Tuesday, September 14, 2010

Homeschool fantasies, pantlessness, and Brandon Flowers

Where have I been?

Idunno.

Beginning of school stuff is always stressful. Someone always refuses to do any work in school, so there are lots of long talks and weeping (mine) and I have to spend lots of time remembering who is banned from the wii, and cajoling people into doing their homework. I also have to remember what time is karate (4:30), and what time is contemporary dance (7). Plus scouts and activity day and chorus. And orchestra. Most of that is Jane's. It feels like that episode of the Brady Bunch where Marcia signs up for every club in high school and ends up covered in goo from Peter's volcano. We haven't started piano yet, so I bought some Coldplay sheet music. Maybe Chris Martin can be their music teacher? (Hey, Ross, you can't ride your go-cart until I hear Clocks ten times.)

We ended up back in the pediatric neuropsychologist's office again last week, only with boy #2 this time (only 2 to go?). This time we only got the WISC, but we might go back for executive functions! If anyone wants to talk about what to do with crazy smart boys with attention issues, email me. I'm nearly out of answers. Right now I'm fantasizing about homeschool, where the teacher won't send me any more discipline notes.

I finally decided that at some time in the future I will need to wear pants, so I stopped eating cookies. Well, not all the cookies, of course. Just most of them. So I lost a few pounds, which is great, but sometimes I get very hungry and eat an entire order of Little Caesar's cheesy bread (last night, por ejemplo), but that's just to be expected. This dearth of cookies makes me grouchy. (Sleep deprivation might also be a contributing factor.) Alas, it is necessary. Don't try to talk me out of it. (But if you want to bring me cookies, I'll eat them. Is only polite behavior!)

I'm sitting here listening to new Brandon Flowers solo album, Flamingo. Only on track 10, but so far I like Jilted lovers & Broken Hearts, Magdalena and Crossfire.

Whatcha think?


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4 comments:

Layne said...

I would really love to give you some examples of how I've had success with my own smart distracted boy, but I have none. What emotion is on the far side of "crying with frustration?" Because that's what I am.

Amber said...

My nightmare is homeschooling because my smart boy with attention problems would learn NOTHING from me and we would probably just fight. What is WISC? Maybe you need to post more info on what you are already doing with smart boy #1, since you are ahead of me! And I just chucked the wii, since I never remebered who was banned from it and they tought tricking me was a joke.

Anonymous said...

My son is 6 and has had the WPPSI, first when he was 4, because he was already super active, easily bored and so ready for some really structured learning. He got early entrance to school, he is a grade ahead and he is doing great. When he starts to play up at school the teacher knows he is getting bored and mostly can offer him something more stimulating. I have been really lucky with teachers and schools, they have been really supportive.
Intelligent kids being bored and misbehaviour go together. Are your boys offered work to their level?? Does your school have a program for gifted children where they can work with your kids? I have found a lot don't, or what they offer is useless for my children. We have just moved and they are starting at a new school which offers subject acceleration as well as advanced individual work. These kids need to be stimulated.

I could not do homeschool for my son, well, I would if it was the best option, but we would probably kill each other. I am lucky though that his needs are being met at the moment.

This has made such a difference with my son, now how to cope on the holidays and after school!! It is pretty full on!! Good luck.
Elisa

Beeswax said...

In the past few weeks I think I've talked myself down from homeschooling, at least for now. I visited a new school and I'm considering switching just my second grader. I really want to find a place that will 'get' him a little more, and understand that these behaviors are just part of the package, but that he will likely grow out of them in a few years.