The auction is over!
I'm exhausted. There's tear down tomorrow. Our laundry hasn't been started. It's Sunday tomorrow.
I think we may have beat a few records and earned more than in years past. Wood and I sure spent a lot.
Note to self: that was successful and good. Better than I imagined it would be. However, no more spending. No more volunteerism. Period.
It's Wonelle time now. End of discussion.
G'Nite.
The school meeting yesterday was much better than last week's shin-dig. No one made any stupid remarks about my kid warranting my transformation into a momma grizzly bear. That in and of itself was a success!
Everyone except Teacher 2 had great suggestions on how to get Twig to a different place than he is now - even Teacher 1 (meaning his first grade teacher). And everyone, save Teacher 2, is open to working together and doing whatever can be done to help turn this around.
Which is what makes the title of this post so hilariously frustrating - it was all that Teacher 2 had so say via email about our last two meetings. Everyone else talked about focus on strategy, Twigs great qualities, hope, etc. She is so very rigid in her thinking and ways that she can't see past the problem to get to a solution. You can see in her face when she is unwilling to even consider a new strategy. She's acting like a 2nd grader herself; she's unwilling to change.
I got in a good dig about "communication" although I didn't do it in that dig kind of way - the information the school collected about Twig's actions during school, and which they presented to us yesterday, is clear and concise: he's an AD/HD kid out of control in school, causing a ruckus everywhere he goes. His teacher can't handle it and it's not going away without some serious help.
Damn if they didn't tell us how terribly out of control and untenable it was until MARCH. We asked the child psychologist about the AD/HD classes in the fall - the only reason we didn't do them in September was because the TEACHER (&*%@?$) DIDN'T COMMUNICATE THE PROBLEMS!
Here we are - thank goodness they offer the 10 weeks of classes in the spring. We are already signed up and guess which teacher JUMPED at the chance to attend the workshops? Not his 2nd grade -current teacher- but Ms. 1st grade. Which is great but ugh.
Yes, we are collaborating on whether this school is the right fit moving forward.
We attended an auction last week. No, sadly, the school auction is this week. Anyway, I saw a photo of myself and boy do I look old.
Boy, do I feel old. Tired to the bone. Achy. Dry skin. Cranky. Always thinking of how "easier it used to be".
Juggling so much is all it is. There's little, if any, processing time. Sleep is almost as much work as work sometimes (growing pains are painful for everyone). I'm overwhelmed by the school auction that I've done little work on, work, the teacher's bullshit, and such. I want to snatch that boy out of school and run away. Instead I'll send him to his Bam and Aunties for almost three weeks after school ends. Actually, two days before school ends. I'm done with 2nd grade.
The gym is paid for but I haven't found the time to set up to go. Thinking about it doesn't count even though I have lost a few pounds from changing my diet. I'm so exhausted where do I get the energy? No matter, I just need to get into the habit of going.
Space will emerge after this weekend. The auction will be over. Spring break is upon us, too so we will get a break from classroom drama. Summer plans are taking shape. Work will be easier with that space but I *can* handle it now.
I'm getting older but not old. I am overwhelmed but not overdone. I am a grownup.
Twig has been an avid reader since he was a baby. We started with "The Very Hungry Caterpillar", "When Hippos Go Berserk" and other fantastic board book titles when he was just 4 or 5 months old and haven't stopped.
He's always relished the evening time when we lay down together and enter another place and time. It's a chance to connect on a different level than when preparing for or completing the day. There's argument only because he wants us to continue on.
He started reading early. Before kindergarten, maybe at 4 years old actually and enjoyed reading those board books for a minute or two. Nothing, it would seem, compared to Mom or Dad reading aloud. To the tune of Wood read the entire Harry Potter series to him in 9 months about a year ago. It was an impressive pace, that's for sure.
During first grade, and this year for sure, the independent reading activities he's required to do as homework has been quite a battle. He refuses to do the 20 minutes without serious consequences. It is impacted by the fact that he hates his teacher and she certainly doesn't like him (but that's another post I don't have time for right now) but it has been a bit of a head scratcher for us.
Technology is one of those things that he's always up for so I got the brilliant idea to offer up my kindle a few weeks ago. He was excited to read and did so for a couple of minutes when suddenly he began to complain that it was hard to read the words. I thought it a bit strange but changed the font size for him and do you know what happened? That child read Harry Potter for more than an hour without complaint - two days in a row!
I mentioned to Twig that he could need glasses, given our experiment and his newfound love of reading (was it the kindle or his eyes, I wondered aloud). His teacher reportedly told him that the thought of him needing glasses was "just an excuse". Needless to say I took him to the optometrist as soon as possible. It was unfortunate that it couldn't happen before our parent teacher conference that was moved up a week because of his problems with the teacher, but I digress.
The boy is nearsighted; while his prescription is slight, and the doctor said optional, glasses will help him to see things close up. He chose blue frames to match mine. Aww, that's so sweet!
I'm excited for the world that will be opened up for him by less struggle and strain to do close up work. And even more excited to toss the "excuse" in the teachers face come the Parent Teacher Conference this Thursday.
Here's what we've been up to: one "bad" behavior report from school, one parent teacher/counselor/school engagement counselor conference, one eye doctor appointment, diagnosis of far sightedness and selection-of-glasses process, and a cold mixed in between one missed personal training appointment, one Individual Education Plan development training, one school foundation presentation to the Sons of Norway, preparation for the school auction and attendance at the Children's Theater auction. Yes, this is stuff happening before and after work. It's been an intense week!
My belly is bugging me something fierce these past several weeks. Some digging found that this gall bladder issue, if that's what it is, started 7 years ago. When I had an ultrasound, it found a spot on my kidney that was supposed to be checked regularly but wasn't because I wasn't told that anything needed to be done. Ugh. I saw a Naturopathic Dr. a couple of weeks ago, made some dietary changes per her recommendations and she ordered CT reports from my appendix emergency room visit. The hope is that they got a good image of my gall bladder and kidney, that further imaging is not needed. The good news is that the type of spot on my kidney is a 9mm fat cyst only problematic if it gets really big. It's probably nothing to worry about.
The other good news is that I have been feeling better as a result of the dietary modifications; no wheat, dairy, coffee, eggs, pork or onions. It's healthier and whenever I've made a mistake, the culprit is obvious. And the scale has gone down by 10 in about a week and a half. That works for me.
Well, the family is beckoning me to eat breakfast. I should oblige. Good times are key to our happiness.
Posts
All Comments
