Homework

Riley had finals the last week before spring break. Everything is done. I did e mail his councilor. They had him in PE next semester, a required freshman class. I said if he could modify the class so there would be no contact sports, then Riley could take it. Have him do running or something. The councilor wrote back that she would transfer him into Sophomore science. That works for us. I ran it by Riley and he loved the idea. Getting out of PE has its own appeal. Getting into Sophomore science and showing off his brains also has its own appeal.

His teachers comment that he listens well and gets the work done on time. He made a movie in his animation class. It was extra credit if you tie it into another subject. He did his animation movie on his transportation class with planes, boats, and cars. The teacher commented that he must have been listening when the extra credit was mentioned. Riley always pays attention to how the game is played.

I wish Trevor would have some of that skill rub off. He did not finish his science or his humanities before spring break. Now after all the packing he can't locate his backpack with his science in it. We spent hours looking and then trying to find the work on the teacher's blog. This teacher does not keep a complete blog and Trevor needed specific work, so he tells me, that is in the missing backpack, of course.

He then sat at the computer for 3 hours and wrote five lines of an essay on a poem that was due weeks ago for Humanities. The teacher almost cried in frustration last time I spoke to her. Me, I am allowed to yell at the boy. Five lines, then staring at the screen for hours.#$%$&^%^&*.

An essay is composed of five paragraphs. The first is the introduction with three points to be discussed individually in the next three paragraphs. Then the conclusion paragraph ties it all together. It is not rocket science.

Before work I printed out the poem. It is really a Beatles song lyrics. I put a notebook of lined paper on his desk next to the poem and a copy of what he had started. He has all day to get it done. His father is home today if he needs someone to sit on him to get the work done.

This assignment is the essay that gets passed on to high school and decides what English level class Trevor will be given Freshman year. It sets the stage for high school. If you start in remedial you will not be on the college track or get the credits needed for college. If you start in advanced (not likely for Trevor) by junior or senior year you can take college credit classes and save some big bucks.

I got my hair died. Bought a bottle of color from rite aide and locked myself in the bathroom for an hour. The grey roots needed to be covered before the weekend. Tom and I are attending another 50Th birthday party. We don't want to look our age.

I picked up the light bulbs for work. It took me two hours. It was Alice in Wonder land, being dropped into a Better Homes and Gardens Magazine, to wander the aisles of Home Depot. I checked out bathroom sinks, kitchen cabinets, and of course flooring. I brought home free samples of flooring for no other reason than they were really cool samples and free. I have no flooring projects at the moment. We don't even really have a house at the moment.

I am glad I am off to work so Tom can keep Trevor on task today. He may need someone to literally sit with him while he works. Riley will probably hide in his room during the crisis, until Trevor gets his work done.

I had moved the chess board out for show as a decorative sit about. Now the boys have been playing each other. I lost to Riley yesterday. Since the pool table is also uncovered for show, I also lost at pool to Riley. But that was a close game.

Parenting is such hard exhausting emotional work sometimes. Such highs and lows in our house with such extremely different children. How did we end up with such extremes. Not to add in the husband factor and the limbo our lives are in at the moment. I am not walking on glass at the moment, more like a rocky beach after an earthquake. Tsunami? The good news is we don't worry about reactors exploding at our house.