Reflections on the puddle of life

Go on Youtube and look up videos of talking dogs. *thumbs up* and the funniest cat video ever. If that doesn't make you laugh, I don't know what will... other than this!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AexPuBei-Hk

Cheer up, best of luck, and Woolworth's is going under? *horrifed*

hehehe, cool watermelons

and yes, Woolworths is going under: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/7751714.stm

it's the end of an era

Ah, poor Fifth. It's been a really bad month for you. I don't know what I could say to make you better, only that it will pass. It sounds like you have an active boy. Hey I was like that too and got me in sorts of trouble growing up. I was in detention in all years of Junior High, which is ages 11-13. Actually it was called probation. But it's not the end of the world. I was able to channel it into learning at some point. I hope your son does too. I hope your daughter feels better. As to work, well, it's only work. There are priorities. Hey I bet your bicycling has added to your weight loss.

I had no idea that Woolworth's still existed. They no longer exist in the US. I used to have lunch there. Their fried chicken was to die for.
Hope you come out of your funk soon.

Well, I hope that your spirits lift soon! Oh, but I do know what it is like to know that sooner or later I wasn't going to experience Woolworth's anymore. I used to love their milkshakes!!

Don't know if we can help drag you out, but I can certainly sympathize. Life has a way of making things so crazy when you are trying to be everything to everyone. Sounds like you have a bit of the same issue going on, or maybe it is just the plight of loving mothers everywhere;) Haven't decided that yet. Anyhow, my best advice is to task someone else with making sure you eat. My hubby calls me most weekdays at work now, just to be sure I haven't forgotten... again. A full belly works wonders with providing the energy to deal with all the rest. Hang in there, I'm sure things will get better soon.

Thanks everyone I feel better today, possibly because I've eaten a bit more. Good advice Meg.

Virgil, the school have put my son on the special needs register (i.e. for children with a learning difficulty or disability) because sometimes he takes a long time over his written work, and sometimes he gets things wrong, like putting capital letters in the wrong place. They couldn't figure out what was going on so instead of speaking to us they put him on the register and put together an 'improvement plan' for his writing. The one thing they haven't done is actually ask him what was going on. Is this because teachers mouths don't work? Hmm. Anyway, as it happens he takes time with his written work because he wants to write something which is 'right', so he thinks about it and comes up with ideas and dismisses them and when he's finally come to the best thing he can think of he's run out of time. So they think he's daydreaming but actually he's trying to think of what to write. His work is much, much quicker when he's dealing with absolutes like maths, or science, or his opinion (his words!). And with the capital letters when we looked at his book it was only d's and b's and it turns out that he forgets which way round the lower case goes (which is fairly common) so as an insurance, and to ensure that the word is spelled correctly, he uses the capital. So the school have put us through a lot of stress over something which is nothing to worry about and which could have been easily resolved if they'd just asked him about it at the time. All it needs is for the teacher to give him some thinking time and then spend 2-3 minutes with him discussing his ideas and agreeing on the 'right' thing to write about. Easy. I'm quite surprised that teachers do not recognise different learning styles and adapt their lessons to encompass all - it's basic stuff you learn about as a people leader, if you want to get the best out of your people. And the thing is, we've gone through something similar every time he's had a new teacher except once when he had a really, really good teacher and she had no problems. So it's pretty frustrating. Anyway, I'm going to help him with his decision making, and perhaps try to help him to look at writing a bit differently - like a tool. All he needs to do is show how he can use it. Then the school will probably claim that their crappy plan has succeeded, and in the meantime pocketed the extra funding they get for children on the special needs register, which they can spend anyway they like. Not that I'm cynical, or anything

You're much too much fun to let yourself remain in that funk! Inspired by the others who proferred some advice to cheer you up I am going diffidently to mention something called goodnewsnetwork.org - diffidently because I only just heard about it over the radio a few minutes ago and have not checked it out myself as yet.

My goodness, special needs for that. Oh that is trivial Fifth. I can see why you're in a fluster. I would be furious. Ah, the extra funding for special needs. I bet that is it. I don't think you told me how old he is, or if you have I've forgtten, but I wouldn't worry as to your son's development. He'll be fine. As to the teacher's humiliating him, I think I would give them a piece of my mind.

Glad to be of some help:) I don't know why it helps, but life is much easier when you're not hungry. Maybe not easier, but the path is certainly more clear in your mind. I can't believe they would worry about him being special needs over something so trivial. Like you said, a simple conversation would have worked wonders to find out what was really going on.