feeling Mean

Dear School
Most days I don't mind you at all, but today you sucked. I'm just not that into poems, reports, analysis, right angles,  natural selection, Willie Wonka, Stalin ,photographers, yearbooks or much else you had to offer . Too much homework makes a fat old woman feel mean. Now stay outta my way  'cause I'll be back tomorrow to kick your butt. Oh Yes school watch it!
 Now I  feel better. Good Night All.

Wednesday

Good Morning, Wednesday morning and I'm waiting for Grace to feel like she can handle getting out of bed. Some days are harder than others. We managed to return yesterday after a week home. We both came home exhausted. poor Grace has tons of work to catch up on. Missed two tests, has 3 others to prepare for this week. Also, has a huge poetry unit to work on that is due  on the 19th. Feels a bit overwhelming. I was sick last night, & not wanting to pass anything on to Grace didn't get too close after my husband got home. So we didn't get much homework done. Teachers will just have to be understanding, they usually are.
We have a meeting today with the county inclusion specialist. She is Grace's voice on many issues. Since Grace will be 16 later this month, we need to have a special IEP ( individual education plan) set up to plan for Grace's transition after high school. So I guess today is when she'll get to decide what her plans are. She has just recently changed career plans, so it will be interesting to see which field she actually decides to go into.
Am curious about the Amazon Kindle, Grace has trouble holding a book close enough to see small print well, books  can also be too heavy for her to hold. I'm thinking a Kindle would be a good solution for this. She enjoys a good book, but I am curious about putting textbooks on one also. Seems like this may be the future for reading. Someone needs to create a Kindle with an "old book smell" opp. There's something about flipping through the pages of an old book that Grace likes. The thought of not having a book smell like a book makes her a little sad. So, anyone have experience with the Kindle???

Pain & Love

Looks like we'll be home again today. It's partly due to Grace's still stuffy head and partly her hip. She spends a few months in the winter with hip pain. Today it's pretty frosty out. Nothing like most of the country endures through, but for us it's cold, I think the weather contributes to her hip problem. She has screws in her pelvis/hips from a rod that is in her back. When you look at the x-rays, it's amazing how long they are. Please keep Grace in your prayers. So hard as a mom to see your kids in pain, doesn't matter what type of pain or how old your baby is.

Today is Inchie Monday week #2. The prompt was "powerful". Was a hard one for me to narrow an idea down to just an inch. I finally settled on the Power of Love, as it encompasses so much power and covers just about everything.
My sister said she doesn't understand the Inchie thing, I figure she's not the only person that wonders what the heck is going on and why I include it on my blog about school. It's a hobby for me, the Inchie Mondays sounded like something fun to participate in. Since this is my only blog, and I needed a place to post my Inchie Art , this is where it gets put. There are some wonderfully creative artists involved, if you check out the link, it might make more sense than I'm making. Happy Monday!!

Isn't she cute

So, we stayed home again today. I think Grace is feeling better, she slept until almost noon thanks to the advice of many of my facebook friends, I gave her honey/lemon to help with her cough. It wasn't easy as she accused me of trying to poison her. My husband said she was probably afraid to cough for fear I'd give her another dose.
Anyway, I emailed her teachers to get some work she could work on while at home. Her history and English teachers both responded with sections from their text books that she could read. not hard at all. Her geometry teacher apologized that Grace was missing work pages that weren't in the text, but suggested Grace read in the text book and try to do Friday's work. Oh, isn't she the cute one! You have to understand Grace a bit. School usually comes easily to her, with the exception of math. She needs step by step instruction and examples to begin  grasp the concepts at all. Most subjects she can read and understand but math has to be shown to her. Another problem with math is the fact that I do the writing for her, so she doesn't have that second "act" of actually performing the physical part of math, her poor brain must be so annoyed at this. Math is the only subject she has actually prayed for a "D" in. (Having a type A personality, that was a tough prayer for her) Now being a math impotent parent she passed my math expertise many many years ago. We looked at the book, shrugged, laughed and will try to get some extra help tomorrow.

Integrity

This probably isn't the way to start the new semester, Grace is sick. She has had a cough/cold for a few days but woke this morning saying her chest hurt and she couldn't breathe well. Always a scary comment from someone with her pneumonia history. Thankfully she wasn't in distress, I checked her oxygen saturation level and it was good. I checked her lungs and didn't notice any raspyness ( I know this probably isnt a word). Took her to the doctor and he agreed her lungs were OK, probably sore ribs from all the coughing. He gave her an antibiotic because he felt she was trying to catch more than the virus that she has. Will play it by ear for school the rest of the week.
Now I must be a "mom" & brag a bit. Even with feeling badly and being exhausted, when we came home from the doctor Grace asked if I'd help her try to figure out the math that she missed today. We did a little before getting stuck and then  worked on some biology. I'm proud that she keeps at it, feeling sick or not, she stays on  her work. I would probably be too lazy or feel sorry for myself if I were in her place. I think she can teach us all something about integrity.

Ready!

I'm up early and ready to tackle Teenville. I shall conquer the raging hormones, the after Christmas gossip, and yes, even the new semester homework!!!
I'm actually just experiencing a little insomnia, have been awake for a few hours and would love to return to bed, but alas, it's just too late.
 I'll be doing good if I can pry a protesting 75 pound sophomore out of her nice warm bed and convince her that YES!! It's actually morning. Wish me well.

Last day of Freedom/ First Day of Inchie

Back to school after the winter break tomorrow. I think Grace is looking foreword to seeing her friends on a regular basis again. I would rather sleep in, but there is something reassuring about being back on a regular schedule regardless of how exhausting it seems at first. We didn't do much on our time off. Grace's wheelchair ( I'm thinking of naming it the Antichrist like the car in The God's Must be Crazy), is once again having trouble. It needs a new joystick, which seems to be a chronic problem, we are supposed to be having one rebuilt, have been waiting since before Thanksgiving. Last year Grace was out of school about 2 1/2 months waiting for a repair. Hope it doesnt die before it gets fixed. At this point she's barely rolling or rolling full speed for about 6 feet intervals. Guess if there's an emergency at school I can kick it into manual and push her to a safe spot. Not an easy job for long periods as it weighs around 500 pounds.

Today was also the first Monday of 2011, which was the first day for the Inchie Monday group I'm involved with..... had to make an inch of art. I took a stab at it several times without much success, just couldn't come up with an idea until I started taking down Christmas cards. I decided to cut face parts out of a few of the photocards we received and make my inchie a person. She's not too pretty and probably would be hard to figure out who's parts I used, although Grace knew the smile had to belong to a certain family she loves. It's surprisingly difficult to create something in the confines of an inch..... but it was fun. Check iout the link on my page to see some beautiful inchies.

School's Out

AHHHH,, finals are long past,,,so glad to have them finished. I guess I could look back to see if I've learned much. Guess I could just go down the list of classes..
Photography...hhmmmmmmmmm this is a repeat class from last year, so basically all the same things were covered.
Geometry...well, I'll admit to learning a great deal in this class, just don't ask me to take the final because it wouldn't show that I learned anything at all.
Yearbook..... I probably learn the most about the extra curricular activities in this class just from watching the seniors; it's party central at one young man's home practically every weekend.
English, have read some books that I somehow missed when I was in high school.
Drama..a fun class to sit back and observe. the students enjoy themselves while working together better than they do in most classes.
World History....I have probably learned the most in this class, I don't remember taking world history before, but I must have. Probably just didn't pay attention. Not sure Grace pays much attention either.
Biology....I never took biology in HS/ crazy how the standards and requirements have changed so much in ummmmm lets just say the past "few" years.  In my opinion this is a tough class and the students are basically teaching themselves most of the concepts. With the teacher reviewing before tests. if they figure out his style then they know  most of what will be on the tests..guess they're learning as much about bio as they are how to work with some boss they'll eventually have.
Sure hope my daughter has learned more academics than I have.
I have probably learned which teachers take themselves too serious, which teachers the kids should take more serious. who's dating whom this month, where the "smoking " area is, & who's house to keep your kids away on Friday night............maybe I am learning more than I realize.

Merry Christmas

Finals

Day two of finals today. At this school students are awarded finals passes for good grades that they earned at the last progress report time. Grace had two passes. I thought the plan was to use one for Geometry and one for History. Today she changed her plan and decided to take the geometry test. I just don't understand why you'd want to take a final in a class that you struggle the most in. I guess she just wanted to have all her finals over early. I'll admit that from the "official scribe" s point of view it is nice.


This is one of the pictures Grace turned in for her photo final they had to take pics of everyday thing from an unusual perspective.

Just have to say something here. Why do students have to put up with teachers' double standards? Seems that they should lead by example. Grace has a teacher that it notorious for handing out detentions to late students. She even seems to relish the act. Yet, today I saw her flying into the parking lot just as the late bell was ringing. Now I know anyone can have a day when they're late. But this is the same teacher that is late for Grace's class about 2 days a week. It's not just a one time thing it's an ongoing pattern. Now to be fair she hasn't given detentions for tardies in this class period, well, how can she if she's the late one how could she know who to give them to? OK I'm done complaining.............2 days till break YES!!!!

projects, panic attacks, and finals

The dreaded geometry project is FINALLY finished. What an ordeal!! Grace and her partner, Kayla, were supposed to make a PowerPoint, ( it had some math program on it that could only be done at school)  last Mon & Tues: and present to the class on Thursday, doesn't sound all that bad except........... both girls were sick Monday, Grace was still sick Tuesday, but we went to school long enough for her to take a couple tests and work on the project.  Grace's doctor thought she should stay home all week. Wednesday the school library was closed so Kayla ran everywhere at school trying to find a computer, finally found one, but didn't have time to finish  AARRGGHH!!!! Grace called the teacher before school Thursday to explain and asked what to do...........the teacher said they would have to present on Monday...dodged that bullet. Kayla worked Thursday and almost finished, just a few minutes in the library on Friday and she'd be done. YES!!You guessed it; foiled again,,, library closed! With all the stress and sickness, these girls were almost having panic attacks. So, today they ditched ( w/ permission) first period to finally get it completed. Presented it 2nd period and whew!!!!! stress relieved............I think this was a lesson on patience::::now on to finals the rest of the week. Then Christmas break. It's too stressful being 15.

Every Inchie

I know I've already posted a blog for today, but this will make up for those days I've been lazy. Just wanted to explain the link I have for  Every Inchie Monday that has been added to my blog. See it there to the right? Well, I belong to an art group, I'm the least artsy one in the group, ( I'm the  more fartsy type)but they've graciously let me join in their fun. The link will explain the Inchie idea, but I'm going to explain a bit myself. Every Monday in 2011 we will do one inch of art, any medium we get the urge to use. I can't wait!! I'm not one that finds time, energy, or talent for large art pieces and being an old high schooler I am forever doodling. I expect many of my inches will be created in class, stay tuned & I may post a few examples.

sickies

Well, I have a daughter that sounds a cross between a torch singer and Bowzer from ShaNaNa.......geesh I'm dating myself w/ that one. She has caught something that has altered her voice, she keeps saying "Oh, Yeah!!!" because she sounds just like the koolaid guy when she says it.
Went to school for a couple of hours, just to take a few tests and work on her geometry project. Seems like 1/2 the student body is coughing. I hate this time of year, when everyone seems to be sick, but they don't change the way they live and share all those germs. I'm not normally a germophob, but living w/ someone w/ weak lungs is turning me into an over cautious mom.
It will be nice to have 2 weeks off for Christmas break without worrying about making up schoolwork. Time to stock up on airborne and hand sanitizer.