working out times to visit family and see them for the holiday since Christmas. The kids are out of school for another week, and while I do have to work, my schedule is light and some days I should get out of the office around 3 or 3:30, so I'll have evenings free to do whatever.
I feel like I should be posting more… but that's another post. Look for changes over the next week or so. Thanks for reading.
Hope you all had a joyous holiday, no matter how you celebrated. :)
Roast Duck with Mushroom Gravy
Stuffing
Roasted Red Potatoes
Green Beans
Apple Danish
Everything (except the stuffing, which was good old-fashioned Stovetop) was homemade. I insisted that he get into the kitchen the day before Christmas to start the danish; really, if I'd been smart and read the recipe myself instead of relying on a 12-year-old to do it, I would have had him start on Tuesday, but I may have been a little TOO trusting of his abilities. Anyway, I had him start the danish on Christmas Eve day. Everything else he cooked on Christmas. I wish I had gotten some photos of him cooking, but I was supervising and stirring the gravy. He cooked everything himself. The only part I played, other than stirring gravy, was to help him figure out in what order things needed to be started and subsequently cooked. It was all delicious, and we still have a little bit of leftover food. I even took the duck bones (and a chicken carcass that I had previously frozen) and made a whole bunch of poultry stock yesterday evening. Waste not, want not, right?
Of course we opened gifts on Christmas morning before the boy got in the kitchen. I did take a few photos of that, but I used Oz's phone as my camera since I wasn't coherent enough to either grab my own phone or my camera before plopping on the couch. I think both kids were happy with their gifts, and I think Oz was happy with his, too. I got him a nice new watch since his old one had finally bitten the dust. Doodlebug got him a Himalayan salt block for grilling, and Boo gave him some jerky made with all kinds of meat - venison, ostrich, alligator, etc. I received a gray coat, some earrings (one nice pair of crystal and one pair that features Schroedinger's cat(s), a couple of computer games that Oz and I can play together, a candle from Boo, and new placemats, napkins and napkin rings from Doodlebug. I felt like I made out like a bandit.
We didn't get the kids huge gifts this year; Boo got a replacement iPod Touch, since the button on her old one had never worked well and the charger was fraying, but that was the most expensive purchase we made. We got them a bunch of little things instead, and I think they're just as happy. Boo has been happily making duct tape crafts, for instance, and Doodlebug asked me to teach him to play Risk today. Doodlebug is also starting to lobby hard for Xbox Live (mostly so he can play some games via that outlet with his friends), and I have told him that if he can continue to demonstrate positive behavior with regard to electronics, he'll have a good shot at getting that by his birthday. I may even consider buying him a new game console if he does particularly well.
We've been steadily working out times to visit family and see them for the holiday since Christmas. The kids are out of school for another week, and while I do have to work, my schedule is light and some days I should get out of the office around 3 or 3:30, so I'll have evenings free to do whatever.
I feel like I should be posting more… but that's another post. Look for changes over the next week or so. Thanks for reading.
Hope you all had a joyous holiday, no matter how you celebrated. :)
Tuesday, December 9, 2014
A Day Off
So I'm sitting at home today. I would be at work, but my girly is still sleeping, and I'll be darned if I'm going to wake her. She needs her rest, and she'll want her mama when she wakes up. Poor child just wasn't at all well yesterday afternoon/evening; she even missed her last violin lesson of 2014.
I wasn't looking for a day off - heaven knows they needed me at work, but they'll have to make do. My Boo is more important. However… if I'm going to have a day off, I'm going to enjoy it! I don't really have any errands to run (I need to pick up a few gifts for a few people, mostly teachers, between now and Christmas, but it'll happen sooner or later), and I'm sure my wee one won't be up to going anywhere anyway, so I'm doing some of the things that I would be doing if I didn't have a job - namely catching up on reading blogs, cross-stitching, reading, watching TV/movies, and maybe even baking. Haven't entirely decided on that last one yet. Since this is the first day I've taken off of work since I started 3+ months ago, it feels completely weird to be sitting on the couch at 8:46 a.m. wearing lounge pants and a hoodie. Good weird, though, not bad weird.
As I was reading some of the blogs in my roll this morning, I ran across this little gem from Mom to the Screaming Masses. She'd swiped it out of the back of a magazine, but I thought it was A) a lot better than a lot of the 'surveys' I've filled out in the past and B) a good way to get to know someone. So I'm doing it. #waystokilltime
Signature Dish: Jambalaya and pavlova. Yes, I just combined Cajun/southern food and an Australian dessert. I cook all over the globe. It happens.
Worst Thing I Ate This Week: If it has to be eating, then the peppermint bark we made and I ate is probably right up there on the list, but the hot buttered rum I downed last night would be a close second.
Favorite Junk Food: Totino's. Or mozzarella sticks.
Favorite Board Game: MONOPOLY. But nobody will play with me. Wonder why? *innocent face*
Household Chore I Enjoy: Cooking. Baking. <---I'm stealing this answer from MttSM, because she and I are alike in this regard. I could spend all day in the kitchen. Apparently my daughter told her teacher yesterday that I should be running the school kitchens because the teacher said her leftover nachos looked delicious.
My Secret Cleaning Weapon: Essential oils, particularly lemon and lavender. I haven't purchased a bottle of 409 - or any of its kin - in close to 10 years.
Etiquette Pet Peeve: People who don't RSVP. It does not mean, "Hey, lemme know if you wanna come at the last minute when you realize you have nothing better to do." It means, "I need to know if you are OR IF YOU ARE NOT coming so that I can plan my event/life around you." In this day of texting and Facebook and 1000 other forms of communication, it will not kill anyone to say yay or nay to an invitation.
I Will Never Care About: your gym exploits. If you've run a 5K or marathon or something for the first time, by all means post it, but I do not need to know the details of your every workout. Facebook, I'm looking at you.
The Last Thing I Bought Online Was: Ohhhhh I can't post that here. Suffice it to say I did some shopping this morning for a birthday or two.
I Drive: 2012 Ford Explorer, silver. Her name is Sylvia.
Good Habit: Laundry. It never piles up because I have a laundry routine - Knits and delicates get washed on Thursdays; knits, denim, towels, and sheets (biweekly) get done on Sundays.
Bad Habit: Picking my cuticles. I'm trying to stop, honest to God. <--- I only do this during the winter, but it's horrible. I wrapped a Band-Aid around my left thumb over the weekend and did fine, but the minute the Band-Aid came off, I started picking again. Ugh.
Before Company Arrives I: Sweep/vacuum the fur off the floors and wipe the bathrooms down, and depending on who it is, clean the kitchen and dust.
Cat/Dog/Other: CATS.
Stuff I Can't Live Without: Texting. This from the woman who thought she would never text anyone EVER when she first got her phone. Unlimited texting is the bomb-diggity.
If I Had An Extra Hour Today, I Would: If I could magically give myself an extra hour, I would tell time to shove it and use the magic to make my daughter feel better. I'd give up an hour for her, and then some.
My Handbag Is: TINY! I have a little denim one and a little brown/tan woven one that I swap out. They both desperately need to be washed. And when I say little, the denim one is barely large enough to hold my wallet (yes, I have a men's wallet), phone, bottle of Aleve, work badge, ink pen, and keys.
On My Bucket List: Go to Germany.
I wasn't looking for a day off - heaven knows they needed me at work, but they'll have to make do. My Boo is more important. However… if I'm going to have a day off, I'm going to enjoy it! I don't really have any errands to run (I need to pick up a few gifts for a few people, mostly teachers, between now and Christmas, but it'll happen sooner or later), and I'm sure my wee one won't be up to going anywhere anyway, so I'm doing some of the things that I would be doing if I didn't have a job - namely catching up on reading blogs, cross-stitching, reading, watching TV/movies, and maybe even baking. Haven't entirely decided on that last one yet. Since this is the first day I've taken off of work since I started 3+ months ago, it feels completely weird to be sitting on the couch at 8:46 a.m. wearing lounge pants and a hoodie. Good weird, though, not bad weird.
As I was reading some of the blogs in my roll this morning, I ran across this little gem from Mom to the Screaming Masses. She'd swiped it out of the back of a magazine, but I thought it was A) a lot better than a lot of the 'surveys' I've filled out in the past and B) a good way to get to know someone. So I'm doing it. #waystokilltime
Signature Dish: Jambalaya and pavlova. Yes, I just combined Cajun/southern food and an Australian dessert. I cook all over the globe. It happens.
Worst Thing I Ate This Week: If it has to be eating, then the peppermint bark we made and I ate is probably right up there on the list, but the hot buttered rum I downed last night would be a close second.
Favorite Junk Food: Totino's. Or mozzarella sticks.
Favorite Board Game: MONOPOLY. But nobody will play with me. Wonder why? *innocent face*
Household Chore I Enjoy: Cooking. Baking. <---I'm stealing this answer from MttSM, because she and I are alike in this regard. I could spend all day in the kitchen. Apparently my daughter told her teacher yesterday that I should be running the school kitchens because the teacher said her leftover nachos looked delicious.
My Secret Cleaning Weapon: Essential oils, particularly lemon and lavender. I haven't purchased a bottle of 409 - or any of its kin - in close to 10 years.
Etiquette Pet Peeve: People who don't RSVP. It does not mean, "Hey, lemme know if you wanna come at the last minute when you realize you have nothing better to do." It means, "I need to know if you are OR IF YOU ARE NOT coming so that I can plan my event/life around you." In this day of texting and Facebook and 1000 other forms of communication, it will not kill anyone to say yay or nay to an invitation.
I Will Never Care About: your gym exploits. If you've run a 5K or marathon or something for the first time, by all means post it, but I do not need to know the details of your every workout. Facebook, I'm looking at you.
The Last Thing I Bought Online Was: Ohhhhh I can't post that here. Suffice it to say I did some shopping this morning for a birthday or two.
I Drive: 2012 Ford Explorer, silver. Her name is Sylvia.
Good Habit: Laundry. It never piles up because I have a laundry routine - Knits and delicates get washed on Thursdays; knits, denim, towels, and sheets (biweekly) get done on Sundays.
Bad Habit: Picking my cuticles. I'm trying to stop, honest to God. <--- I only do this during the winter, but it's horrible. I wrapped a Band-Aid around my left thumb over the weekend and did fine, but the minute the Band-Aid came off, I started picking again. Ugh.
Before Company Arrives I: Sweep/vacuum the fur off the floors and wipe the bathrooms down, and depending on who it is, clean the kitchen and dust.
Cat/Dog/Other: CATS.
Stuff I Can't Live Without: Texting. This from the woman who thought she would never text anyone EVER when she first got her phone. Unlimited texting is the bomb-diggity.
If I Had An Extra Hour Today, I Would: If I could magically give myself an extra hour, I would tell time to shove it and use the magic to make my daughter feel better. I'd give up an hour for her, and then some.
My Handbag Is: TINY! I have a little denim one and a little brown/tan woven one that I swap out. They both desperately need to be washed. And when I say little, the denim one is barely large enough to hold my wallet (yes, I have a men's wallet), phone, bottle of Aleve, work badge, ink pen, and keys.
On My Bucket List: Go to Germany.
Monday, December 8, 2014
The Three-Ring Circus
Today, I would like to update you on my life. To best illustrate it all, I shall use the metaphor of a three-ring circus.
IN THE FIRST RING:
My kiddos.
The boy has been throwing fits and has been unable to focus again; we're finally down to the last Vyvanse at 20 mg, and so starting this week we're going to go up to 30 mg. We may go as high as 40 if necessary (given his height and weight, I know the doctor wouldn't object) to get us back to a solid baseline. The boy needs new coping skills, and he needs to be able to focus to get them right before we "de-medicate" again. We're also continuing the Intuniv as is. He's also considering whether or not he wants to remain in public school next year or return home. He's on the fence. I'm letting the choice be his this year. We'll see how it goes.
The girl has been mentally/emotionally okay, but she came down with pneumonia last Thursday. Well, OK, so really it was a very mild case of pneumonia and we caught it on Friday afternoon, but pneumonia it is (I suspect combined with a virus, but that's neither here nor there) and that means breathing treatments and Mucinex and Tylenol and 'roid rage and grumpy girl who wants to go to school and who DID go to school today because she didn't have a fever but then came home with a fever of exactly 100.0F and a headache. A breathing treatment and Mucinex helped; she's off to take a bath and put on pajamas now. Here's hoping she feels better again by morning.
IN THE SECOND RING:
My job.
I really do enjoy my job, but days like today make it difficult to remember why. I won't get into details on here for many reasons, but suffice it to say that my level of screw-it-all is extremely high right now, and if they fired me tomorrow (which I hope they won't and don't think they will), I don't even know that I would care. OK, I would care and would probably cry, but OMG STRESS. I'm supposed to go in and chat with the director of operations about something tomorrow, and I feel like I'm being sent to the principal's office. I can't imagine that I'm in trouble, but that feeling is still there… and really, it's just more OMG STRESS.
IN THE THIRD RING:
My personal life.
BWAAAAAAAAAAAAAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA.
OK, seriously, I am working on my cross-stitch project for Doodlebug's room and intend to read a couple of books I picked up at the store this weekend, but other than that, nope. Allllll the NOPE. Oz and I have his company holiday party this week; mine is next week. At some point I need to go visit my mother for a Christmas shopping trip, and I have a couple of people left on my list for whom I need to shop. The idea of me getting out for ME? With MY friends or with MY husband? Not happening.
---
My goals right now are to get everyone healthy/properly medicated, figure out the work stuff, and get through the next few weeks intact. Then maybe it'll settle down…
Hey, a girl can dream.
IN THE FIRST RING:
My kiddos.
The boy has been throwing fits and has been unable to focus again; we're finally down to the last Vyvanse at 20 mg, and so starting this week we're going to go up to 30 mg. We may go as high as 40 if necessary (given his height and weight, I know the doctor wouldn't object) to get us back to a solid baseline. The boy needs new coping skills, and he needs to be able to focus to get them right before we "de-medicate" again. We're also continuing the Intuniv as is. He's also considering whether or not he wants to remain in public school next year or return home. He's on the fence. I'm letting the choice be his this year. We'll see how it goes.
The girl has been mentally/emotionally okay, but she came down with pneumonia last Thursday. Well, OK, so really it was a very mild case of pneumonia and we caught it on Friday afternoon, but pneumonia it is (I suspect combined with a virus, but that's neither here nor there) and that means breathing treatments and Mucinex and Tylenol and 'roid rage and grumpy girl who wants to go to school and who DID go to school today because she didn't have a fever but then came home with a fever of exactly 100.0F and a headache. A breathing treatment and Mucinex helped; she's off to take a bath and put on pajamas now. Here's hoping she feels better again by morning.
IN THE SECOND RING:
My job.
I really do enjoy my job, but days like today make it difficult to remember why. I won't get into details on here for many reasons, but suffice it to say that my level of screw-it-all is extremely high right now, and if they fired me tomorrow (which I hope they won't and don't think they will), I don't even know that I would care. OK, I would care and would probably cry, but OMG STRESS. I'm supposed to go in and chat with the director of operations about something tomorrow, and I feel like I'm being sent to the principal's office. I can't imagine that I'm in trouble, but that feeling is still there… and really, it's just more OMG STRESS.
IN THE THIRD RING:
My personal life.
BWAAAAAAAAAAAAAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA.
OK, seriously, I am working on my cross-stitch project for Doodlebug's room and intend to read a couple of books I picked up at the store this weekend, but other than that, nope. Allllll the NOPE. Oz and I have his company holiday party this week; mine is next week. At some point I need to go visit my mother for a Christmas shopping trip, and I have a couple of people left on my list for whom I need to shop. The idea of me getting out for ME? With MY friends or with MY husband? Not happening.
---
My goals right now are to get everyone healthy/properly medicated, figure out the work stuff, and get through the next few weeks intact. Then maybe it'll settle down…
Hey, a girl can dream.
Sunday, November 9, 2014
Purging & Productivity
I did not intend to be productive this weekend. In fact, when I woke up on Saturday morning, it was with the intention of staying in bed for the entire day because I lacked both the motivation and the energy to move. I had been sliding up and down (mostly down) the depression scale for more than a week, and it seemed that it had gotten the better of me again, to the point where I could no longer move.
However, spending the morning in bed may have been exactly what the doctor ordered.
I emerged about noon. And then I got busy. Very, very busy. I made cinnamon rolls and fish & chips. I made a menu for the week, devised a grocery list and went to the store with Doodlebug (and even stocked up on stuff for a few extra meals in case the weather turns sour later this week… having a few extra meals on hand is not a bad idea this time of year). I cleaned a few things, tidied up some others, and generally put things in order. Before the kids went to bed, we played a couple of family games of Uno, and after they went to bed, I spent quite a while discussing tattoo designs with Oz. I hit the sack late, but it felt good. *I* felt good.
The productivity continued today. I had promised the kids I would spend some time with them, and despite Doodlebug's protests that he wanted to do something indoors (i.e. laser tag), I told them that this was going to be one of the last beautiful fall days and that I would only agree to an outdoor activity. So they put on their skates, and Oz and I walked behind them as they skated down one of the trails of a major park system. It was a beautiful 2-mile adventure.
We got home, and I tidied up some more and had the kids start cleaning out the game room. This had needed to be done for a long, long time, but today I found the motivation to figure out what furniture needs to go where and how it all needs to work together. They got everything cleaned out in a little more than an hour and a half, and Oz helped get rid of some extra furniture. Then we moved the computer and desk from the guest room into the game room. Eventually we'll move the chaise lounge and ottoman from the game room into the guest room and get a couch for the game room, but that hasn't happened yet. I ordered a lamp for the guest room as well, and I'm going to have Oz hang a painting in there. I need to get a new trash can for that room as well, but one thing at a time.
In the meantime, I started some Guinness beef stew for dinner (it's getting close to being done as I type this) and cleaned out the desk drawer. I also ordered a few Christmas gifts for the munchkins and started officially planning the giant Thanksgiving that we're going to host here this year.
Next weekend I intend to clean out the attic while the kids clean out their bedrooms. They'll hate me, but if it can get done before the holidays, I'll be a very happy camper.
I may clean out the bathroom cabinets tonight. That needs to happen, too, and I figure I should get it done while I have the energy!
Because tomorrow, it's back to work.
However, spending the morning in bed may have been exactly what the doctor ordered.
I emerged about noon. And then I got busy. Very, very busy. I made cinnamon rolls and fish & chips. I made a menu for the week, devised a grocery list and went to the store with Doodlebug (and even stocked up on stuff for a few extra meals in case the weather turns sour later this week… having a few extra meals on hand is not a bad idea this time of year). I cleaned a few things, tidied up some others, and generally put things in order. Before the kids went to bed, we played a couple of family games of Uno, and after they went to bed, I spent quite a while discussing tattoo designs with Oz. I hit the sack late, but it felt good. *I* felt good.
The productivity continued today. I had promised the kids I would spend some time with them, and despite Doodlebug's protests that he wanted to do something indoors (i.e. laser tag), I told them that this was going to be one of the last beautiful fall days and that I would only agree to an outdoor activity. So they put on their skates, and Oz and I walked behind them as they skated down one of the trails of a major park system. It was a beautiful 2-mile adventure.
We got home, and I tidied up some more and had the kids start cleaning out the game room. This had needed to be done for a long, long time, but today I found the motivation to figure out what furniture needs to go where and how it all needs to work together. They got everything cleaned out in a little more than an hour and a half, and Oz helped get rid of some extra furniture. Then we moved the computer and desk from the guest room into the game room. Eventually we'll move the chaise lounge and ottoman from the game room into the guest room and get a couch for the game room, but that hasn't happened yet. I ordered a lamp for the guest room as well, and I'm going to have Oz hang a painting in there. I need to get a new trash can for that room as well, but one thing at a time.
In the meantime, I started some Guinness beef stew for dinner (it's getting close to being done as I type this) and cleaned out the desk drawer. I also ordered a few Christmas gifts for the munchkins and started officially planning the giant Thanksgiving that we're going to host here this year.
Next weekend I intend to clean out the attic while the kids clean out their bedrooms. They'll hate me, but if it can get done before the holidays, I'll be a very happy camper.
I may clean out the bathroom cabinets tonight. That needs to happen, too, and I figure I should get it done while I have the energy!
Because tomorrow, it's back to work.
Friday, November 7, 2014
Surprises
Today was a day of surprises.
Boo's school put on on a giant Veteran's Day program today. They've been practicing for weeks, and Boo was quite upset that neither Oz nor I thought we would be able to come, especially since there were two performances - one at 10 in the morning, specifically geared toward veterans, with a free luncheon for veterans afterward; one at 1:45 in the afternoon for family members of the students. We told her we would love for her to sing the songs for us afterward, but of course that's never the same as being there when your girl wants you… and she definitely wanted us there.
On Wednesday, however, upon returning to the main office from the satellite location I'd covered on Monday and Tuesday, I discovered that all but one of the doctors was going to be out this afternoon. There were a grand total of eight patients slated between the hours of 11:30 and 5 p.m., and two of those were just coming in to pick up orthopedic hardware or have a cast change. The rest of the doctors were going to be out, in surgery, or were going to a continuing-ed seminar about workers' compensation.
On Thursday I learned that the remaining doctor had bailed and rescheduled his patients and also that one of my coworkers, one of the ones who comes in at 6:30 a.m., was going to be working the seminar for the day and so wouldn't be in.
Since I already had an hour of overtime for the week, that meant if I came in at 6:30… and didn't take a lunch… I could leave at 1:30… and still have my 40 hours for the week… and could surprise my girl.
I worked it out with the rest of my team, and that is exactly what I did.
To make it even better, Oz's afternoon was quiet, and so he was able to attend the program as well. When I walked into the gym, I spotted her facing away from me. She was standing on some risers waiting for the program to start. The look on her face when I tugged on her belt loop was priceless. If she hadn't been so conscious of her height and weight being enough to topple me, I think she would have jumped straight down into my arms. She performed beautifully during the program, and when we were walking back to her classroom afterward, I was very pleased to see that she is one of two students in her grade who has mastered multiplication and division and has moved on to fractions.
Good surprise(s).
-----
After the program, I checked Boo out from her classroom and brought her home. On the way, we discussed the fact that we would beat Doodlebug home, and I asked if she wanted to surprise/scare him since he wouldn't expect her to be there. She loved the idea. He scares her on a weekly basis, if not more often, and so I thought a taste of his own medicine might do the boy some good.
He came home and promptly scared the crap out of himself when he saw me parked on the couch. Highstrung already. He ran to the bathroom and took care of his school stuff and then decided he would try to negotiate for electronics by volunteering to do *HALF* of his chores. Bless his ever-loving soul, he tried, but this mama ain't no fool. I told him no cigar - entitled turd monkeys did not earn electronics by doing HALF their chores. I reminded him, half listening to his protests in the meantime, that the rule has always been and shall remain that all chores must be done before rewards are given.
He did not like this.
He stormed upstairs.
The girl was waiting.
And she scared him.
And because he cannot for one instant control himself… he decked her. Not once. Not twice.
Thrice.
And then told me *I* was being unfair when I told him he had to write his sister an apology and clean her half of the game room.
"BUT SHE SCARED ME!!!"
"And how many times have you scared her over the years??"
"LOTS, BUT…"
"No. How many times has she hit you after you scared her??"
"None. BUT…!!!!!!"
"No! No buts!!! You. Hit. Your. Sister. Not once, but three frikkin' times! You need to apologize to her, IN WRITING because you're currently not allowed to talk to her, and then you need to GET YOUR CHORES DONE."
*stomp stomp stomp*
"And don't even THINK about asking for electronics sometime in the foreseeable future!!!"
Bad surprise.
-----
Welcome to the weekend from the Land of Ups and Downs. Pass the tequila.
Boo's school put on on a giant Veteran's Day program today. They've been practicing for weeks, and Boo was quite upset that neither Oz nor I thought we would be able to come, especially since there were two performances - one at 10 in the morning, specifically geared toward veterans, with a free luncheon for veterans afterward; one at 1:45 in the afternoon for family members of the students. We told her we would love for her to sing the songs for us afterward, but of course that's never the same as being there when your girl wants you… and she definitely wanted us there.
On Wednesday, however, upon returning to the main office from the satellite location I'd covered on Monday and Tuesday, I discovered that all but one of the doctors was going to be out this afternoon. There were a grand total of eight patients slated between the hours of 11:30 and 5 p.m., and two of those were just coming in to pick up orthopedic hardware or have a cast change. The rest of the doctors were going to be out, in surgery, or were going to a continuing-ed seminar about workers' compensation.
On Thursday I learned that the remaining doctor had bailed and rescheduled his patients and also that one of my coworkers, one of the ones who comes in at 6:30 a.m., was going to be working the seminar for the day and so wouldn't be in.
Since I already had an hour of overtime for the week, that meant if I came in at 6:30… and didn't take a lunch… I could leave at 1:30… and still have my 40 hours for the week… and could surprise my girl.
I worked it out with the rest of my team, and that is exactly what I did.
To make it even better, Oz's afternoon was quiet, and so he was able to attend the program as well. When I walked into the gym, I spotted her facing away from me. She was standing on some risers waiting for the program to start. The look on her face when I tugged on her belt loop was priceless. If she hadn't been so conscious of her height and weight being enough to topple me, I think she would have jumped straight down into my arms. She performed beautifully during the program, and when we were walking back to her classroom afterward, I was very pleased to see that she is one of two students in her grade who has mastered multiplication and division and has moved on to fractions.
Good surprise(s).
-----
After the program, I checked Boo out from her classroom and brought her home. On the way, we discussed the fact that we would beat Doodlebug home, and I asked if she wanted to surprise/scare him since he wouldn't expect her to be there. She loved the idea. He scares her on a weekly basis, if not more often, and so I thought a taste of his own medicine might do the boy some good.
He came home and promptly scared the crap out of himself when he saw me parked on the couch. Highstrung already. He ran to the bathroom and took care of his school stuff and then decided he would try to negotiate for electronics by volunteering to do *HALF* of his chores. Bless his ever-loving soul, he tried, but this mama ain't no fool. I told him no cigar - entitled turd monkeys did not earn electronics by doing HALF their chores. I reminded him, half listening to his protests in the meantime, that the rule has always been and shall remain that all chores must be done before rewards are given.
He did not like this.
He stormed upstairs.
The girl was waiting.
And she scared him.
And because he cannot for one instant control himself… he decked her. Not once. Not twice.
Thrice.
And then told me *I* was being unfair when I told him he had to write his sister an apology and clean her half of the game room.
"BUT SHE SCARED ME!!!"
"And how many times have you scared her over the years??"
"LOTS, BUT…"
"No. How many times has she hit you after you scared her??"
"None. BUT…!!!!!!"
"No! No buts!!! You. Hit. Your. Sister. Not once, but three frikkin' times! You need to apologize to her, IN WRITING because you're currently not allowed to talk to her, and then you need to GET YOUR CHORES DONE."
*stomp stomp stomp*
"And don't even THINK about asking for electronics sometime in the foreseeable future!!!"
Bad surprise.
-----
Welcome to the weekend from the Land of Ups and Downs. Pass the tequila.
Wednesday, October 29, 2014
Children. Ugh.
There's no talking to my children these days. Seriously, we can't have any sort of conversation without someone turning into an entitled little turd monkey.
Por ejemplo:
Today.
Doodlebug was upstairs. Boo was practicing her violin in her room, and Doodlebug was *supposed* to be cleaning his. In theory, of course. Instead, I heard the shriek of an indignant (and also constantly attitude-laden) girl. I called Doodlebug down and told him to stop messing with his sister. He said ok and promptly went back upstairs… to mess with his sister. I called him down a second time and told him to knock it off and enumerated a consequence if the behavior continued, specifically that he would be told to eat dinner and go to bed early. Because if he couldn't manage to control himself around people, it was a sign to me that he needed to go to bed so he couldn't be around anyone. Made sense to me, anyway. He said ok and promptly went back upstairs… to mess with his sister.
Argh.
So I called him down a THIRD time and told him the consequence was being enacted and to get dinner. He walked over to the fridge and stood there with the door hanging open. I told him to get food and get out, and in response he slammed the fridge door because heaven forbid we close a door with any sort of decency around here. I let it slide and told him to feed the animals while he thought about what food he wanted to eat, at which point in time he flopped himself on the floor like a 2-year-old. I told him to get moving.
So he grabbed the food bowls and hauled them to the laundry room, where he flung open the closet door and yanked out the cat food bag. I heard food fly and reminded him that he would need to clean up that food.
"It's FOUR pieces," he shot back. "Apparently I need to clean FOUR pieces."
"Yes, you do!"
"Mutter mutter mutter..." *cracks cat food can open and flops the lid on the dryer, where I know for a fact it's dripping wet cat food juice on the top*
"You'll need to clean up that mess, too, you know."
"THERE'S NO MESS. THAT'S FROM YESTERDAY."
"Well, if it's there from yesterday, clean it up!"
"I *WILL,* but I didn't make a mess!"
"As long as you clean it up! Just CLEAN IT UP."
"O-KAAAAY."
Silence.
I look over to see what he's doing and he's got a cat in his arms and is positioning it precisely two inches over the food bowl and holding it there. Cat torture. Awesome.
"DUDE!"
*jumps*
"I'm just getting him down!"
"Son, I've been watching you. You want me to do that to you??"
"No." *puts cat down*
"Then what on earth…???"
"He was trying to steal food and I was getting him down!"
"OK. Get the animals fed, and you can forget about having a proper dinner. You can have a banana or yogurt, take your shower, and GO TO BED. Since you can't quit messing with anything, apparently."
"But I didn't DO anything!!!"
Etc.
Etc.
Etc.
And after all that (and then some), there was, in fact, a mess from today's cat food can lid. Oz went in and saw it (because Doodlebug did not, in fact, clean up any of the FOUR pieces of cat food or yesterday's mess, despite his assurances that he would do so) and we had to call the boy back downstairs and get him to clean it, and then he started fighting with us again because we're just so mean for making him do something he'd said he'd do and we're just overreacting to his little white lie that there wasn't a mess today.
This scenario plays out, in various versions, half a dozen times every day, and while this particular version is about Doodlbug, Boo is not innocent. This morning she had a snark episode about French toast sticks for breakfast. Seriously. French toast sticks.
(For the record, the serving size is two sticks. There are six in a box. And two sticks is simply not enough breakfast and therefore, or so sayeth Boo, nobody will EAT the sticks because it's just not enough. My answer of just eating more sticks was apparently completely unexpected and unacceptable, and clearly I should never ever buy them again.)
I am ill-equipped to deal with these sorts of scenarios. I loathe attitude and disrespect in any way, shape or form. Oz is equally done with all of it.
Pretty sure our children won't see the other side of their teen years. Heck, they'll be lucky to see trick-or-treating tomorrow night.
Ugh.
Por ejemplo:
Today.
Doodlebug was upstairs. Boo was practicing her violin in her room, and Doodlebug was *supposed* to be cleaning his. In theory, of course. Instead, I heard the shriek of an indignant (and also constantly attitude-laden) girl. I called Doodlebug down and told him to stop messing with his sister. He said ok and promptly went back upstairs… to mess with his sister. I called him down a second time and told him to knock it off and enumerated a consequence if the behavior continued, specifically that he would be told to eat dinner and go to bed early. Because if he couldn't manage to control himself around people, it was a sign to me that he needed to go to bed so he couldn't be around anyone. Made sense to me, anyway. He said ok and promptly went back upstairs… to mess with his sister.
Argh.
So I called him down a THIRD time and told him the consequence was being enacted and to get dinner. He walked over to the fridge and stood there with the door hanging open. I told him to get food and get out, and in response he slammed the fridge door because heaven forbid we close a door with any sort of decency around here. I let it slide and told him to feed the animals while he thought about what food he wanted to eat, at which point in time he flopped himself on the floor like a 2-year-old. I told him to get moving.
So he grabbed the food bowls and hauled them to the laundry room, where he flung open the closet door and yanked out the cat food bag. I heard food fly and reminded him that he would need to clean up that food.
"It's FOUR pieces," he shot back. "Apparently I need to clean FOUR pieces."
"Yes, you do!"
"Mutter mutter mutter..." *cracks cat food can open and flops the lid on the dryer, where I know for a fact it's dripping wet cat food juice on the top*
"You'll need to clean up that mess, too, you know."
"THERE'S NO MESS. THAT'S FROM YESTERDAY."
"Well, if it's there from yesterday, clean it up!"
"I *WILL,* but I didn't make a mess!"
"As long as you clean it up! Just CLEAN IT UP."
"O-KAAAAY."
Silence.
I look over to see what he's doing and he's got a cat in his arms and is positioning it precisely two inches over the food bowl and holding it there. Cat torture. Awesome.
"DUDE!"
*jumps*
"I'm just getting him down!"
"Son, I've been watching you. You want me to do that to you??"
"No." *puts cat down*
"Then what on earth…???"
"He was trying to steal food and I was getting him down!"
"OK. Get the animals fed, and you can forget about having a proper dinner. You can have a banana or yogurt, take your shower, and GO TO BED. Since you can't quit messing with anything, apparently."
"But I didn't DO anything!!!"
Etc.
Etc.
Etc.
And after all that (and then some), there was, in fact, a mess from today's cat food can lid. Oz went in and saw it (because Doodlebug did not, in fact, clean up any of the FOUR pieces of cat food or yesterday's mess, despite his assurances that he would do so) and we had to call the boy back downstairs and get him to clean it, and then he started fighting with us again because we're just so mean for making him do something he'd said he'd do and we're just overreacting to his little white lie that there wasn't a mess today.
This scenario plays out, in various versions, half a dozen times every day, and while this particular version is about Doodlbug, Boo is not innocent. This morning she had a snark episode about French toast sticks for breakfast. Seriously. French toast sticks.
(For the record, the serving size is two sticks. There are six in a box. And two sticks is simply not enough breakfast and therefore, or so sayeth Boo, nobody will EAT the sticks because it's just not enough. My answer of just eating more sticks was apparently completely unexpected and unacceptable, and clearly I should never ever buy them again.)
I am ill-equipped to deal with these sorts of scenarios. I loathe attitude and disrespect in any way, shape or form. Oz is equally done with all of it.
Pretty sure our children won't see the other side of their teen years. Heck, they'll be lucky to see trick-or-treating tomorrow night.
Ugh.
Thursday, October 16, 2014
Parent/Teacher Conferences
Last night Oz and I attended our first parent/teacher conferences in three years.
We went to Boo's first. We walked in and sat down, and the teacher ran through some sheets that each of Boo's teachers had filled out about her behavior and grades and any other notes that they had, and then we got the preliminary report card with all As (any grade changes that happen between now and when they go out on Monday will be minor). Boo is a good student. She's happy. She's a good helper. She's smart. She's a good friend. Etc. Nothing we didn't already know or suspect about her.
We had also had a call earlier in the evening saying that Boo was officially accepted into the gifted program, so starting next Wednesday she'll get on a bus with all the other gifted/talented kids and go to a different elementary for a special supplemental course. She may wind up with homework from the class time that she misses, but it won't be ALL the work she misses and she isn't concerned. She's just pleased to be recognized for her brain… as she should be.
Then we went to Doodlebug's school. Oz and I were honestly not sure how this conference would go. We assumed we would just be meeting with one teacher, his homeroom teacher, but instead when we sat down, teachers converged from everywhere and we got to meet with 5 out of 6. That's a number I can live with.
His teachers like him! They are all impressed with his intelligence and think of him more or less as a walking dictionary - more than one mentioned that when another student needs something they will occasionally refer the student to Doodlebug to get the answer. They say he's doing all right socially, although one teacher was surprised to discover that Doodlebug and another boy are good friends since they spend class arguing (this is the same friend that got suspended along with Doodlebug, so that information didn't surprise me too much). He also has straight As, though if he doesn't pay attention in a couple of classes soon, that won't last.
The biggest surprise actually came before the conferences, when Oz and I stepped into the counselor's office. We went there to get the password to the school website so we can log in and check on Doodlebug's assignments and grades (something we were supposed to have been given months ago but oh well… clearly it hasn't affected things much). The counselor looked at us and said, "Oh, hey, I was working on his file today."
Well THAT wasn't alarming at all. #sarcasm.
Apparently one of the teachers had mentioned something about Doodlebug's 504 plan and how Doodlebug was supposed to have one… which he is… but I guess somehow in the shuffle of everything, the plan never got forwarded. So while he does have one, it isn't on file. And when the counselor popped around and asked all the teachers what they thought he needed to have on it and whether they even thought he needed one at all, the teachers all said that they couldn't think of a single intervention he could need. I was surprised but very, very pleased. So I'm not even sure we'll worry about it at this point; the counselor said it would be an easy thing to get it forwarded and amended whenever - IF ever - it is needed.
I do miss being at home and homeschooling some days - today was one of them, where I would have given just about anything to be at home with my kids instead of at work while they were at a friend's house for Fall Break - but I'm very proud of how well they're doing and how smoothly the transition has gone. I couldn't have imagined better.
We went to Boo's first. We walked in and sat down, and the teacher ran through some sheets that each of Boo's teachers had filled out about her behavior and grades and any other notes that they had, and then we got the preliminary report card with all As (any grade changes that happen between now and when they go out on Monday will be minor). Boo is a good student. She's happy. She's a good helper. She's smart. She's a good friend. Etc. Nothing we didn't already know or suspect about her.
We had also had a call earlier in the evening saying that Boo was officially accepted into the gifted program, so starting next Wednesday she'll get on a bus with all the other gifted/talented kids and go to a different elementary for a special supplemental course. She may wind up with homework from the class time that she misses, but it won't be ALL the work she misses and she isn't concerned. She's just pleased to be recognized for her brain… as she should be.
Then we went to Doodlebug's school. Oz and I were honestly not sure how this conference would go. We assumed we would just be meeting with one teacher, his homeroom teacher, but instead when we sat down, teachers converged from everywhere and we got to meet with 5 out of 6. That's a number I can live with.
His teachers like him! They are all impressed with his intelligence and think of him more or less as a walking dictionary - more than one mentioned that when another student needs something they will occasionally refer the student to Doodlebug to get the answer. They say he's doing all right socially, although one teacher was surprised to discover that Doodlebug and another boy are good friends since they spend class arguing (this is the same friend that got suspended along with Doodlebug, so that information didn't surprise me too much). He also has straight As, though if he doesn't pay attention in a couple of classes soon, that won't last.
The biggest surprise actually came before the conferences, when Oz and I stepped into the counselor's office. We went there to get the password to the school website so we can log in and check on Doodlebug's assignments and grades (something we were supposed to have been given months ago but oh well… clearly it hasn't affected things much). The counselor looked at us and said, "Oh, hey, I was working on his file today."
Well THAT wasn't alarming at all. #sarcasm.
Apparently one of the teachers had mentioned something about Doodlebug's 504 plan and how Doodlebug was supposed to have one… which he is… but I guess somehow in the shuffle of everything, the plan never got forwarded. So while he does have one, it isn't on file. And when the counselor popped around and asked all the teachers what they thought he needed to have on it and whether they even thought he needed one at all, the teachers all said that they couldn't think of a single intervention he could need. I was surprised but very, very pleased. So I'm not even sure we'll worry about it at this point; the counselor said it would be an easy thing to get it forwarded and amended whenever - IF ever - it is needed.
I do miss being at home and homeschooling some days - today was one of them, where I would have given just about anything to be at home with my kids instead of at work while they were at a friend's house for Fall Break - but I'm very proud of how well they're doing and how smoothly the transition has gone. I couldn't have imagined better.
Wednesday, September 24, 2014
My Kids Are Smartybritches
My kids impress me. They're both doing well in school. In fact, they're doing so well that the following things have happened:
1. Doodlebug's AR goal (the kids read books and take tests on them, which drives me batty but I did sign them up for school so I really can't gripe) will be raised for the next nine weeks. His goal this nine weeks was something like 28 points, and he claims to currently be somewhere around 50. So his goal next time will be higher.
2. Boo will be IQ tested for the gifted program in the next week or two.
3. Doodlebug has been accepted onto the FIRST Lego League team for this school year. One of the coaches is the school psychologist, which makes me insanely happy. I like that guy.
4. Boo has come home with certificates for various achievements, particularly in math for knowing her multiplication facts.
Yeah, I'm bragging a bit. But considering how worried I was about their school performance, especially in Doodlebug's case, I think it's warranted.
I'm just pleased that they seem to be happy, making friends, and fitting in. This has been a good move for us all.
Tuesday, September 16, 2014
The Learning Curve
With every change in life comes a learning curve. Everyone in my house is experiencing one right now, including the animals (the poor guppy puppy has to stay in the garage all day, and when the kids and I get home each day the cats - and dog - swarm us like we've been gone for years).
Boo is having the easiest time of it, in terms of the human equation. She adores school and is making some good friends. One friend in particular she wants to invite to go roller skating one day soon. I'm pleased. I'm also home each day before she arrives.
Doodlebug is doing surprisingly well. His room is a pit (and believe me, this has been a problem since he was little, but at this point, Mama is about to completely lose it… I'm going to discuss this little entitlement issue we're having in another post soon), but in school he's supposedly doing okay. I'm hoping that he's not just blowing smoke up my hind end when he comes home each day and announces that he has very little to no homework. I guess we'll find out when the grades come out, but while I don't expect a ton of homework, I have expected more than he has. Fingers crossed. He does get bored each afternoon and attributes it to being home solo for a little while, which I suspect isn't quite the case as I think he would be bored regardless of whether or not an adult was present (sometimes Oz is home, and he's still bored), and he doesn't really like being up early early early each morning, but he's doing okay.
Oz is adjusting, too. He's been supportive and helpful, taking kids to appointments and giving me foot rubs on those first few days when walking 8-10 miles a day was particularly hard on my system (don't get me wrong… it still ain't easy, but I'm adjusting). He hasn't yet realized that me working also means he needs to actually clean something around the house since I'm not here all day to do it, but one step at a time. He is at least helping with dinner on occasion and will sometimes do a load of laundry if I need him to.
And then there's me. Going back to work has been good. The learning curve there has been far steeper than the adjustment period from a home standpoint. I've gotten quite good already (if I do say so myself) at doing the first job they had me learn, walking patients back to rooms. At this point the clinicians like and are familiar with me, and I'm starting to memorize the doctors' schedules. I certainly can tell you their locations in the clinic on any given day! I can schedule appointments with relative ease, and I'm starting to learn some of the basics. Now I just need to get up to the front desk for a full few days in a row and really tackle the system. It'll be tough, especially since I'll be dealing with patients who are either ready to stop standing or ready to be out of the office, but thankfully most patients are patient. Most. I'm sure there will always be a few who aren't. And I'll handle that, too. I'm definitely ready for something new and for the new to become familiar.
I think we all are.
Boo is having the easiest time of it, in terms of the human equation. She adores school and is making some good friends. One friend in particular she wants to invite to go roller skating one day soon. I'm pleased. I'm also home each day before she arrives.
Doodlebug is doing surprisingly well. His room is a pit (and believe me, this has been a problem since he was little, but at this point, Mama is about to completely lose it… I'm going to discuss this little entitlement issue we're having in another post soon), but in school he's supposedly doing okay. I'm hoping that he's not just blowing smoke up my hind end when he comes home each day and announces that he has very little to no homework. I guess we'll find out when the grades come out, but while I don't expect a ton of homework, I have expected more than he has. Fingers crossed. He does get bored each afternoon and attributes it to being home solo for a little while, which I suspect isn't quite the case as I think he would be bored regardless of whether or not an adult was present (sometimes Oz is home, and he's still bored), and he doesn't really like being up early early early each morning, but he's doing okay.
Oz is adjusting, too. He's been supportive and helpful, taking kids to appointments and giving me foot rubs on those first few days when walking 8-10 miles a day was particularly hard on my system (don't get me wrong… it still ain't easy, but I'm adjusting). He hasn't yet realized that me working also means he needs to actually clean something around the house since I'm not here all day to do it, but one step at a time. He is at least helping with dinner on occasion and will sometimes do a load of laundry if I need him to.
And then there's me. Going back to work has been good. The learning curve there has been far steeper than the adjustment period from a home standpoint. I've gotten quite good already (if I do say so myself) at doing the first job they had me learn, walking patients back to rooms. At this point the clinicians like and are familiar with me, and I'm starting to memorize the doctors' schedules. I certainly can tell you their locations in the clinic on any given day! I can schedule appointments with relative ease, and I'm starting to learn some of the basics. Now I just need to get up to the front desk for a full few days in a row and really tackle the system. It'll be tough, especially since I'll be dealing with patients who are either ready to stop standing or ready to be out of the office, but thankfully most patients are patient. Most. I'm sure there will always be a few who aren't. And I'll handle that, too. I'm definitely ready for something new and for the new to become familiar.
I think we all are.
Sunday, August 24, 2014
The First Couple Days
So the children went to school on Thursday… and Friday, but of course I was far more nervous on Thursday. What if they got on the wrong bus or missed their stops coming home? What if Boo had an anxiety attack in the middle of the day? What if Doodlebug was late to class or couldn't get his locker open or …
What if, what if, what if.
I took both kids to school in the morning and discovered that the schools really didn't work together particularly well on the timing, because Doodlebug has to be at school nearly an hour before Boo, and Boo isn't quite old enough to be on her own at the house yet, so she has to climb in the car and ride with us to drop Doodlebug off, come home and hang out for 45 minutes, then get back in the car and be taken to her school. Really annoying.
Anyway, I took both kids to school on the first day. Doodlebug needed a locker that worked, so we went to the office to get that sorted out (and it still took two more lockers to find him one that worked… the boy was jinxed, I swear) before I abandoned him to his fate. He came home later in the day and said he'd had a good day and enjoys his classes. His favorite teacher is his homeroom teacher who teaches English, which didn't surprise me very much. When I met all of them on back-to-school night, I suspected that would be the outcome. He has a little homework this weekend but mostly it's all for extra credit - I'm sure the real work will start this week. I just hope he can remember to write his name on all his papers. I worked on this all last year at home, but it didn't ever really stick. Now that it matters, it will be a much bigger deal.
Boo also had a good first day. She claims she's the smartest kid in her class, which she may be, and she really likes her teacher as well as some of the other teachers they rotate to for various subjects. She came home on Friday and announced that she won't have homework if she gets all her work done in class and/or doesn't get in trouble, so that was nice news for me. I remember having a little bit of homework in fourth grade but not much, so I'm glad to see that her teacher has a similar philosophy about kids being kids.
Both of them caught the bus home. Doodlebug sat near the front, as instructed, and I was relieved to hear that our stop is the very first one on the route - he won't have time to get into much trouble, and sitting at the front is easier when you're the first one off the bus! Boo, however, is the very last stop on her route, which I don't like because she gets home so very late, but it is what it is. She'll make bus friends, I'm sure.
All in all, they've had good experiences so far. Nobody's made any hard and fast new best friends yet, but that will come with time. I'm starting to hear a couple of names from Boo, and Doodlebug has yet to find his tribe, but he will.
I'm just glad nobody got in trouble and things are starting to fall into place. Routine will come. It's all still bittersweet, but it is the way it shall be.
What if, what if, what if.
I took both kids to school in the morning and discovered that the schools really didn't work together particularly well on the timing, because Doodlebug has to be at school nearly an hour before Boo, and Boo isn't quite old enough to be on her own at the house yet, so she has to climb in the car and ride with us to drop Doodlebug off, come home and hang out for 45 minutes, then get back in the car and be taken to her school. Really annoying.
Anyway, I took both kids to school on the first day. Doodlebug needed a locker that worked, so we went to the office to get that sorted out (and it still took two more lockers to find him one that worked… the boy was jinxed, I swear) before I abandoned him to his fate. He came home later in the day and said he'd had a good day and enjoys his classes. His favorite teacher is his homeroom teacher who teaches English, which didn't surprise me very much. When I met all of them on back-to-school night, I suspected that would be the outcome. He has a little homework this weekend but mostly it's all for extra credit - I'm sure the real work will start this week. I just hope he can remember to write his name on all his papers. I worked on this all last year at home, but it didn't ever really stick. Now that it matters, it will be a much bigger deal.
Boo also had a good first day. She claims she's the smartest kid in her class, which she may be, and she really likes her teacher as well as some of the other teachers they rotate to for various subjects. She came home on Friday and announced that she won't have homework if she gets all her work done in class and/or doesn't get in trouble, so that was nice news for me. I remember having a little bit of homework in fourth grade but not much, so I'm glad to see that her teacher has a similar philosophy about kids being kids.
Both of them caught the bus home. Doodlebug sat near the front, as instructed, and I was relieved to hear that our stop is the very first one on the route - he won't have time to get into much trouble, and sitting at the front is easier when you're the first one off the bus! Boo, however, is the very last stop on her route, which I don't like because she gets home so very late, but it is what it is. She'll make bus friends, I'm sure.
All in all, they've had good experiences so far. Nobody's made any hard and fast new best friends yet, but that will come with time. I'm starting to hear a couple of names from Boo, and Doodlebug has yet to find his tribe, but he will.
I'm just glad nobody got in trouble and things are starting to fall into place. Routine will come. It's all still bittersweet, but it is the way it shall be.
Tuesday, August 19, 2014
The School Year
So the school year starts for my kids later this week. Last week the fun started, of course, when I took the kids shopping for school supplies (Doodlebug will need more next week after his teachers send home lists for individual classes) and when I picked up Doodlebug's schedule from the middle school.
That was fun.
NOT.
As you may or may not recall, I spent quite a bit of time earlier in the year working with the school system to ensure that Doodlebug would have proper classes and interventions in place by the time he set foot into the school this fall. We had a final meeting the last week of the 2013-2014 school year to finalize everything and to make sure that everyone was on the same page. I remembered feeling hesitant around the school counselor's level of commitment, but there was little I could do... until I picked up the schedule last week and saw that there was nary a single pre-AP class on it.
Not. Freaking. Acceptable.
Thankfully the same counselor was the one who handed me the schedule, and so I very kindly but firmly reminded him of our handy-dandy little meeting, and he asked me to fill out a schedule change request slip and said he'd see what he could do and we could pick up a new schedule on the first day of school. Not feeling particularly confident, I came home and shot the psychologist an e-mail to give him a heads-up on the situation. He replied back and said it wasn't usually inside his purview to check into class schedules but he'd see what he could do as well.
It is with great pleasure that I can say that tonight, when we went to meet the teachers (which Doodlebug was walking into without knowing a schedule, which was driving me batty since I know he needs to know where to go BEFORE the first day), a new schedule was waiting. I've not breathed such a sigh of relief in a long time. We were able to walk Doodlebug's schedule, meet his teachers and see the classrooms, and get contact information for the teachers so I could send them e-mails about the 504 plan and provide my contact information, just in case. He also scored a better elective class for him, too, I think - technology instead of art.
Of course, his locker didn't work, but there's always a hitch... and I'd rather the hitch be about a locker than an entire schedule.
We met Boo's teacher tonight, too, and I think her class will be a good one. This teacher has a master's degree, but this is probably her second year teaching. So we'll see, but I'm optimistic. Thankfully Boo is a lot more flexible in how things work.
So school starts soon. It will be weird having the kids out of the house all day, but I think it will be a good experience all around.
That was fun.
NOT.
As you may or may not recall, I spent quite a bit of time earlier in the year working with the school system to ensure that Doodlebug would have proper classes and interventions in place by the time he set foot into the school this fall. We had a final meeting the last week of the 2013-2014 school year to finalize everything and to make sure that everyone was on the same page. I remembered feeling hesitant around the school counselor's level of commitment, but there was little I could do... until I picked up the schedule last week and saw that there was nary a single pre-AP class on it.
Not. Freaking. Acceptable.
Thankfully the same counselor was the one who handed me the schedule, and so I very kindly but firmly reminded him of our handy-dandy little meeting, and he asked me to fill out a schedule change request slip and said he'd see what he could do and we could pick up a new schedule on the first day of school. Not feeling particularly confident, I came home and shot the psychologist an e-mail to give him a heads-up on the situation. He replied back and said it wasn't usually inside his purview to check into class schedules but he'd see what he could do as well.
It is with great pleasure that I can say that tonight, when we went to meet the teachers (which Doodlebug was walking into without knowing a schedule, which was driving me batty since I know he needs to know where to go BEFORE the first day), a new schedule was waiting. I've not breathed such a sigh of relief in a long time. We were able to walk Doodlebug's schedule, meet his teachers and see the classrooms, and get contact information for the teachers so I could send them e-mails about the 504 plan and provide my contact information, just in case. He also scored a better elective class for him, too, I think - technology instead of art.
Of course, his locker didn't work, but there's always a hitch... and I'd rather the hitch be about a locker than an entire schedule.
We met Boo's teacher tonight, too, and I think her class will be a good one. This teacher has a master's degree, but this is probably her second year teaching. So we'll see, but I'm optimistic. Thankfully Boo is a lot more flexible in how things work.
So school starts soon. It will be weird having the kids out of the house all day, but I think it will be a good experience all around.
Monday, June 2, 2014
Revival
I realized yesterday that I hadn't posted since my ugly post about depression. Don't get me wrong - it's still there. But I've made it out of bed every day. I've brushed my hair, brushed my teeth, fed myself, and kept the house in working order. I haven't taken the kids anywhere or done anything spectacular, but I've stopped yelling as often. I think.
I still have bad days. Worse, I've been having bad nights. Insomnia has taken hold. I've spent five nights out of the last six lying in bed thoroughly exhausted and yet unable to fall asleep. Last night was the worst. I started drifting off about 2:30 when the thunder started rumbling in the distance. The rain came at 3:30. That was when I moved to the couch. Sometime around 4:30, I think I dozed off, but I know I woke up at 5:30 because I checked my phone. At 6:30, Oz was up because he had to leave the house early for work. It's an ugly cycle. Contact lenses are no longer my friend because by 2 p.m., my eyes are so itchy from fatigue that I want to peel off my corneas, let alone the lenses. Driving probably shouldn't be on my agenda. Thankfully it's been cloudy, so I haven't felt too sleepy behind the wheel (I'm weird… the sun knocks me out in the car far more than clouds do), but it's still a dangerous proposition.
I do have to drive, though. As of last Saturday, I have had things on my calendar again. Schools are out, the pools are open, and the kids have camps. This is GOOD. If I'm doing things, I can't dwell on the ugly and I can't become a hermit. Having a schedule makes me more human. On Saturday we went to a friend's house and I helped her paint her kitchen, and then Boo spent the night. Today we visited another friend's house where I hung some shelves in her son's room, and in a little while, I'll take Boo to her first day of acting camp. We also have an upcoming family reunion with my dad's family, and another friend is having a combination birthday/moving-away party. So there are things to do.
Doodlebug had his physical for his summer camp this morning. He's 5'5" tall, which puts him at the 99.19%ile. I find this number amusing for some reason. The pediatrician did, too. They have new software at her office, and she spent several minutes this morning playing with it to see what numbers she could plug in. Doodlebug's projected adult height, based on mine and Oz's, it 6'5". I'm pleased with that; Doodlebug was annoyed. He wants to be taller than his father. The pediatrician said that because he's showing early signs of puberty already, he probably won't grow too much past the curve of 'normal,' so he'll just be tall and not scary tall. For the first time today, Doodlebug let them draw blood (for cholesterol and general screening since issues run in the family, not for anything specific) without having to be held down. That was nice.
I'm not out of the hole yet. I probably won't be for a while. But things seem less dark right now. I can keep going. I'm still giving myself mental high fives for getting out of bed, but some days it's easier. I hope it lasts.
Wednesday, May 21, 2014
Summer Break
So we've been on summer break for what… a week and a half now? It seems longer.
The first day off, the kids were bored to tears by 2 p.m. There were actual tears. Doodlebug in particular was crying because I'd kicked him off the Wii and told him to find something to do other than stare at a screen, because I wasn't going to have him turn into a vegetable just because it was summer break.
By 6 p.m. that day, they'd been grounded from the Wii for sneaking back onto it.
By 6 p.m. the next day, they'd had the power strip removed and all electronics banned for two weeks.
This means that since last Tuesday, my children have had no electronic stimulation whatsoever.
When I doled out that punishment, I knew - I just knew - that the person who was going to be punished most by this was myself.
My children, however, have surprised me.
Doodlebug has gotten out his whittling knife. He made a couple of wooden items before running out of usable wood, and then I let him carve my last block of Fels-Naptha. Over the weekend, Doodlebug and Oz went to the local woodworking store and bought a bunch of wood so he can use the real stuff again. He said soap was too easy. Yesterday Doodlebug got himself grounded after being in his sister's room for the fourth time in 24 hours (he's not allowed into her room at all EVER, but he has a hard time respecting privacy - he invades my room, Oz's office, and Boo's room whenever he wants, to say nothing of the pantry, and I've had it, so I lowered the boom), so he pulled out his K'Nex and Legos and started making robots. By dinnertime he had two built. He got up early this morning and, instead of going into his sister's room and waking her like he normally does, which results in a grumpy sister and an even grumpier mom to start the day, he built another two robots and a Ferris wheel.
Boo has been less obviously productive but equally busy. She's read several books - kid versions of Tom Sawyer, Huckleberry Finn, Oliver Twist, and Gulliver's Travels - and created a 'house' in the greenbelt across the creek.
They've both been in the kitchen at least once, and they both intend to do more cooking throughout summer. Yesterday Doodlebug made tuna salad, cucumbers & onions (omit the paprika… that's weird… really you don't need any of the parsley or dill, either, if you don't want them), and sweet potato fries. There was leftover tuna salad, so today the kids made a picnic lunch and walked down to Boo's house to eat.
They left for their picnic at noon. At 2:15, they came back up and informed me they'd been having a philosophical discussion about a tree falling in the woods and whether or not it makes a sound (Boo insists that logic states that it does; Doodlebug is having a blast playing Devil's advocate, though I suspect he rather agrees with her assessment) and by the way, Mom, can we spend the night outside?
I was on the phone at the time, so I nodded absently at them before processing the full scope of their rambling. By the time it all sank in, I heard the attic door close. Which means they'd gotten out the tent.
So far they're still up in the game room. I'm curious to see if they expect me or Oz to help them with their camping preparations.
Either way, they're amusing themselves.
And this makes me happy. Maybe I just… won't tell them when they can have electronics back. This is much nicer.
The first day off, the kids were bored to tears by 2 p.m. There were actual tears. Doodlebug in particular was crying because I'd kicked him off the Wii and told him to find something to do other than stare at a screen, because I wasn't going to have him turn into a vegetable just because it was summer break.
By 6 p.m. that day, they'd been grounded from the Wii for sneaking back onto it.
By 6 p.m. the next day, they'd had the power strip removed and all electronics banned for two weeks.
This means that since last Tuesday, my children have had no electronic stimulation whatsoever.
When I doled out that punishment, I knew - I just knew - that the person who was going to be punished most by this was myself.
My children, however, have surprised me.
Doodlebug has gotten out his whittling knife. He made a couple of wooden items before running out of usable wood, and then I let him carve my last block of Fels-Naptha. Over the weekend, Doodlebug and Oz went to the local woodworking store and bought a bunch of wood so he can use the real stuff again. He said soap was too easy. Yesterday Doodlebug got himself grounded after being in his sister's room for the fourth time in 24 hours (he's not allowed into her room at all EVER, but he has a hard time respecting privacy - he invades my room, Oz's office, and Boo's room whenever he wants, to say nothing of the pantry, and I've had it, so I lowered the boom), so he pulled out his K'Nex and Legos and started making robots. By dinnertime he had two built. He got up early this morning and, instead of going into his sister's room and waking her like he normally does, which results in a grumpy sister and an even grumpier mom to start the day, he built another two robots and a Ferris wheel.
Boo has been less obviously productive but equally busy. She's read several books - kid versions of Tom Sawyer, Huckleberry Finn, Oliver Twist, and Gulliver's Travels - and created a 'house' in the greenbelt across the creek.
They've both been in the kitchen at least once, and they both intend to do more cooking throughout summer. Yesterday Doodlebug made tuna salad, cucumbers & onions (omit the paprika… that's weird… really you don't need any of the parsley or dill, either, if you don't want them), and sweet potato fries. There was leftover tuna salad, so today the kids made a picnic lunch and walked down to Boo's house to eat.
They left for their picnic at noon. At 2:15, they came back up and informed me they'd been having a philosophical discussion about a tree falling in the woods and whether or not it makes a sound (Boo insists that logic states that it does; Doodlebug is having a blast playing Devil's advocate, though I suspect he rather agrees with her assessment) and by the way, Mom, can we spend the night outside?
I was on the phone at the time, so I nodded absently at them before processing the full scope of their rambling. By the time it all sank in, I heard the attic door close. Which means they'd gotten out the tent.
So far they're still up in the game room. I'm curious to see if they expect me or Oz to help them with their camping preparations.
Either way, they're amusing themselves.
And this makes me happy. Maybe I just… won't tell them when they can have electronics back. This is much nicer.
Friday, May 9, 2014
Done
And so, with that, we are done.
It seemed very anticlimactic.
Boo finished up grammar; Doodlebug recited the last poem he chose to memorize this year - Poe's "The Raven."
They covered their interest week topics. Boo told us all about the differences between turtles and tortoises and some of their body features and dietary choices. Doodlebug made "Clue" cards and substituted them for the weapons, and as we played, he told us about the symptoms and chemical make-up (if there was one) of each poison.
They performed their play last night, in four acts. It was really cute, and I may try to post video of it soon. It involved a cowboy (played by Boo) and a magic talking snake (voiced by Doodlebug), and I loved it.
Now they're coloring mandalas, just for the fun of it.
I've really enjoyed having them at home. It seems bizarre to say that I'm no longer a homeschooler, because I still feel like one since they're still here, at home, with me. But now that we're done with this school year, I guess I'm kind of… not.
I'm so stinking proud of my kids and all they've learned. It hasn't always been easy or fun, but we've done it. I'm going to have a few days where I wonder if I'm making the right choice letting them go to public school this fall, but I know I am. It is time.
This blog will continue, but obviously it won't be a homeschooling blog any more. Thanks for following!
It seemed very anticlimactic.
Boo finished up grammar; Doodlebug recited the last poem he chose to memorize this year - Poe's "The Raven."
They covered their interest week topics. Boo told us all about the differences between turtles and tortoises and some of their body features and dietary choices. Doodlebug made "Clue" cards and substituted them for the weapons, and as we played, he told us about the symptoms and chemical make-up (if there was one) of each poison.
They performed their play last night, in four acts. It was really cute, and I may try to post video of it soon. It involved a cowboy (played by Boo) and a magic talking snake (voiced by Doodlebug), and I loved it.
Now they're coloring mandalas, just for the fun of it.
I've really enjoyed having them at home. It seems bizarre to say that I'm no longer a homeschooler, because I still feel like one since they're still here, at home, with me. But now that we're done with this school year, I guess I'm kind of… not.
I'm so stinking proud of my kids and all they've learned. It hasn't always been easy or fun, but we've done it. I'm going to have a few days where I wonder if I'm making the right choice letting them go to public school this fall, but I know I am. It is time.
This blog will continue, but obviously it won't be a homeschooling blog any more. Thanks for following!
Wednesday, April 30, 2014
Test Results
I had been anxiously awaiting this day since it was scheduled last week. Today was the day I went up to the school admin building and got the results of the kids' tests.
Before I got the results, however, Doodlebug finished taking the ADOS test - Oz and I had filled out the first part, the school psychologist read the results, and those results warranted taking the remainder of the test with the special needs coordinator, the psychologist, and another lady whose title I can't remember at the moment - when we were there today.
When it was finally time for the results, the psychologist ushered the kids out to wait for me and then told me… everything I already knew and that the plan was exactly what I had hoped.
Here's how it broke down:
Doodlebug tested extremely high academically. They are going to put him directly into advanced/gifted classes. However, the ADOS testing revealed that there are, in fact, some areas where they felt they could offer some accommodations to make his transition and school experience easier. Well, duh. But I understand there's a process and they can't take my word for it, just like they couldn't take my word that my kid is freaking brilliant and doesn't need special-needs classes but does need gifted ones. Anyway, the three folks who were in there today are going to make up a list of initial accommodations and we'll sit down and have another meeting before school winds up here at the end of May to put them to paper.
Boo tested extremely well in reading and is right on par for her age in math. The school psychologist would actually like to test her for the gifted program but wants to wait until fall, which is exactly what I had wanted to do, anyway, because I would like whoever her teacher is to be on board with that process. I think it's one thing to put a kid straight into middle school gifted classes, because there are multiple teachers involved, as opposed to putting a kid into an elementary gifted class when the teacher has no background with the child. Maybe it's just me.
Anyway, what was fun was that the kids' reactions when I told them the results. Doodlebug was especially relieved, because he felt he hadn't done very well during the ADOS testing. I laughed and told him I hadn't really expected him to, because it was a test that was designed to trip up kids who are on the autism spectrum (I hadn't prepped him for that previously because then he would have been trying to figure out what to do differently and probably would've skewed his own results). He was thrilled that he had done things "right." Boo was just happy that she's still advanced in reading and had done all right in the math portion.
Will there be gaps in what they know compared to what their peers know this fall? Probably. But nobody in that room today seemed concerned. They can read. They can write. They can compute at least at age level.
Mostly what I heard today - in my head - was this: "You didn't screw up. You have a clear picture of where they are, and you planned properly. Good job, Mom."
So far, all goes well.
Monday, April 28, 2014
That Whole Unschooling Thing...
In theory, to make our legal count of 180 days, we have two more weeks of school, plus this week. So 14 days remaining.
However.
I'm done.
The kids are done.
I'm pretty sure the entire school room is done, because certain places - shelves, binders, etc. - have reached maximum capacity and have begun to spill over into new areas.
The kids have asked to take one week during their extra-long summer break to do a review week, so really we only have to have 9 days left. I'm cool with that. Very cool. Practically chill.
When it came time to make my weekly lesson plans yesterday, I couldn't muster the energy. I didn't want to climb the stairs and repeat the same process I've done for the last 33 weeks, give or take. I knew the kids didn't really want to do the work.
And so I said to Oz, "Y'know what? If they were in public school, the last 2-3 weeks would be field days, field trips, awards ceremonies, movie days, end-of-year tests, and general shenanigans. So phthththththth."
Today when the kids dutifully climbed the stairs to the school room and asked what they were going to do first, I shocked them. I pulled a piece of paper out of the printer and made two lists. One list was for Doodlebug, the other for Boo. These lists contain everything that I'd still like them to finish in the next two weeks - grammar books for both kids, a couple of math assignments for Boo (Doodlebug is thoroughly enjoying his pre-algebra and has asked to go ahead and continue despite the probable futility of the effort), the play that they're creating/writing, and some reading. That's about it. I mean, there are a couple of other little things to wrap up, but those are the big items.
The kids were thrilled. They worked nonstop from 8:30 to noon, when I told them to put away the stuff and eat lunch. And after they ate lunch, they went back upstairs… and kept going! Boo pulled out a stack of posters and learned about the battles of the Revolutionary War. Doodlebug yanked out a book about drawing comic strips and made some really cute ones. Boo wrote a letter to her friend, addressed the envelope, and mailed it. And I sat on my backside and didn't have to do a thing! It was glorious.
I told Oz about it when he got home, and he started laughing and said, "So you're unschooling now, are you??"
It's only taken me five years to let go and unschool for a whole nine days. I might be a bit of a control freak. But for that amount of time, yes… yes, I suppose I am.
However.
I'm done.
The kids are done.
I'm pretty sure the entire school room is done, because certain places - shelves, binders, etc. - have reached maximum capacity and have begun to spill over into new areas.
The kids have asked to take one week during their extra-long summer break to do a review week, so really we only have to have 9 days left. I'm cool with that. Very cool. Practically chill.
When it came time to make my weekly lesson plans yesterday, I couldn't muster the energy. I didn't want to climb the stairs and repeat the same process I've done for the last 33 weeks, give or take. I knew the kids didn't really want to do the work.
And so I said to Oz, "Y'know what? If they were in public school, the last 2-3 weeks would be field days, field trips, awards ceremonies, movie days, end-of-year tests, and general shenanigans. So phthththththth."
Today when the kids dutifully climbed the stairs to the school room and asked what they were going to do first, I shocked them. I pulled a piece of paper out of the printer and made two lists. One list was for Doodlebug, the other for Boo. These lists contain everything that I'd still like them to finish in the next two weeks - grammar books for both kids, a couple of math assignments for Boo (Doodlebug is thoroughly enjoying his pre-algebra and has asked to go ahead and continue despite the probable futility of the effort), the play that they're creating/writing, and some reading. That's about it. I mean, there are a couple of other little things to wrap up, but those are the big items.
The kids were thrilled. They worked nonstop from 8:30 to noon, when I told them to put away the stuff and eat lunch. And after they ate lunch, they went back upstairs… and kept going! Boo pulled out a stack of posters and learned about the battles of the Revolutionary War. Doodlebug yanked out a book about drawing comic strips and made some really cute ones. Boo wrote a letter to her friend, addressed the envelope, and mailed it. And I sat on my backside and didn't have to do a thing! It was glorious.
I told Oz about it when he got home, and he started laughing and said, "So you're unschooling now, are you??"
It's only taken me five years to let go and unschool for a whole nine days. I might be a bit of a control freak. But for that amount of time, yes… yes, I suppose I am.
Thursday, April 24, 2014
Because Random Thursday
A few little tidbits of no importance to get you through this Thursday:
1. Doodlebug finished Math-U-See Zeta last week. This week he picked up the Art of Problem Solving prealgebra book. And then I watched his brain explode. I have to admit, it's not an easy book to follow. It starts off by saying, "Hey look, we're going to introduce you to proofs!" and then uses half a dozen of them in the first few pages. Whew. Overwhelming. But he's starting to get the hang of it. (I say that, and he just handed me a paper of incorrect answers... be right back while we figure these out together.) I'm happy for him to do as much as he wants in the remaining three weeks we have in our school year, and if he loses it over summer, he loses it. I'm not getting rid of the book for a while yet.
2. We meet with the school psychologist again next week to go over the test results of both kids' testing. Apparently the forms that Oz and I filled out have triggered some extra testing in a couple of areas - I assume in the autism spectrum and/or ADHD category - so he'll be doing that, too. I'm really, really glad we're not trying to do all this in the middle of next school year. Getting the process started early has been nice. Here's hoping we can get the 504 set up prior to August.
3. Boo has her spring violin recital tonight. At this point, she's kind of blasé about the whole thing. Can't blame her; I rather am, too. She wants to take some time over summer break to work up some fun stuff. I'm looking forward to that as well.
4. I went to a gym for the first time in my life on Monday night. It wasn't bad. I can't decide if I want to join or not. On the one hand, if I'm paying for it, I know I'll go, and I'll work out, and I do want to get in shape. On the other hand, I'm not sure I got any better workout than I do here at home when I do make myself exercise. I'm debating.
5. Summer break is going to be interminably long this year. I warned Oz last night that the household may descend into actual chaos since I'll have the kids for three months straight with little to no structure whatsoever. Doodlebug has one week of camp, and right now Boo is set up for one week of morning acting camp and wants to attend a horse-riding day camp, and I may even let her sign up for a one- or two-day sewing camp, because all of those together roughly equal the total of the cost for Doodlebug's away camp, but regardless of how many camps I sign them up for, I'm going to have at least one child with me at all times. Last year they were both gone for a week - well, Doodlebug was at away camp and Boo was at a day camp - and I was insanely productive during those days. I cleaned out closets, painted the school room, ran a bunch of errands that needed to be run but that nobody wanted to run with me, and met up with a friend or two for coffee sans kids... it was glorious. I'm rather sad that I won't get that break this year.
6. Boo has suddenly forgotten how to math. Seriously, in the last week all mathematical ability has flown out the window. She's been sitting there staring at her math paper for 45 minutes. She won't ask for help. She won't let herself take a break. She won't try, either, though. She just sits and stares and has convinced herself it's all too hard. I'm chalking it up to end-of-year doneness and the cold she's been fighting, because I don't think there's anything else going on. She knows the stuff; she's just having a mental block.
7. People around here are preemptively freaking out about a storm system that's supposed to move through over the weekend. I feel no such mental stress. I'll clean out the closet under the stairs on Sunday if it comes to that, but I'm not very worried. Yet. When the red and black start to crop on the radar, then I'll worry. Ain't nobody got time for worrying now!
8. I cancelled the boy's orthodontic appointment that was scheduled for early May. We have decided to nix the braces for now. Just easier all 'round, and if he wants them when he's an adult, fine. Right now it'd just be for cosmetic purposes and he doesn't care.
And now the boy wants to use the computer for writing. I s'pose I should let him, huh?
1. Doodlebug finished Math-U-See Zeta last week. This week he picked up the Art of Problem Solving prealgebra book. And then I watched his brain explode. I have to admit, it's not an easy book to follow. It starts off by saying, "Hey look, we're going to introduce you to proofs!" and then uses half a dozen of them in the first few pages. Whew. Overwhelming. But he's starting to get the hang of it. (I say that, and he just handed me a paper of incorrect answers... be right back while we figure these out together.) I'm happy for him to do as much as he wants in the remaining three weeks we have in our school year, and if he loses it over summer, he loses it. I'm not getting rid of the book for a while yet.
2. We meet with the school psychologist again next week to go over the test results of both kids' testing. Apparently the forms that Oz and I filled out have triggered some extra testing in a couple of areas - I assume in the autism spectrum and/or ADHD category - so he'll be doing that, too. I'm really, really glad we're not trying to do all this in the middle of next school year. Getting the process started early has been nice. Here's hoping we can get the 504 set up prior to August.
3. Boo has her spring violin recital tonight. At this point, she's kind of blasé about the whole thing. Can't blame her; I rather am, too. She wants to take some time over summer break to work up some fun stuff. I'm looking forward to that as well.
4. I went to a gym for the first time in my life on Monday night. It wasn't bad. I can't decide if I want to join or not. On the one hand, if I'm paying for it, I know I'll go, and I'll work out, and I do want to get in shape. On the other hand, I'm not sure I got any better workout than I do here at home when I do make myself exercise. I'm debating.
5. Summer break is going to be interminably long this year. I warned Oz last night that the household may descend into actual chaos since I'll have the kids for three months straight with little to no structure whatsoever. Doodlebug has one week of camp, and right now Boo is set up for one week of morning acting camp and wants to attend a horse-riding day camp, and I may even let her sign up for a one- or two-day sewing camp, because all of those together roughly equal the total of the cost for Doodlebug's away camp, but regardless of how many camps I sign them up for, I'm going to have at least one child with me at all times. Last year they were both gone for a week - well, Doodlebug was at away camp and Boo was at a day camp - and I was insanely productive during those days. I cleaned out closets, painted the school room, ran a bunch of errands that needed to be run but that nobody wanted to run with me, and met up with a friend or two for coffee sans kids... it was glorious. I'm rather sad that I won't get that break this year.
6. Boo has suddenly forgotten how to math. Seriously, in the last week all mathematical ability has flown out the window. She's been sitting there staring at her math paper for 45 minutes. She won't ask for help. She won't let herself take a break. She won't try, either, though. She just sits and stares and has convinced herself it's all too hard. I'm chalking it up to end-of-year doneness and the cold she's been fighting, because I don't think there's anything else going on. She knows the stuff; she's just having a mental block.
7. People around here are preemptively freaking out about a storm system that's supposed to move through over the weekend. I feel no such mental stress. I'll clean out the closet under the stairs on Sunday if it comes to that, but I'm not very worried. Yet. When the red and black start to crop on the radar, then I'll worry. Ain't nobody got time for worrying now!
8. I cancelled the boy's orthodontic appointment that was scheduled for early May. We have decided to nix the braces for now. Just easier all 'round, and if he wants them when he's an adult, fine. Right now it'd just be for cosmetic purposes and he doesn't care.
And now the boy wants to use the computer for writing. I s'pose I should let him, huh?
Thursday, April 17, 2014
Stress & Testing
The public schools have had their annual tests over the last couple of weeks. I remember taking the Iowa Tests of Basic Skills when I was in elementary school, and while there was some emphasis placed on getting a good night's sleep and eating breakfast and all that rigamarole, I don't think it quite had the same impact that it has today, and I certainly don't remember actually giving a rat's hindquarters about it.
To be fair, I test well. I could usually 'get' what test-takers are after, and I like to think I was pretty good at weeding out crappy answers. Thus, I always scored in the 99th percentile in everything. I'm not saying that to brag; I don't consider myself any smarter than a lot of other people who don't test well. I just could work that particular system.
On Monday I hauled Doodlebug and Boo in for testing at the public school administration building. Doodlebug worked with a school psychologist for his part, since his testing was more extensive; Boo was supposed to have taken hers separately. However, the woman who had her tests had gotten stuck in a meeting and her office, understandably, was locked. So we had to reschedule. It worked out well in the end because after 2.5 hours, Doodlebug still wasn't finished, so we set up a time for the kids to come in today (Thursday) so they could both be done at the same time.
Today, back we went. Now, before we went in on Monday, I had told the kids several things:
1. You will not know everything. They are going to ask you questions that they know are beyond your level just to see if you can do them or can figure them out. Skip them. It's okay to say, "I don't know."
2. You are smart. I know this. They will see this. Don't worry.
3. If you need help, ask. Nobody is going to get you in trouble for asking for help.
Doodlebug, of course, didn't have any issues since he was working face-to-face with someone for most of his tests. Boo, however, was largely on her own, and I guess she had somehow expected the math questions to be just like what she was used to on her math worksheets here at home, and she got really upset initially. The psychologist got her straightened out - he did a few questions with her orally to get her jump-started and then she was all right - and then she said the reading and spelling questions were easy.
So it's done, and now we wait. Both kids are completely brain-fried, and I don't blame them. It took Doodlebug almost two hours again today to complete his stuff, and Boo took nearly two hours herself. That's a lot of brainpower being used, especially after doing some school today. It's interesting to see how they're handling their stress. Doodlebug is parked in front of the Wii; Boo has taken the dog for a walk and is now running around outside hooting and singing at the top of her lungs.
No matter how they do - and I suspect they both did just fine - I am proud of them. I know they're progressing and have the capability to learn. I know they did their best. I'm anxious because I'm a mom and that's what us mom types do. I know that if they did poorly (which, again, I doubt) it will be a reflection on me to some extent, but at the same time I know that if they did well, I'm just as likely to turn around and say that they did well because they're really smart kids who can absorb things easily (which is also true). And I'm not good at waiting.
Hope everyone has a beautiful weekend, and if you celebrate Easter, have a good one!
To be fair, I test well. I could usually 'get' what test-takers are after, and I like to think I was pretty good at weeding out crappy answers. Thus, I always scored in the 99th percentile in everything. I'm not saying that to brag; I don't consider myself any smarter than a lot of other people who don't test well. I just could work that particular system.
On Monday I hauled Doodlebug and Boo in for testing at the public school administration building. Doodlebug worked with a school psychologist for his part, since his testing was more extensive; Boo was supposed to have taken hers separately. However, the woman who had her tests had gotten stuck in a meeting and her office, understandably, was locked. So we had to reschedule. It worked out well in the end because after 2.5 hours, Doodlebug still wasn't finished, so we set up a time for the kids to come in today (Thursday) so they could both be done at the same time.
Today, back we went. Now, before we went in on Monday, I had told the kids several things:
1. You will not know everything. They are going to ask you questions that they know are beyond your level just to see if you can do them or can figure them out. Skip them. It's okay to say, "I don't know."
2. You are smart. I know this. They will see this. Don't worry.
3. If you need help, ask. Nobody is going to get you in trouble for asking for help.
Doodlebug, of course, didn't have any issues since he was working face-to-face with someone for most of his tests. Boo, however, was largely on her own, and I guess she had somehow expected the math questions to be just like what she was used to on her math worksheets here at home, and she got really upset initially. The psychologist got her straightened out - he did a few questions with her orally to get her jump-started and then she was all right - and then she said the reading and spelling questions were easy.
So it's done, and now we wait. Both kids are completely brain-fried, and I don't blame them. It took Doodlebug almost two hours again today to complete his stuff, and Boo took nearly two hours herself. That's a lot of brainpower being used, especially after doing some school today. It's interesting to see how they're handling their stress. Doodlebug is parked in front of the Wii; Boo has taken the dog for a walk and is now running around outside hooting and singing at the top of her lungs.
No matter how they do - and I suspect they both did just fine - I am proud of them. I know they're progressing and have the capability to learn. I know they did their best. I'm anxious because I'm a mom and that's what us mom types do. I know that if they did poorly (which, again, I doubt) it will be a reflection on me to some extent, but at the same time I know that if they did well, I'm just as likely to turn around and say that they did well because they're really smart kids who can absorb things easily (which is also true). And I'm not good at waiting.
Hope everyone has a beautiful weekend, and if you celebrate Easter, have a good one!
Friday, March 28, 2014
Being a Hero
Thank you all so very much for the thoughts and support with regards to yesterday's post. I have had a nice, fairly quiet day at home in which I have gotten a lot of little stuff knocked out that needed to be taken care of (documents are now scanned and e-mailed, replacements orders have been placed for stuff that was falling apart, the laundry is done, etc.), and I am in a better place mentally and physically. The line is still there in Doodlebug's vision, but he claims it's somewhat fainter. I'm not sure if this is true or if it's simply wishful thinking on his part - the placebo effect is strong in this one - but it's not getting worse, and that's something.
Anyway, none of that is the point of this post.
A few days ago, Boo was bouncing around the school room and announced flatly, "You're my hero, Mom."
As simple as that. "You're my hero."
And with those three little words, my daughter blew my mind.
I never had a hero growing up. The notion that you were supposed to have a hero was one that simply sounded ludicrous to me. In sixth or seventh grade, we were supposed to write an essay on our hero - who that person was, why we chose that person, etc. I have a confession to make to my English teacher at the time:
Dear Mrs. Grant,
My essay was pure, unadulterated bullshit.
Sincerely,
Sarah
I'm sure I made up something about a grandmother or a famous person I'd read about at the time or something, but it would all have been lies. Lies, I tell you! I had no role model, nobody who I felt was worth being other than me, myself, and I. And I have always rather liked that about myself.
And so now, when my daughter announces that she has a hero and that hero is ME… well, you can see where I would struggle.
I am exquisitely sure that one day I will very much NOT be her hero and she'll want to be NOTHING like that crazy old bat she has to call Mom (or Mombledore, or Mumsie, or whatever else I get called around here), but for right now, this vibrant, bouncy daughter of mine has it in her head that I'm a good person and that she should be like me when she grows up.
It's both thrilling and petrifying. I hope I can live up to at least a few of her expectations. Because heaven knows I haven't lived up to all of mine!
Anyway, none of that is the point of this post.
A few days ago, Boo was bouncing around the school room and announced flatly, "You're my hero, Mom."
As simple as that. "You're my hero."
And with those three little words, my daughter blew my mind.
I never had a hero growing up. The notion that you were supposed to have a hero was one that simply sounded ludicrous to me. In sixth or seventh grade, we were supposed to write an essay on our hero - who that person was, why we chose that person, etc. I have a confession to make to my English teacher at the time:
Dear Mrs. Grant,
My essay was pure, unadulterated bullshit.
Sincerely,
Sarah
I'm sure I made up something about a grandmother or a famous person I'd read about at the time or something, but it would all have been lies. Lies, I tell you! I had no role model, nobody who I felt was worth being other than me, myself, and I. And I have always rather liked that about myself.
And so now, when my daughter announces that she has a hero and that hero is ME… well, you can see where I would struggle.
I am exquisitely sure that one day I will very much NOT be her hero and she'll want to be NOTHING like that crazy old bat she has to call Mom (or Mombledore, or Mumsie, or whatever else I get called around here), but for right now, this vibrant, bouncy daughter of mine has it in her head that I'm a good person and that she should be like me when she grows up.
It's both thrilling and petrifying. I hope I can live up to at least a few of her expectations. Because heaven knows I haven't lived up to all of mine!
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