I got a letter.
It was from one of my children's schools and it was congratulating my child on being chosen for a special program at school where they can go early and work on any number of subjects; math, reading, social studies. Lucky me. I saw right through their clever wording. This is the educational equivelant of being told you have a great personality or a sweet spirit. But, who am I to deny my special child any additional help the school might have to offer. Plus a bus would pick her up and she would leave an hour early. Win win.
The first day she was supposed to attend, we set out to meet the bus. I didn't have a schedule or anything, but how hard would it be to find. Note to school. Parents of underacheiving students rarely get notes in a timely manner. This would include instuctions on how to catch the bus. I drove until I saw a cluster of cars milling around our street. I saw one woman jump out of her car in the middle of the street to flag down a bus. I knew this had to be one of my people. After some instruction from the bus driver on the danger of stoping in the middle of a street with busses coming and going, the bus moved on without our kids. I finally gave up and drove my child and a few stragglers she knew to school.
Later that day we received a note indicating that our child would benifit from additional at home reading. Withoug hesitation, Jared and I jumped in the car and went on our way...to Del Taco. (It was Tuesday!) After that we decided to go to the mall and check out the book store to see if there might be something we could use at home. Like books. We went to the childrens section and asked what might be a good choice for our child.
"What level?" He asked
Silence
"two? I said sheepishly."
"That's not a level"
"f''
"That's not a level either."
"Ya, I know, I said. I was just thingking aloud."
"What interests does your child have?
Since popcorn and sarcasm didn't seem appropriate I gave up and bought a couple of books that were shinney and moved on.
Jared and I found ourselves wandering around various sections of the bookstore. I love going to the bookstore so I can harshly judge people and what kind of books they find interesting. My husband always makes a b-line to the responsible type books on money and provident living and strenghtening himself spiritually. I avoid those at all cost so I slyly hopped one isle over so I could watch people and mock them. There were those on the diet book section who always ended up in the cook book section. Mock Mock. There were those sci fi guys who gravitate toward the how to get a date books. Mock mock. Eek. I saw someone I knew so I ducked my head and pretended to be perusing the books where I was hiding. As I fake perused, I started reading the titles of these books. "How to be hot after hot flashes" "How to drive him wild" "Great sex after 50" Sweet mother hubbard. Get me the heck out of here. I grabbed my husband and we split.
We gave out the books and help as much as we can. There seems to be improvement, but we continue to work together.
I remember having a similar problem with another one of my children. We struggled and worked and I sometimes wondered if it helped at all. The other day Alex came in with a certificate. Congratulations Alexandra for being on the honor roll, or something to that effect.
"Well, Mom, what do you think?"
"I think they spelled Mary's name wrong"
silence
"ya, i was just kidding honey. Awesome!"
Dude, I did not see that one coming. Perhaps all that work was paying off! Could there be hope for my little reader with the sweet spirit? I guess we'll just have to see.
