Happy 18th Birthday, Son #1!

Son #1 celebrated his 18th birthday today!  To read his birth story, click here.  

So what has he been up to in the past year?  He enjoyed a busy senior year in high school.  He had a very challenging course load (two dual-enrollment classes!), but managed to graduate with a 3.96 weighted GPA!

He was finally invited to attend the State Cross Country Meet as an alternate.  He didn't compete but was thrilled to attend.  He also attend the State Award.  He finally received a varsity letter in Cross Country and his 3rd varsity letter in Wrestling.

He was accepted to, and received scholarships from, several universities.  More on that in another post.

He attended his prom with a blind date (sort of) -- she was a friend of a friend.   He also joined the Powder Puff Spirit Team (the guys were the cheerleaders/dance team; the girls played flag football).  I'll try to post a video soon -- it was too funny!

He made Eagle Scout this year!

He had a blast on his class' senior trip to Disney.  He still isn't excited about driving (he's had his learner's permit for over two years).  He still loves reading, playing video games.  He's looking forward to college.

This seems like just yesterday:

Happy Birthday, Son!  I'm proud of you!

Son #1 is going to the State Cross Country Meet!

Son #1, who is now a senior (can you believe how fast time flies?), is going with his high school cross country team as an alternate.  As an alternate, he's not scheduled to compete unless another runner is unable.  Still, he's thrilled to be asked.

He's been running his heart out since the 9th grade.  He's not incredibly fast, but very persistent.  Lots of stamina.  He's gone from the bottom of the pack -- literally, the first year, he came in last for the first several meets -- to in the top 12 on his team. 

He's worked hard, great team spirit.  Even if he doesn't run at State, being asked to make the trip is a great way to end his high school running career!

Happy 16th Birthday, Son #1

To read his birth story, click here.

You are my night owl with a wry sense of humor. Super smart - you'll either end up dominating the world or solving its major problems. :-) You still love books, video games, all things science. You don't enjoy driving, but you have to put that permit to use and practice, practice, practice. Oh, and you rocked in school. 4.0 + GPA, with 3 honors classes. In school, you ran cross country, track and lettered in wrestling. Once you complete the two final merit badges, you'll be an Eagle Scout. Keep up the good work! We're proud of you and we love you.

Happy 14th Birthday, Son #1

Happy Birthday, Son #1! He has really impressed me with his sense of responsibility this summer as he looks after his younger brothers and ensures the chores are done before I get home from my part-time job.

I do miss our really, really late nights watching TV together (until 3 am or later). Since I work Monday - Friday, I just can't keep the same hours that we did last summer. We're both night-owls.

The photo above was taken last year at Boy Scout camp. It's one of my favorites. Dear Hubby and I took him out to dinner at the restaurant of his choosing (Olive Garden). Pasta with marinara sauce, and a whole lot of breadsticks.

If you're interested in reading his birth story, click here.

((( sigh )))

One son won't wear deodorant unless I stand outside the bathroom door and insist. Even then, I'm only assuming he's spraying it on his underarms and not into the air.

My other son has developed a liking for my perfume. Awww, how sweet, you're thinking. Um, but he's wearing it. That's right. My soon-to-be -seven year old has taken to wearing "Burberry Brit."

Finally, my middle son asked me to buy him a G-string. Fortunately, he was referring to his guitar.

.....and how was YOUR week?

Just a Little Update...

It's been a while since I've posted, so I thought I'd give a little update. I've been spending the past week reading the second encyclical assigned by Dear Hubby's Social Justice instructor (this one is a shorter one written by Pope Pius __).

I also finally mastered the beaded ball that I mentioned a couple of months ago on my other blog. I've also been teaching myself to make bird nest pendants out of sterling silver wire (photo to come).

Because starting a diet on January 1st is such a cliche, I decided to join Weight Watchers (again) this past Friday. I joined in March 2007, hit an 8 month plateau and more of less gave up. So here I go again.

Today I attended Son #1 IEP meeting (Individualized Education Plan) today. At this point, it's more or less a formality. He'll continue with speech therapy twice a week next year, as he has since pre-K. Two of his instructors mentioned that Son #1 seems to engage in 'higher order' thinking than the average person. I think that's edu-speak for 'too smart for his own good.' Truthfully, though, he does operate on a different level.

Son #2 came home today and informed me that a certain little girl we know (very sweet) asked him to "go out." At this age (eleven), 'going out' is generally limited to hanging out at school and saying you have a girlfriend or boyfriend. Trying to keep my cool, I casually asked him how he responded and he said that he told her he'd think about it, because he wanted to 'bounce it off' of me. Awww..... We took the opportunity to discuss what it means to be honest, treat people with respect, not blabbing details to friends, etc. After he left the room, I curled up in the fetal position and chanted 'not my baby, not my baby..." Just kidding. Mama's playing it cool.

More later.

Vacation Day 3

Sorry I didn't blog sooner. I'm having computer issues, but I'll save that for another post...

Day 3 of our vacation was fun. We woke early and took the hotel shuttle to the Metro station (that's D.C.'s subway system) and rode the Metro into the city. We disembarked at the "Mall" which isn't a shopping center, but rather the area in Washington, DC near the monuments, museum and Capitol Building. Here are the boys at the Metro station awaiting our ride.

Our first stop was the Smithsonian Museum of Natural History. We spent a lot of time in the dinosaur exhibit and the marine life exhibit.

This was all very nice, but my favorite part was the Gems & Minerals, home of the Hope Diamond, among other famous, fabulous jewels. Here are Son #1 and Son#2 next to my birthstone, amethyst.

Happy Birthday, Son #1!

He's a teenager today! Thirteen years old. Here's a photo of him earning his Horsemanship Merit Badge at Boy Scout camp last week.

If you'd like to read his birth story, click here.

Rollercoaster - Part 2

Originally this was part of yesterday's post, but it was just too darn long so I separated it out.

I've posted about Son #1's growth issues in the past. Here are some posts you can visit if you want to get up to speed:

• Failure to Thrive (November 19, 2007) - Son #1 was prescribed a drug designed to prevent muscle wasted and stimulate appetite and prevent muscle waste.
• More Questions than Answers (April 23, 2007) - chronicling our first visit with the pediatric endocrinologist.
• 56 is the Magic Number (April 12, 2007) - pediatrician is alarmed that Son #1 has not only fallen off the 'growth curve' two years ago, he's no longer following the curve.

Son #1 gained almost 5 pounds since starting the "battery acid" medicine, as he called it, back in November. It is designed to stimulate appetite, but it tastes awful. I thought Son #1 was exaggerating until one day, on a lark, I dipped the tip of my finger in the medicine and took a taste....just to see what the fuss was about. OH. MY. GOSH. It was terrible. Granted, I've never attempted to siphon gasoline and failed, but I can only imagine that this is what it would taste like. ICK!. The foul taste stayed with me for hours! Son #1 is a bigger man than I give him credit for. (and this stuff is supposed to *stimulate* appetite???)

He had a follow up appt. with the endocrinologist at the end of May. Although Son #1 gained weight (yay!), when you factor in the height increase (1/2 in. in 6 mos), it ends up equating to a net loss. Sigh.

Doc recommended a Growth Hormone Stimulation Test, which we took on June 3rd. Son #1 had to start fasting at 9pm the night prior. We drove to the hospital about 35 miles away, checked in and Son #1 was led to the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU). Sounds much scarier that it is. It turns out that - fortunately - the PICU is not a busy department and therefore can conduct the 3+ hour hormone stimulation test properly, usually without interruption. (Doc said the hospital closest to our house is "too busy" and if the bloodwork isn't drawn exactly in the right increments, it negates the entire test).

They insert a Hep-Lock in Son #1's arm (an IV port). They draw baseline bloodwork. They give Son #1 Clonadine (tablets) and Glucagon (shot in the tookus) to 'stimulate' an insulin/growth hormone response.

Thirty minutes after the meds, they draw blood. Sixty minutes after meds, they draw blood, Ninety minutes after meds, they draw blood. One hundred twenty minutes after meds, Son #1 had to pee, gets nauseous and weak, they draw more blood. He finally dozes. One hundred eighty minutes after meds, they draw the last round of bloodwork.

Now I understand what I mean when they say that blood must be drawn at exactly the precise intervals or else the entire test is a bust!

They feed us - an unexpected treat (I fully expected to have to stop for food on the way home). Son #1 ate cheese pizza and drank Gatorade ... a must before Nurse Nancy would remove the IV port from Son #1's arm.

The test results will be forwarded to Son #1's endocrinologist in 3 to 4 weeks. I'm not sure what to make of all this. I've been doing research, off and on, for a while now. Information overload. On one hand, I'm 5' 1" and I don't feel 'shortness' is a condition that necessarily needs to be cured. Hello, Michael J. Fox (5'4") and Al Pacino (barely 5'6" if I had to guess).

I remember watching a special on 20/20 on TV a few years ago about teens/young adults who had growth hormone injections. How much it hurt, how much it cost. I remember Son #1 who must've been about 8 at the time saying he didn't want any of that. He's happy the way he is. The way God made him. That's a pretty compelling argument.

But there's a flip side. Many studies have shown that children (and adults) who do not produce enough growth hormone (you don't stop needing the growth hormone once you've reached adulthood), are at increased risk for: 1) obesity - altho' this is unlikely to be an issue for Son #1, 2) osteoporosis - which runs in my family, and 3) early onset coronary artery disease - Dear Hubby had stents at 34 and triple bypass at 36.

So it's not really a matter of curing 'shortness'. Unfortunately, many insurance companies consider growth hormone therapy a 'vanity' treatment. Test results should be in by the end of the month. Stay tuned....

Fearlessness

Many of you know that Son #1 is a Boy Scout (as is Son #2). Son #1 is working on his Communications Merit Badge and one of the requirements it to serve as Master of Ceremonies (emcee) for a Court of Honor or campfire meeting. Last night was the Court of Honor, a quarterly ceremony where scouts are recognized for earning merit badges and achieving rank advancments.

Son #1 has a significant speech impairment. Combine his articulation challenges with his incredibly fast rate of speed (he's put most auctioneers to shame), well, let's say that sometimes it takes a lot of work on the listener's behalf...

That said, Son #1 was allowed to co-emcee with another Boy Scout. The other boy prepared a script (with Son #1's input), divided up the sections. Son #1 practiced over the weekend and I re-sized the script so he could have a small page of notes at the podium.

During the Court of Honor, I made it a point *NOT* to watch him very much because I wanted to hear just his speech, uninfluenced by his facial expressions, gestures, etc. I was so impressed. Of course the articulation issues are still there, but he really worked on his rate of speech. It would've been a much shorter meeting if he emceed solo and spoke at his normal rate. :-)

A couple of times during the evening, there were a few changes to the program (a previously unannounced guest speaker, at one point the co-emcee accidentally traded "lines" with Son #1). It didn't fluster Son #1 at all. He just 'rolled with it.'

So a couple of things jump out at me:

1) he *can* slow down when he really wants to
2) he really does live up to the Boy Scout motto of doing one's best
3) "going with the flow"
4) fearless. Absolutely fearless.

I think he had a lot of fun. I know I enjoyed watching him.

Out of the Mouths of Babes - Part Deux

Sons #1 and #2 attended Boy Scout Merit Badge classes on Saturday. Son #1, who is speech impaired, selected Public Speaking. Now, I personally would have avoided it like the plague and I'm not speech impaired. But Son #1 was never one to shy away from a challenge.

As I was organizing his papers (I have to let our local troop know which badges he earned), I came across the note card that instructor handed out. One exercise was to introduce yourself and use three adjectives to describe you. Simple enough.

Here's - in part - what he wrote:

"I am intelligent, small and fidgety. I know a lot of things by reading books.

I don't have a clue why I'm small. My ADHD causes me to fidget..."

He is, of course, correct on all three accounts. His self-confidence never seems to amaze me. He's certainly faced his fair share of challenges (developmental delays, speech & language impairment, Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, seizures among them). Yet he is who he is. And very accepting of himself.

He turns 13 in June. Looking back, I was nowhere near that self-assured at that age. He is proof positive that when God gives you challenges, He also grants you an abundance of graces to deal with them. We just have to tune into it.

Failure to Thrive

(Background info: click here and here for more info about Son #1's condition....)

Most of us moms are at least vaguely familiar with the term: failure to thrive. Usually it brings to mind infants who are not growing as expected. I guess, technically, that would be Son #1. He was born in the 50th percentile for height and weight, but quickly dropped to the 10th percentile and then to the negative 10th percentile, which means that although he was still following the curve for "normal" development, he was not gaining weight/length at the rate of a "normal" baby.

Still. Failure to Thrive. Although it's been in the back of my brain, I've never seen them in print on a medical chart until today. My "baby", for the record, is 12 years 5 months old. I'll admit that it's distressing to learn that your child at any age isn't growing as expected. However, at this point (pre-teen years) his life is not in danger. I should point that out.

Son #1 was referred to an endocrinologist for testing in April. Blood work was okay (human growth hormone was at the low end of normal). Bone x-ray was a bit disturbing. Apparently the bigger the gap between "bone age" (indicated on the xray) and chronological age, the better. Son #1's gap wasn't much. :-(

Today's visit was slightly encouraging. Son #1 grew 3/4 an inch (more than he's grown in the past two years). I knew it would be good news, because I noticed that his size 8 Slim school pants were *finally* getting too short. (Did I mention that he's 12.5?).

The doctor wants to try an appetite stimulant. Periactin is the most popular. It's from the same family as Benedryl, though, and can make kids drowsy (altho' that would be a welcome change from Son #1 as long as the drowsiness didn't occur in school), and it can make them fidgety (Son #1 is on ADHD meds to make him less fidgety. Let's not cancel that out.)

Instead the doctor recommends a medicine called Megace which is used to stimulate appetite and prevent muscle loss in AIDS patients and cancer patients. The biggest risk to Son #1 is that it may delay puberty, which the endrocrinologist said may not be an altogether bad thing. The greater the amount of growth between now and the post-puberty growth spurt at which most boys peak, the better. The medicine is expensive - about $550 retail (my insurance copay is $100) but we figure it's worth a try. If we can encourage Son #1's appetite now and perhaps avoid the human growth hormone injections (to the tune of tens of thousands per year) in the future, it would be less invasive in the long run.

I'll keep you posted.

ARRRGGGG!

Interim reports came home yesterday. You know, those midway through the grading period reports that let you know how your child is doing so far.

Can someone please explain to me how a 12 year old, who cannot spell at all yet reads at a 12th grade level, is managing an A in spelling and a D in reading?!!!! I'm scratching my head. Son #1 generally tries very hard. He'll get a lot of excellent grades peppered with the occasional not-so-great grade, but it usually balances out beautifully. This D, however, stems from one low test score and two missed assignments (which is out of character for him).

On his last report card, he had 5 As and 2 Bs. On this interim, he has 6 As and 1 D (which he'd better pull up or he'll be having a very Blue Christmas!). It's hard to rejoice over a half-dozen As when there's that lone D staring me in the face. But should it be hard? Six As are pretty impressive. And, as it stands now, if he ended up with these grade on this report card, he'd still end up with a 3.57 average and therefore make honor roll. With a D. Mind boggling.

Needless to say, there's a conference in our future. I called today to request an appointment, but I also want the resource teacher who's responsible for my son's IEP (individualized education plan) to attend in case we need to make modifications.

Not be outdone by his big brother, Son #2 also brings home a disappointing interim. One A, 4 Bs and 1 C. This is down from his last report card grades of 4 As and 2 Bs. Sigh.... While he didn't get the lowest grade in our family, he dropped in every class but one. That's perhaps more distressing that Son #1 who went up in one class and way down in another.

Son #2 is a trickier nut to crack. He's very smart, and in general, things come very easily for him - although that appears to be ending. He just likes to rush through his work, not read the directions completely. He has a completely different work ethic. Take his weekly geography assignment, for example. The teacher hands it out on Wednesday and the kids have a week to do the worksheet, using their text books. An easy A, right? Practically a gift from the teacher. How do you mess that up? By getting Bs and Cs on the worksheet? Why, I asked? Because he couldn't find all the answers. They're not all in the book, he says - but I'm skeptical.

Let's say he's right, though. He has an entire week to find the answers. And we now have highspeed internet. Heck, a week is enough time to go to the local library and check out a couple of books. But no. He finds the answers he can, guesses at the rest and turns it in the day after receiving the assignment (basically he turns it in 6 days early). I'm putting an end to that now.

If it were an issue of his not being organized, we can take steps to improve that. If he was struggling with the content, we could work on that. But how do you "fix" someone's work ethic? (Really, I'm open to suggestions.)

And for the record, I'm not completely opposed to Cs or even Ds. I'm just opposed to them for these kids. It's one thing if a child is struggling with a subject. Heck, I was that kid (math). Sometimes Cs and even Ds are reason to celebrate (or at least breathe a sigh of relief). But neither of my sons are struggling to grasp the material being taught.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~* UPDATE ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

As I sat looking at the dates of Son #1's missed assignments, it occurred to me that they may have been handed out on an afternoon when Son #1 wasn't feeling well and spent 20 minutes in the nurse's office before returning to class. The teacher believes that was indeed the day, so she will allow Son #1 to make up both missed assignments and deduct 10 points, which I thought was generous. He should have been more proactive in asking, "what'd I miss?" She didn't sent the assignments home though on Friday so he'll get to work on them after the Thanksgiving break.

"OH NO! NOT AGAIN!!!"

That's a quote from Son #1 tonight. I teach his 7th grade CCD class (religion class). After class ended, we were waiting outside in the square (1) to make sure all of my students had been picked up by their parents, and (2) for Son #2 and my nephew to meet us so we could ride home together.

Son #1 was perched on the railings to the steps when he happened to glance down on the ground and find -- a ten dollar bill. Actually, it's *another* $10 bill if you've been following my previous two posts. His first words were, "What should I do, Mom? Turn it in to the office? Donate it?"

Since the likelihood of finding its owner is very slim, I told him I'd email the CCD coordinator letting her know we found some cash in case anyone mentioned to her that they've lost it. If we don't hear anything within a few weeks, then we'll have a decision to make. Do we consider it his lucky day? If he spends it at the upcoming church fair, will that count as a donation? Do we donate it to our church's "poor box" (benefitting the St. Vincent de Paul Society)? If so, how much? Is this karma's way of rewarding him for being so honest and generous earlier this week?

Or is it a test of some sort? Ironically, today's gospel reading and homily were about the parable of the steward who cheated his employer of money.

Luke 16:10-13

Jesus said to his disciples: “The person who is trustworthy in very small mattersis also trustworthy in great ones; and the person who is dishonest in very small matters is also dishonest in great ones. If, therefore, you are not trustworthy with dishonest wealth, who will trust you with true wealth? If you are not trustworthy with what belongs to another,who will give you what is yours? No servant can serve two masters. He will either hate one and love the other, or be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and mammon.”

A man who is trustworthy in the little things will be trustworthy in the big things.

Hmmmmm.....

But, really, what are the odds? Finding not one, but two $10 bills in a single week?

Incidentally, I think he's leaning towards donating all of it to charity. But he did muse, "I wonder if Mr. R (his teacher) ever got his $10 back from A. (the kid who initially claimed the first $10 as his own)?"

Honesty is its Own Reward

This is an update to my previous post. Son #1's teacher did indeed receive my email and got the three boys together to sort it all out. Here's the official story: A (the boy who claimed the money) is in the English as a Second Language program. When Son #1 asked A, "Did you lose this money?" A said he thought Son #1 was offering him the money (as in, do you want this money?). So naturally he said yes.

The teacher gave H (who actually lost the money) $10 from his own wallet. A now sees the misunderstanding and was to bring the money to the teacher today. The teacher sent Son #1 home with my money - I didn't have the heart to make Son #1 drain his piggy bank. He also emailed me a nice note about how impressed he was with Son #1's integrity.

So now I hope everyone is happy. Except perhap A who must have thought he was attending the friendliest school ever.

All's well that ends well.

[I let Son #1 keep the $10.]

No Good Deed Goes Unpunished

Son #1 didn't have a wonderful day in school today. It started off well enough, but in 3rd Period Social Studies, he found a $10 bill on the floor between his seat and the one next to him. Son #1 is not the type to quietly pocket the money for himself. He asked the boy in the seat next to him - I'll call him A - if the money belonged to him and A said that it did. Son #1 did his good deed for the day, right?

Not quite. Later in the day, at lunch time, a boy in the same Social Studies class - I'll call this one H - asked Son #1 whether he found money. Why he waited so long to ask, I do not know. H sits in the seat directly in front of Son #1, so it very well may have been H's money and not A's.

Son #1 felt so badly that he was duped into giving the money to the wrong kid that he promised to bring ten dollars of his own money to school tomorrow and give it to H. That's the price of an innocent mistake in the 7th grade, apparently.

Here's the worst part: I feel compelled to give my son lessons on how to be cynical. For example, next time one finds money, one should conceal it in one's hand before asking, "Did you lose any money?" If the person says yes, then one should say, "Can you tell me how much? In what denomination?" If the person says "a 5 dollar bill" and you're holding a ten, then you know they're yanking your chain.

I'll admit that I'm much more suspicious than Son#1, which is why in general he views the world as a much better place than I do. How do I know the money was A's? How do I know it belongs to H?

For the record I considered sending a check, with a detailed note, so the parent would have to read the note and cash the check. A minor inconvenience for the boy, unfortunately, but hey, a bigger inconvenience for me. However, I decided against that because I don't whether the check would go the "right" person (i.e. was H the one who really lost the money) and I didn't want my bank account info out there, you know what I mean? (See? I really am a cynic at times.)

I ultimately emailed the teacher enlisting his help (I haven't heard back yet). Here's what I said (of course I used the real names):

Mr. [Teacher's Name],

I'm wondering whether you might be able to help Son #1 with a situation. Son #1 is in your 3rd period. He spotted a $10 bill on the floor in your classroom, in between his chair and A's. He knew it wasn't his (and it's not in nature to pocket the cash without attempting to find its owner) so he naturally asked A if it belonged to him. A said "yes" so Son #1 gave him the money.

At lunch, H asked Son #1 whether he found money. (H sits in front of Son #1). Son #1 replied that he had, but that A claimed the money as his own. Understand that Son #1 is a very generous-hearted individual and felt terribly that H was out of his $10 so Son #1 offered to give H his own money.

Son #1 and I discussed that perhaps a better tactic would have been to turn the money in to you and let you deal with it.

Obviously, Son #1 is very upset about the whole ordeal - probably more upset that he was lied to than he is over paying $10. Personally, I don't feel Son #1 should owe anyone money. It was, after all, an innocent mistake on his part. However, he is - as he put it - "a man of his word" and doesn't feel that H should be out of the money, either.

Before any more cash changes hands, would you please discuss the matter with the parties involved and see if in fact the money was H's (and if so, whether A will do the right thing)?

I'm sending Son #1 to school with a copy of this email and an envelope containing $10 with instructions to give to you. If the child who is missing the money cannot get it back from the person who has it, please send the envelope home with him.

I'm open to suggestions if you have any.

Thank you in advance,

I'm curious - how would you have handled it? Dear Hubby doesn't think Son #1 owes anyone money, and I agree, but I get "But I promised" from Son #1.

Who knew that raising an ethical child would cost me $10. ;-) (The money I'm sending is my own, not his.)

But I'm Not Even *IN* School!

What a week it's shaping up to be! Not a bad one, mind you. Just busy. Son #2 is doing well in 5th grade. No big surprises. Of course, he's adjusting to a new teacher, but he's at the same school with the same friends as last year. We're just trying to get settled into the new routine and learn what the teacher expects. Open House at the school isn't for another week or so. I should have a better handle on things by then. Son #2 is a good student. Things tend to come easily for him so he doesn't necessarily put forth his best effort. We're working on developing a better work ethic, because let's face it, at some point things will stop coming so easily for him and he'll need a back up plan that doesn't include coasting on his good looks, manners and sense of humor.

Son #1 seems to be adapting well to Junior High. The big leagues. Changing classes for all courses. He hasn't been assigned a locker yet - that should happen next week once everyone's schedules are pretty much set (some "tweaking" of the schedules is still going on - not for my son, though).

Today is the first day that he'll have to change into gym clothes for Phys. Ed. class. I'm curious to see how that will work out. The school sells a gym uniform for $15, or they can wear a plain white t-shirt and plain navy gym shorts. We've opted for the latter so far. I'm not opposed to buying a gym uniform with the school logo on it, but right now a 5-pack of white Hanes t-shirts costs less than $5 at Walmart and I found 3 pair of navy shorts are Kmart for 4 each.

• 3 gym uniforms + 2 extra shirts = $17
• Not having to do laundry every night = Priceless

I'm a little worried about Spanish class. He does not have a text book. I know some schools are getting away from that, but Son #1 is not a great "auditory" learner. I hope they have books but perhaps haven't distributed them yet because the lockers haven't been assigned. In the meantime, he does have an excellent memory and that will help him with his vocabulary words.

He's also expected to do a science project this year, so we'll have to get online for some realistic ideas. Of course I'm not doing any of the work for him, but we do go through each notebook everyday - organization is a challenge for ADHD kids, and his organization skills are just emerging. It almost feels like I'm back in the 7th grade again, except I have clearer skin and finally outgrew the training bra, but I digress....

Then there's the paperwork. Lots of paperwork. Those of you have kids know what I mean. There are far fewer forms required to buy a house than it takes to get your kid settled in school. I have 3 kids, so that's 3 times the paperwork.

My kids are each at a different school which means I have to join 3 different PTAs. Don't count of seeing me at the meetings though. I don't have a lot of patience to sit through them - especially the reading of the previous meeting's minutes (Hellloooo? If I wanted to know what happened at the last meeting, I would have attended the last meeting. Sorry. That's me being snarky) and the budget stuff. As I mentioned in previous posts, I'm a "Slacker Mom" (I should make that one of the labels on my blog). I just can't participate in every fundraiser for 3 schools and two scouting organizations (cub scouts and boy scouts). I cannot bankrupt my in-law's, sorry.

Then there are the school fees. Lunch fee for the month, Supply fee to offset the photocopying expenses, PTA fee, Lab fee. Of course, each one requires a separate check.

Son #3 went for his kindergarten assessment on Tuesday so I picked up his packet and got a jump on that paperwork. His assessment went well. On the first day of school, the teacher will read a book - I forget the title - about a raccoon who goes to school but will miss his mom, so she kisses the palm of his hand. Momma Raccoon tells her son that if he gets lonely all he has to do is press his palm to his cheek and remember the love. I heard a similar story years before the book was published (1993) so my boys are very familiar with Mommy's Magic Kiss on their palm that cannot be washed off and will not wear away no matter what.

While Son #3 was in the class with the teacher for his testing, I sat in the hallway and completed my "assignment" - a construction paper cutout of my hand pasted on a larger piece of construction paper and a personal note. After reading the story on Monday, which will sound vaguely familiar to Son #3, the teacher will have the parents' "hands" in case the kids get lonely. Cute idea. The kids should be pleasantly surprised.

Meanwhile, I've been too busy to whine about how lonely I'll be on Monday... :-)

A Great First Day of School

First Day of School for Sons #1 and #2 was Friday, August 10th. Son #3 starts kindergarten on Monday, August 20th.

Despite almost missing the bus, Son #1 had a really good day at school. We were walking to the bus stop a block and a half away at least five minutes prior to the time recommended by the driver when the bus pulls up, picks up the kids and takes off. Darn. Fortunately, I knew the route and knew that we had a chance to race three blocks in the opposite direction and catch the very last stop, which Son #1 did - just in a nick of time. As Son #3 and I were walking back home, the bus driver stopped to let me know that he passes the first stop on the way out of the subdivision so that if we miss it the first time, he'll stop there a second time on the way out. Good to know.

Son #1 is 7th grade now. Junior High. The Big Leagues - changing clothes in gym class, changing classes, having a locker, etc.

As I mentioned in earlier posts Son #1 had trouble with this bully who has been in his class for the past three years. (Click here for a brief history, and here for our recent efforts to head off additional trouble.) This past Spring, Bully started smacking Son #1 in the back of the head several times a day and after three weeks, Son #1 finally has enough and strikes back. Yes, we've discussed dealing with problems as they arise...

Anyway, as I've blogged a couple of months ago, I learned that the Bully would have the identical school schedule as Son #1 ... all 7 classes. I also learned that Son #1 did not get his first choice of elective, Spanish. To be honest, I was a little apprehensive at the thought of his taking Spanish because of his speech impairment, but it'll be required in high school so I allowed him to request it. Truthfully, I wasn't disappointed to learn that he would take Agricultural Sciences instead. Son #1 has had all summer to get used to the idea of All Bully/No Spanish.

However, the principal - which whom I recently discussed my concerns about the Bully - really came through for us in more ways than one.

Son #1 got off the bus - so excited. Bully is in only *one* class (Social Studies) with Son #1. And Son #1 is indeed taking Spanish as an elective now. Ay Carumba! Had I known this earlier, I would've spend the summer working on the basics with him.

Son #2 also had a very good first day of school, but for Son #1 it was

The. Best. School. Day. Ever.

Gearing Up for Back to School...

As I’ve already mentioned, Sons #1 and #2 return to school on Friday, August 10th. In my opinion, that’s just too early. Even though they get out at the end of May, I think they should wait until at least the 3rd week of August to go back. Don’t even get me started about the fact that they start on a Friday. Sheesh!

Son #3 – the BABY – starts on Monday, August 20th. Now that’s a bit more like it. During the week prior, he and I will be invited to meet his teacher, visit his classroom, tour the school, etc. The teacher will also do an informal assessment of what Son #3 knows. He can count to 100. He can spell his nickname and visually recognize his full first and last name. Although, he still goofs when reciting the alphabet, he can identify every letter of the alphabet and in most cases, he can tell you what sound each letter makes (even those letters, such as G, C, the vowels, etc. that make more than one sound). He’s a pretty sharp cookie – our homeschooling has certainly paid off. I suspect that he may initially be a little ahead of the game academically, but that’s okay. That’ll give him time to focus on developing those much needed social skills. Ahem.

Son #1 is apprehensive. He’ll be starting Junior High (7th grade) at a new school. His social circle is very small and the few friends he hangs out with are going on to different schools. This arch nemesis (Son #1’s words), however, will not only attend the same school, but has the identical schedule. Yikes. To learn more about the arch nemesis – also known as The Bully (my words) – click here and here.

I called the school to set up a tour, hoping that might increase Son #1’s enthusiasm, and I ended up speaking with the principal about the situation between Son #1 and The Bully. She was going to look at their IEPs (Individualized Education Plan – they’re both in the Inclusion Program, hence the identical schedules) and see whether they can be separated for at least a few classes. No guarantees, but I appreciated it. I sent the principal a hand-written thank you note letting her know how much I appreciate her sensitivity to the situation. I can be a kiss up, can’t I? Anyway, the tour is Friday morning.

We’re all set for school. All of the supplies were bought and labeled weeks ago. I have all of their school uniforms in order. The only one who isn’t ready is ME. Especially come August. 20th and which point I’ll probably curl up into a fetal position and sob for two days.

What’s a stay-home mom to do when she has no one to stay home with?

Out of the Mouths of Babes

Well, he's not exactly a baby anymore, but...

Monday evening Son #1 and took a drive to Lowe's to buy some soil mix for the tree we're planting in the front yard. Sons #2 & #3 stayed home with Dear Hubby who was busily digging the hole for said tree.

Anyway, I'll occasionally come up with a random question in order to draw my kids into conversation and the first one to pop into my head was the following:

If you could change anything about your life, what would it be?

He didn't hesitate at all:

"I'd like to be a better person."

Wow. Not the answer I was expecting. For a moment I was struck speechless. He turned 12 a couple of weeks ago. First of all, I'm impressed that his answer didn't involve "stuff." Second, I'm all for self-improvement.

Of course, I did run through a few moments of self-doubting my parenting skills ("Uh oh, did I ever say or do anything to make him feel like he's not good enough?" etc.). However, we ended up having a good conversation - okay, so at this point, I was doing most of the conversing - about how God created each of us in his own image, how He loves us despite our sometimes poor choices, and how we honor God by being the very best [insert name here: Mom, Son #1, etc.] we can be. We all make mistakes - some whoppers, some less so - and we should learn from these mistakes but not obsess over them. Thanks to the stain of Original Sin, the human species is unworthy, yet our Creator never gives up on us. Neither should we.

And I looked at him in the rearview mirror and thought... Wow. I'm speechless again.