This that and little of whatever

Since the holidays we....ok...I seem to be going in 5 different directions.  Did you ever have a day where you plan on cleaning up everything in one day but there is just so much to do that you begin pulling everything out and doing a little here and a little there cause you don't know where to begin and come 3pm in the evening you stop and turn and see everything exploded all over your house and nothing is actually really done??  Yeah.  Kinda like that.

Megan is back to school.  That is a plus.  But she had issue with an online class that some idiot sitting at desk in some big office in NJ decided was needed.  See they tried cramming a personal finance class into a 25 min opening slot in a school day.  This is a online run program with no actual teacher.  This, in itself, has been an issue. I think I saw red when I emailed her teacher for this class in the school about a concern and was told she really isn't the teacher.  She just babysits.  I have to contact the online supervisor who is the teacher. I do that and am told it isn't her job either and I have to call some 800 number of the people who made the program.  Yeah.  Well.  Lets just say that didn't exactly go over very well with me and I rather exploded.....and sent a copy to every possible leader, teacher, principal, director and maybe even a few janitors in the school district on my thoughts of this.  Yeah.  It has been way fun. Megan goes back in school after being sick and it is final week.  They won't let her take her final because.........#1 the site had been down for two weeks and she was behind #2 they don't have her logging in since Jan 8th and she can't do the final if she hasn't done the work. Only I personal KNOW she has been on cause Todd and I have been doing it!  Yes. I just admitted to doing my childs homework!  See this hour class turned into a 3-4 hour class....per day....5 days a week.  It simply was not meant to be done in a 25min slot.  So Todd and I have been on trying to keep her afloat as best as we could.  Make a loooooong story short Todd got to go in and explode all over everyone.  She was supposed to be allowed to finish the final. We are awaiting results on that.

Oh and next year this class will be a full slot class.  WITH A TEACHER.  Go figure. Sometimes a little bitching helps.

That brings me to cookie sales.  Almost done.  Yippie.  We are currently at 350 boxes sold.  I am rather done.  Done. Done.  And did I mention done?  It was a lot of work that the weather has not been cooperating on.  No fun lugging boxes of cookies in a wagon in snow, wind and 20 degrees.  But we trudged on and are down to the last few boxes.  However the leader has some left overs she is trying to push and so we are now doing yet another cookie booth to try and get rid of what cookies the troop have left.  Yea (said in a weak and mildly under-excited voice)

I have been working on vacation bible school things. Its early, Kim, you say?  Why, yes it is.  But I am setting up my 1st meeting with teachers and have packs to make and copies to run and schedules to schedule and have been working on that too.

And scheduling vacation too.  Its early for that too, Kim, you say?  Why, yes, yes it is. But we have a group going and I have to get an idea on how much it will cost and so have been booking hotels and planning schedules for that as well.

Delaney birthday is coming up.  She wanted a gym party again this year but when I went to book it a month and half ahead of time, I was told no room at the Inn.  So we redirected and she is having a roller skating party.  I have been looking for supplies and making favors and sending invites and making calls and ordering cakes.  And just when I am almost done on party planning, Ryan asks for a party too.  Ryan is going to be 20 two weeks after Delaney.  And he wants a party.  A soccer party.  A soccer party with pizza and guests and the works.  *sigh*  Really?!  I am debating between saying no out of exhaustion and um...dude your gonna be 20..... and yes out of quilt.  I will have to get back to you on that one.

Add in some stress at Delaneys school.  Lets see...where to begin......
Delaney is shy.  She doesn't like to talk in class and doesn't like being wrong even more.  She is a bit of a perfectionist and insanely in need of being right and not being laughed at.  This is effecting her class work.   She doesn't participate and only works in small groups.  Odd for a child that I would say is about my most outgoing child of the three but she IS unique and is who she is. She is a little of Ryan who will focus on one thing till it is perfect and a little of Megan who also would not talk in a class. 

What I am having issues with is her teacher who doesn't know how to work with her.  Or doesn't want to.  I told her to get her to do something...praise her. She will blossom.  Nothing.  I told her to get her to preform.....reward her. She will do whatever you want her to. Nothing.  What I did get was a notice saying she was having issues and we needed to deal with them.  If you remember I home schooled Delaney for a while.  In prek she was doing Kindergarten work.  In kindergarten she was doing 1st grade work. By the time I sent her off to school she was heading into 1st grade doing a 2nd grade level on work....for me.   Now I am getting that she is having issues and is falling behind in 2nd grade. Why? I get a notice home saying she can't do XYZ but she does it for me at the table.  She happily does homework.  She loves workbooks and stories.  I don't see an issue.  Having another child with a learning disability I know to look for signs. I don't see them. I think it is more a teacher not willing to take advise and rethink on what she normally does. Perhaps a teacher already overworked in a class of 23 kids and little time to think out of the box for one. But I gave the teacher the benefit of the doubt and took Delaney to our tutor. She is a special education teacher and was Ryans tutor and guide through school.  She tested Delaney and said....nothing wrong with this child other than a few bad habits in her reading she picked up from school.  They have gone from phonics that I taught her to site words and so she is having issues with decoding and sounding out but nothing that a few sessions can't correct.  I schedule lessons with her and she makes a note to the school and teacher for me.

 The teacher, not liking that I would even begin to doubt her suggestions, has retaliated with daily notes scribbled all over Delaneys school work. Extra work sent home with more notes scribbled on it.  Black sharpie marker notes all over her work that she did during the day. It is irritating me.  I am gearing up to attack.  Listen.....I have put three children through school.  One with a learning disability. I have been here and done it. I have dealt with some of the worse teachers and some of the best and have a whole new perspective on tenure and overworked teachers and special education and the whole public education as a whole.   And if I learned nothing in those first 12 years, it is that THEY work for me.  THEY don't tell ME what to do.  I tell them.  They might teach but I am who makes the choices on what is really taught and done. I am not a sit at home and do whatever you want parent.  I am involved.  I read. I research.  I find ways to make things work as I know not all children fall into a mold made by some school. And I do NOT take the easy road just to make life the of a teacher better and less stressful.  Delaney is bright and eager to learn.  She needs a teacher willing to help her grow.  This teacher can either redirect under my suggestions and watch Delaney grow and achieve or she and I will have some issues before the end of school year comes.  She might just want to put her black marker away too cause it is setting me up and she does not want to go there. 

So life has been busy.  Stressful.  A little crazy.  Maybe a bit grumpy.  As it is, it has taken all morning just to write this.  So I am off to change diapers and make lunches and read stories and do some tutoring of my own..........................