Tomorrow, CrazyHorse goes back to school. I'm really looking forward to it. I hope we do as well with teachers as we have done in the past. Overall though, it doesn't matter too much just yet. He has his gifted program and I have no problem giving him things to do to keep him challenged without making it seem too much like work.
It will be interesting to see how Wolverine does with the change in schedule. Hopefully, it goes well. In a perfect world it will go well enough that the little guy will quit refusing to sleep in his own bed and I can stop sleeping on the couch. We've finally got him about as evened out as we can manage. Wolverine has his doctor's appointment next week and I'm really looking forward to hearing what she has to say now, about his skin issues and the diet we're following with him.
CrazyHorse is not particularly looking forward to going back to school - at least, not that he'll admit. I personally think he is but he just doesn't want to be that uncool.
We got passes for The Good Zoo at Ogelbay today. It helps to have a sisterinlaw whose sister a - works there and b - adores your children. CrazyHorse and Hubster have been picking berries like there's no tomorrow all week and we took some to the zoo today for Enrichment Day (when they give the critters fun stuff to do - like ripping apart paper mache stuff). We watched the African Wild Dogs tear up some paper mache fire crackers and the woman - I think she's in training to do the kid tours and stuff - asked about his name (his real one not the one I use here though they come from the same place) and he told her it was a lakota souix word. I'm not sure if she didn't know the lakota souix are American Indians or what but she decided that CH & the AFRICAN wild dogs have something in common. So it didn't surprise me at all when, regardless of the sign, he kept calling them American wild dogs. Anyway after that we made our way over to the ringtailed lemurs. CrazyHorse got to take the berries and go inside the enclosure to feed the lemurs. By hand. As in, he held the berries and they took them. From his hand. Of course, at this moment, my camera decided to eat its batteries again. Again. Fortunately, hubster got a few pics on his phone so hopefully he can figure out how to send them to the computer and I can post them. I'm not sure he fully realizes just how cool it is that he gets to do stuff like that. He's gotten to play with baby kangaroos and feed the otters and now the lemurs. We also fed some overripe strawberries to Petunia the Pig. Throughout all of this Wolverine was a basketcase. Crying and screaming and generally being a fussy fussy boy. I really hope this phase goes by quickly. I know a lot of it has to do with him needing to be away from me a little bit more. He and I are together almost 24/7. That's got to stop or he's going to be even more clingy later... on the upside - this food thing appears to be settling in some. Not sure its doing anything but - can't hurt him not to eat artificial crap either.
Book fair went well. He gave them my note from the very beginning and had zero problems. He brought home three books - two I figured on and one he must have found there. Half-Moon Investigations (by the author of Artemis Fowl) and SilverFin - a series about the young james bond. Good boy books. I'm quite pleased with it. Even more so by the fact that he sat down and started silverfin (taking a break from the last few chapters of the second Artemis Fowl book). He read and I didn't have to ask him to! This is progress and then some!
~S
CrazyHorse has a book fair again today... I'm very interested to see if they repeat their actions. Last time they wouldn't let him get books that were on his reading level, instead basing his available choices on his grade level. I'm sending a note this time:
"Please allow CrazyHorse to get books that are on his reading level rather than his grade level. He is currently reading the Artemis Fowl series and any books of that level are allowed. If you have any questions, please do call me."
I'm very interested to see what happens now...
~S
I had my evaluation meeting for CrazyHorse today. I feel much better about his education. I like the gifted program teacher quite a lot. She seems reasonable and intelligent and I'm very happy with our direction.
They're at least going to be working with me now and that's more than I've had before. I just overall feel better about this whole thing!
~S
and those who think they know best....
CrazyHorse is in 1st grade. He reads like he's in 4th grade. The lovely volunteers at School's bookfair decided that he was not *allowed* to get books on his level because they didn't believe him that he reads at that level. His teacher wasn't in the room of course or she would have helped.
It just frustrates me that these people want to pigeon hole children by age instead of ability. Have they never dealt with accelerated or disabled children? Age is a poor determining factor.
Basically - I'm just POd and there's not a whole lot I can do.
~S
Had my parent teacher conference today! I'm not completely happy but I'm no longer not happy with the teacher. I'm not happy with the system.
The teacher though - I like her. She's overworked, frazzled but completely devoted to her job and I like that. We were scheduled for a 20 minute conference but we were there for 45 minutes or so - looking at the things she has prepared for her 'advanced readers' and that seems much more on the level of stuff that CrazyHorse needs to be doing - comprehension of cohesive stories and things of that nature. I like the look of that.
They got a new curiculum this year and it's taking time to work out the kinks. So - we'll play it by ear and see where it goes but, I'm seeing this as a good step in the right direction.
~S
If this current behavior is not just a phase - I'm in much trouble! If I ask him to be quiet, he stomps loudly instead of talking. If I'm on the phone and ask him to stop talking, he just talks faster until he's said all he wants to say anyway. I send him to his room, He cries LOUDLY. I make him sit on the boring old steps and he knocks on the wall and stomps his feet... Right now - he is sitting in the middle of his bed, no toys, no books... until I say otherwise. He cries, it's longer, he throws anything, its even longer, he throws a hissyfit - it's all day... so far, so good. I just wish I could snap my fingers and have control again.
I figure if I can win this battle of wills now - maybe I won't have such a BIG problem down the road. The problem - he's too much like me and his dad... both of us had our issues. Hubby had a bit of a wild streak in him - more so than I did. I was just rebellious. Politely and subversively rebellious but still...
oy. At least it seems he can go back to school tomorrow.
~Sarah
It never fails...
We’re headed back to the pediatrician’s office today... they’re going to get really sick of me - I seem to be seeing them several times a month now - CrazyHorse just can’t seem to get well and stay well and Wolverine is nearly as bad. This time, me and wolverine are coming out of the cycle just as CrazyHorse is going in - we’re a mess. Fortunately, Husband doesn’t seem to be catching any of this... thank goodness for small favors...
Me - I’m just hoping for a break from all the illness around christmas....
~S
Just as I get one settled down, the other starts up... the next few years are looking like they might be quite interesting....
CrazyHorse had pneumonia. The moment he got over it, Wolverine started spitting up like crazy again - volume like you wouldn't think he could hold - and coughing... got him to the doctor's and he's fine - steam, humidifier, and a new dosage of his zantac - and now - CrazyHorse has a temp of 103. I just can't win!! I've got everyone quiet on couches and in swings watching the Wiggles (fortunately CH doesn't quite think he's too big for them yet - but he will before too long I'm sure...)
Hubby is working... I think I need a code name for him too but I just can't think of one yet... It'll come to me someday. But anyway - he's working afternoons this week so he can't help a whole lot but more than he can when he's on midnights. I'll take what I can get I guess...
Well, I've got to run again - can't leave the wiggles to do my watching for too long ;)
~S
Well - my poor boy has pneumonia... So not fun! I'll tell you what - I do not understand people with munchhousen (forgive my abissmal spelling but I'm not looking it up). HOw could anyone enjoy watching their kids get x-rays or any of that. And pneumonia isn't even all that bad in the grand scheme of things! Hopefully the amoxycillian will kick it all out and life can get back to normal. Otherwise, I'll be reading harry potter to him for the next few days - joy and rapture... I probably won't get a damn thing of my own done though and that's fine by me - I just want my boy to feel better.
~S
He's finally starting to act out - either that or I'm just tired enough that I'm noticing. He's been really hard to handle lately so - I'm taking a clue from school... there they have a color system. One color for good, one for warning, one for time out and the last for 'principles office'... so here at home - we have one for good, one for warning, one for time out and one for punishment... orange=good - 30 days on orange and he gets dinner out at Pizza Hut (or whereever he wants to go). green=warning... purple = timeout and black=punishment... two purples = a black. a day on black takes away one day from the orange count... so far - it MIGHT work. I'm hoping it works or I am going to find myself even more tired than I am now....
~S
CrazyHorse left for his first day today and I didn't even get a kiss goodbye. He's so much more outgoing than I am. He wants to talk to everyone. He wants to know everyone. He wants to tell everyone everything. It's scares me some. Especially being me. He talks to people and I get nervous. He is bright and happy and thrilled to be surrounded by people and I get weird and fidgety... I'm glad he's not like me - that he's like I once was as a little little girl but BUT it's scary and it's awkward for me. I can only hope no one takes it from him, his spark and his trust.
~S