updates for January

This month has definitely been a whack a mole month. I've said that to a couple people and they always look at me like I'm nuts, but think about it... Up pops a mole, WHACK you smack it on the head and it gets beat back into the hole it belongs in. Not even a full breath later up pops another mole. The good news with that game (and this month) is that if you're quick all the moles get smacked down and you don't lose the game. So far this month I haven't lost the game*

The month started with our 14lb furry pain in the buttness ... ahem I mean Cupcake, getting a bladder infection. Vet was great though, they didn't charge us a visit fee so got out of there with only the cost of the meds and the pee test.

Then the Man had some issues with his training trip and he ended up leaving four days later then planned. Good news there was that the trip wasn't canceled and he did end up getting to, better late then never I say.

Then, while he was waiting to leave his teeth decided to freak out on him. He was in so much pain that he actually filled and took the pain medication scrip the dentist gave him. His mouth is feeling better now and is on the mend.

I pulled the tendons in both ankles. Good news is that my calf muscles have finally lost the extreme tightness and as long as I spend most of the day with my feet up my ankles seem to be getting better.

The Kiddo's health insurance was canceled, the State made a mistake on that one. They gave us until the 24th to get in some paperwork. It was faxed to them on the 20th, but their computer canceled the insurance on the same day. Fortunately I keep an eye on things like that so it was fixed by the 25th, he's got insurance again :)

And yesterday the trucks tire went half flat, I took it into discount tire and they fixed it for free. They told me they were astonished at how old our tires are, and how well they've lasted. But they also told me that it might be a very good idea to replace them all soon. Fixing the flat was my immediate concern, I'll deal with the rest a little further down the road.

And then we come to the note send home by the kiddo's teacher. Dear Parent the Kiddo consistently does not complete his work in class. Oh ugh, I knew that actually. Every day when he comes home we sit down and go through his school papers. Anything not done correctly or not completed we finish... and there is ALWAYS something not completed.

So step one was figuring out how to motivate him to at least TRY in class. I think my relaxed attitude to his not completed work (oh well we'll just do it now) has led him to believe that he doesn't have to even try so we made a rule that if he comes home with work unfinished then he loses his Nintendo and computer privileges for the entire day. To earn them back he has to do better in school the next day.

Step two was to talk to his teacher and let her know that we did notice the problem and that we are having him finish the work at home (ie it IS getting done). When I went to talk to her she surprised me. She said that while she did wish he would try harder to do the work she was more concerned with his 'social learning' then she was his scholastic. She said if she puts a book in front of him he'll read it, and he has a decent grasp of the spelling and the math that she has tried to teach. She wants him to learn the social cues better, and to know how to interact with the other kids more easily. So she said she's treating his schooling differently then most kids in that sort of way. In other words she does care he isn't finishing his work, but not anywhere near the level she would be with most other kids.

I'm very happy that she knows that he knows it, and that she's paying enough attention to know what his needs are and to focus on them. I hope we can help the Kiddo focus a little better anyway, it probably drives her batty when he goes all space cadet on her.


*AW SHOOT I just lost the game!!