Malachai's Chart, click for larger view

They each have one customized to their needs, but they are all similar. I used her perpetual calendar to save myself some design time and just dropped in my own text. It was pretty easy and I guess I could have used any old calendar layout, but this had the “check boxes” (the date box) and everything already done.

Et voila! Print it out, stick it in a dollar store picture frame, hang it on the wall, give your kid a dry erase marker and it”s their new favorite way to keep track of their allowance!

Well, for my kids anyway. Their allowance is now 100% dependent on how filled out their chart is and how accurately it”s filled out. Mama isn’t stupid. She knows what you do all week long. She just wants to make sure you know what you do all week long.

Time with mom is scheduled, because our week is just that busy. I like to make sure I get one-on-one time with everyone, even if it”s just for an hour while we do something else. Dorian (11) makes dinner with me on Friday, so he is “excused” from tidying his bedroom that night. Mal gets me on Saturday, so he gets to skip tidying that night. Esh gets me on Sunday. It”s totally nice to catch up with my kids, find out what they are into this week and what they want to be into next week (or next month or next year).

Do I freak out if something doesn’t get done? Nope. Sometimes shit just happens, and that’s ok. It’s the beauty of being flexible, but the stuff in the boxes is the minimum expected stuff. The stuff under the boxes is mostly all extra.

So I spoke with the principal for about 30 seconds on my way to a meeting with another teacher this morning and it sounds like M’s teacher spoke with the kids and the P. got a letter and will be looking at it today. She said she would call me once she sees what is going on. I must have misunderstood Mrs. C yesterday afternoon in her usual whirlwind conversationing :/

Spoke to his aide this AM on the way out to the car and she said Mrs. C thought M wanted to tell her about gym and M said no, I want to tell you what happened so she stopped to listen and immediately went to take care of it, leaving the aide with the class. So go Mrs. C! Mrs H, his aide, said the class is usually nice and likes M a lot and he really fits in well – in other words, this is unusual, and it sounded like gym is with another class and the kids were from that class, not his usual group. I guess I’ll find out exactly later today or tomorrow. Mrs. H said she had to try not to cry, and she could see M was very upset (and he is usually pretty even-tempered/nothing upsets this kid kind of temperament).

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Just spoke with Dr. S (the principal) and she spoke with M.  Long story short, it sounds like this was an isolated incident (not on-going), he knows to say something to the teacher if it happens again. The boys were spoken to. M will permanently go with the other class for special. The boy who started it was running like M and said “look, this is how M runs” and the other boys laughed. They told Dr. S that M laughed too, and she explained that sometimes when someone makes fun of you that you laugh too so it doesn’t look like you are upset when really you are. She also asked M if he sometimes teases his brother or sister and he said no (he really doesn’t) and then she asked if they sometimes tease him and he said E doesn’t, but sometimes D does, and she said it was kind of like that, and no it isn’t nice and really made sure he was still comfortable reporting stuff like this in the future. The other teacher had the *entire* class, not just the boys involved, write apology notes this AM for M as a lesson that even if you aren’t actively involved, if you see it you need to report it. Dr. S said she felt like M thought it was a bit much LOL

So, that’s that. Happily anti-climactic and hopefully wont happen again.

He was ganged up on and bullied by four other boys in gym today – they were making fun of how he runs.

He did what he was supposed to do and reported it, and his teacher had a one hour conference with the boys in question, the principal and I think the school resource officer is required to be present at those meetings as well. She let me know, and also let me know that he will now be split into the other half of the class with a different teacher for gym, has been “given” a special table at lunch (I’m unclear if it is for the next two weeks, a privilege once every two weeks, or permanent – I need to talk to her for more than 60 seconds) with three kids he gets to pick, and was told that it doesn’t matter how he runs because he is one of the smartest kids in third grade.

I wanted to have a quarterly conference anyway, so hopefully it will be soon and we can touch on this too. I am a big proponent of kids will be kids and they need to learn to stick up for themselves *but* there is a line between what I consider harmless kid antics and just being mean, and making fun because of a physical or mental disability crosses that line as far as I am concerned. M has some developmental delays that are physical and some that are neurological and aren’t anything he can “fix”, ya know? He totally runs like a “special” kid – I think it’s endearing, but I’m his mom. I was also sad when he finally got a grasp of time and stopped asking if things were “after tomorrow” or “after three tomorrows”. Wouldn’t the world be a better place if we just had yesterday, today and tomorrow? Meh.

So, bullies suck and while I am glad it got resolved quickly and decisively, and I was anticipating it happening sooner rather than later, it still sucks.

Doctors appointment went well today. She’s perfect. Went to breakfast after (one bagel with creamcheese, one order of challah french toast) and then off to school. Had her party on last Sunday so this evening will be relaxed. Miss thing asked for cheese cake cuplettes, and they were a hit. I suspect they have edged out FairyCakes for FavoriteBirthdayCupcake.

All the said, this Post Secret hit home for me today. I’ve save the image in case blogspot doesn’t host it at some point, but I have linked it to the original.

I constantly see cards I want to get for people who just don’t care if they get a card anymore or not, and on the flip side, I see cards I wish I would get from them, because they are just the type of card they would purchase. It doesn’t make important days any harder or easier, but it always makes me smile when I spot one. I wonder if I got them and sent them to the cemetery if whoever gets the mail there would think I’m nuts.

Before the end of January, I completed my first tattoo. It was smaller than a quarter, but it fulfilled my own requirement of doing this before the end of January. I know it was stupid, but this has been going on for two years, and I told myself if I wasn’t ahead of where I was last year, or the year before, that was it. So Michael let me do a cute piece Malachai drew a bit ago and I don’t feel so much pressure from myself now. Phew!

We went to Orlando (Disney) in January as well, both to celebrate with Michael and Sara who turned 18 and to celebrate Eshiva turning 5. It was a super quick overnight trip, so we didn’t make plans to visit with anyone. She had a blast. She got her birthday pin and heaven forbid anyone not say Happy Birthday to her – she made damn sure they saw her pin lol

Dorian went to the orthodontist and he goes back the end of March to get his braces. Malachai hasn’t started his yet, but we’re getting there! He goes back I think the end of this month.

I went to the periodontist and had a gum therapy transplant thingie done yesterday. I am slightly better than miserable but not entirely well. It was a stupid nothing and I am surprised it took so much out of me. I put the details behind a spoiler tag for those who don’t want to hear. It’s not so bad, but it’s not so good either.

Next Tuesday I have a filling to be done and a spackle job (I have a tooth with an imperfection she wants to smooth over, it’s always been there though *shrugs*) and sometime near the end of March, when I am fully healed, I get to start braces. Yay! What stinks is I wouldn’t have had to do the surgery if I didn’t want braces. Yep.

I reapplied for FlaKidCare last night (I have to do this every year) and I am hoping our payment doesn’t go up.

Dorian made the A/B honor roll. Malachai got a citizenship award. Eshiva has strep. I think the boys made out better

We had a little birthday party for her on Sunday and all but one family called and said they couldn’t make it for one reason or another. I kind of felt like I did in jr high when I’d have a party and maybe 3 people would show up. It sucks. I’m buying cupcakes to take in tomorrow or thursday, depending on when she goes back.

Taxes came in, and went out just as quickly. The boys got their DSis, Eshiva got two new games for her Leapster (and will get a couple of hand-me-down Didj’s when the time comes). Michael got a new TV and is having some dental done and I replaced my laptop with a desktop. Camp for the kids is paid for (that was actually first before any purchases).

Dor starts music lessons on Monday! So I get this random ass phone call a couple weeks ago on a number I never give out. Whatever, I figure we wound up on a list from the school system (pretty much the onlyplace that has that number). So today Dor gets “interviewed” and I forked over a 45$ enrollment fee (good for all three kids) and Dor starts music lessons next week.

He chose guitar. He gets 6 weeks of basic lessons on a student guitar and I think we have to buy a better one after that. We’ve got a cheap Target one, but the guy said it looked like the student one. Whatever.

We pay 20.85 a week for 1/2 hour of private and he 3 hours of group lesson. Monday from 6 – 6:30 he’ll get private, and from 6:30 – 7 he’ll get group (the group is from 6 – 7 on Monday, 6 – 7 on Wednesday and 9 – 10 on Saturday). I think I’ll have Michael take him on Saturday.

I think he’s excited! They’ll teach him how to read and write music as well as how to play.

My gram isn’t doing so well, so I am kind of worried about that. They came out for E’s party, but left a little earlier than usual and she looked real bad.

I hate to end on a bad note, but I can’t remember what else is going on right now that is taking my attention away from here and landing it elsewhere. I’m tweeting, so that gets pumped to FaceBook. I haven’t found a way to pump it to here You’re probably happy about that lol It’s just easier b/c I can do it on the go from my phone. I’m not even really blogging – this will probably get copy/pasted over to my blog just so I have a record of it there too.

Ah, to end on a good note, 5 things I am happy about right now:

• We’re going to Melting Pot on Monday
• Other than some achiness I am healthy
• the kids are doing well in school
• My husband loves me more every day and always lets me know
• I’ve got some work coming in – always nice to have a little extra money!

Oh, we all have strep this week (boo), Eshiva turned 5 yesterday, I bet there is more, but I’m drawing a blank.

This curriculum continues the imaginative mood set in Kindergarten, but expands to include the lower case alphabet, phonetic studies, and beginning reading. Stories are used to learn the numbers to 100 and the four processes of math. Children explore the world of nature through experiential activities. Throughout are fairy tales, poetry, songs, recorder playing, knitting, painting, and drawing.

The First Grade Curriculum requires a set of two teacher manuals: The Heart of Learning and Home Teacher’s Process Manual.*

Includes:
Oak Meadow First Grade Syllabus
Oak Meadow Beginning Recorder Book
Oak Meadow Songbook
Oak Meadow First Grade Music CD <- I am missing this item
Oak Meadow First Grade Fairy Tales
Oak Meadow Word Families Reader
Little Bear
Little Bear’s Visit
A Kiss for Little Bear
Frog and Toad Are Friends
Frog and Toad Together
Mouse Soup
Mouse Tales

This sells for 280$ now, I think I paid in the 250$ range a few years ago. The books are unopened – no creases, no pen/pencil marks, no damage of any kind.

*I am not offering the teachers manuals or the health manual. You can find them on ebay for pretty cheap. Hell, even new, considering you can get 8 years out of them, they are pretty cheap *laughs* I still use the as reference, or I’d include them.

Asking 200$, or make me a reasonable offer. I am willing to barter depending on what the barter is.

Somehow I call her up for happy, and wind up realizing sooner than I like it will be one less Happy Birthday call to make in the year. There are already too few.

Happy Imbolc everyone who celebrates it. Sorry to precede yearly wishes with morose thoughts. It’s how my brain works. Five years ago today I was in labour. I was miserable. Labour stopped. That child stayed in eight more days. She’s still stubborn, like her mama. I’ll probably ramble on about that later though.

He was all giggly and ran around the house showing everyone his loose teeth. He is so cute I lurve him.

He wont let me touch them again, but he is so obviously proud of having loose teeth. Yay Mal!

Unfortunately, they are *not* the top teeth, which are the ones with the big as cavity right in the middle.