When 1 is not Best

We had the kids parent-teacher conferences a few weeks ago.  Overall, they went fine.  I should put conferences in quotes because the teachers really talk to us for about 13 of the 15 minutes and then ask at the end if we have any questions. 

We learned Jacob is still very good at math, his reading is improving (he has discovered Magic Tree House books and others that he likes).  He is still working on the mechanics of the classroom - lining up properly, getting his assignments in his notebook, etc.  Second grade a big shift from "teacher-done" tasks to "student-done" tasks - like the assignment notebooks.

We learned that Allison needs to be kept away from pens (she has an OCD need to smear the ink), she passed her math test and is really doing well in the social skills group.  They also said they were impressed with her work this year, that they'd seen great (but still inconsistent) gains in handwriting, and that she was working much more diligently this year than past years.

Apparently that diligence and hard work did not spread to her achievement test.  The teacher pushed a paper with her "score" on it and said "don't be alarmed - we don't think this is representative of her ability at all."  The autism teacher said that she had noticed Allison going through the computer test "very quickly."  We believe that she may done the equivalent of a pretty randomized selection of bubbles on a scantron test.  When the test score came home - we could see that the raw score they'd given us at the conference aligned with the 1% of AASD students in her grade.  She scored - raw score - lower than she had at the start of second grade.  So from second grade on her scores had trended upward (in sort of a sinusoidal pattern - they take it three times per year) only to plummet in 4th grade back to square one.  Good grief.

When asked - why - of course Allison says she "didn't want to take the test."  Clearly.  How do you convince a kid that it's important when there is no immediate feedback , no positive benefit, and that child doesn't have an inherent desire to please those around her or a desire to try her hardest if there is no benefit to her?  It's the definition of "you can lead a horse to water but you can't make it drink."

Oh well.  We all know that she can read at a fourth grade level.  She pounds out an Ivy&Bean book in an hour or so, and tells jokes about it so I know she comprehends the story rather than just the words.  In fact, she reads over an hour a day.  I don't know how to convince her to demonstrate that knowledge - or to demonstrate it on passages that are less appealing to her (subject-wise). 

But she was recommended, and I signed her up, for Club Read, which is an after-school computer based reading program for kids in 3-6th grade.  They get treats and snacks and earn a party by passing a certain number of levels. Some of her friends have done it in the past and hopefully it'll be at least a good experience to get used to reading off the computer screen.

It should be interesting to see the results of the state-mandated testing which begins next Monday at 8:45am.  You know - after the kids have been off for 5 days.  Also, they test in the morning on November 1st - the morning after Halloween.  Good planning!

Flu shots

The kids had a half day today.... so naturally it was the perfect time for flu shots. 

We were greeted by a cadre of nurses.  Like - 6.  I thought maybe they'd seen the notes from past years and just sent in extras.  Actually, it was a class of nursing assistants from the tech college.

Allison pipes up "I'll go first!" and up she goes.  She said she was a little nervous, but she handled it well.  Until they gave her the shot - and then she couldn't stop talking about how much it hurt.  Especially to Jacob.  "Jacob, that really, really hurt." (she says as she bounces around the room with her new pencil and sticker.)

Mom went next.  I had mine in the arm, which according to the nursing assistants is the most painful place to get it (leg is better, butt is best).  After a short discussion upon which I decided no one wanted to view my rear end - I went for arm.  Wow - it did hurt.  And I felt a little lightheaded.  But I knew there would absolutely no shot for Jacob ever again if I passed out.  So, deep breaths and holding in the tears of pain.  Wow - it HURT.

Then Jacob's turn.  He shimmies up onto the table, and then back into the corner.  Repeating "No, no, no, no."  Try to convince.  No go.  Ok - go for the forcible route.  I pick him and position him down on the table - a maneuver which will NOT be easy to do next year, that kid is strong - another two nurse assistants hold his legs and the regular nurse pops in the shot.  Clearly not the learning opportunity it could have been. 

He lays on the table pouting and crying for a good 10 more minutes.  As we're getting ready to leave the one assistant says we should go to the lobby and wait a few minutes; when another one says "na, I think they've been in here long enough to check for a reaction."

We went home to get ice cream for our troubles (and tylenol - did I mention that it hurt?).  And Allison and I had a collision when she was getting out of the car at the same time I was opening the door.  It was a door-v-face collision and dare I say the door won.  So, ice on the face (there is really only a small mark now).  It was a great afternoon for our kids.  Heaven forbid only one of them be mad at me!!

slacker blogger

Man, it's been two months since I've really posted anything.  Sometimes it seems like adding stupid daily things on a daily basis is easy.  When the blog slips for a while then I feel like I need to have big profound things to say.  I don't have any big profound things to say.  Otherwise I might have had a career as a famous writer or philosopher.  Are there famous philosophers anymore?  I heard someone call Michael Pollan a food philosopher.  That's as close as I can come.

So, I might just skip August and September and most of October.  Instead, I will move on to blogging daily stuff.  Like, right now our house is clean and we have 100 servings of panne cotta in the fridge.  This would be the PERFECT time for someone to drop by out of the blue.  But let's face it - nobody drops by anyone's house out of the blue anymore.  I should post something on facebook.  But then it would seem like an invitation and the clean house and panne cotta would appear to be planned for the purpose of having people over - not the interesting coincidence they are.

I guess instead, I'll eat panna cotta for dinner and enjoy the clean house myself.  Nice.

September Pictures

 Back to School - Sept 4th

 So excited to see our buds!

 Pool's Gone - Sept 9th

 Well - still 'almost' gone (Sept 16th)

 Brian turns shrimp into some pretty awesome noodles (Sept 15th)

 Friends make a pretty great (and filling) dinner (Sept 28)

 An action shot - soccer Saturdays (Sept 29)

A slightly less action shot (Sept 29)

What I want in a babysitter

We are training what (I hope) is our last round of babysitters.  Every few years, I start with some new 7th-8th graders and they finally get good about the same time that (a) they get a license so I don't have to drive them home, and (b) they get a license so they have other things to do besides babysit.

But my list of requirements is pretty simple and I'm not particularly picky.  Here are some things that have happened in the past and I've still had the babysitter back:

- they put a diaper on backwards (two different people did this)
- the dog is pink
- one child suddenly has a mullet


And, granted, none of those things THRILL me - but it happens.  However, there is a separate list that bugs me more.  Perhaps because it's filled with things that fall into the category of "you are kindof an employee of mine and I am paying you for more than being a body in the house who can call 911 if necessary."  This list includes:

- half-eaten containers of food in random rooms
- dishes left in the same place they were used
- toys and games with pieces scattered around the floor, even though the kids have been in bed for 2 hours
- your facebook account open on my iPad


So to any future babysitters, here's the short list of getting on my good side:

1) the house should be as clean as it was when I left.  There is some flexibility provided here to daytime babysitters who are playing games when I get back.  If the kids are sleeping - the toys should be picked up.  You can have them do it, if not - you should do it.  I give you a pass on anything that was out when you arrived - but there are bonus points for picking those up too.

2) put dishes in the sink.  The dishwasher would be even better - but at the very least, dump out the leftovers and move the dishes to the counter.

3) don't use the computer / iPad / etc.  Chances are you have a cell phone with you anyway.  If you have some downtime once the kids are in bed - use your OWN electronic devices. 

4) Use logic when the kids ask for thing and PLEASE don't call me unless it's an emergency.  Can the kids play wii?  You know what - you decide - if I didn't give you directives when I left - I don't care.  Should the kids have 5 desserts?  Um - again - think logically and chances are you're the one putting them to bed - so whatever.  I don't need to be involved in these decisions.  I'm enjoying a night out and/or working and/or in a meeting.  Would your parents let YOU do it?  Let that be your guide.

5) if you want to impress me - bring something with you to do with my kids.  It shows that you've thought about this in advance, you're prepared, and you plan to spend your time interacting with the kids.

The fridge is stocked

but unfortunately a meal is hard to make.  I've (we've?) been having fun using the fruits and veggies from the farmer's market and the CSA to make stuff.  That stuff is awesome.  It takes up fridge space, and now there's nowhere to put food.  A conundrum.

There's strawberry balsamic jam, strawberry kiwi jam, garlic scape pesto, blueberry syrup, pickled blueberries, homemade marichino cherries (tart and sweet), homemade pickles (regular and spicy), marinated cheese, corn, lemon curd, and homemade ketchup.  There's probably more that's I've forgotten about, plus everything that has already been consumed!  There are bottles stacked on jars, such that I hardly let the kids get anything out of the fridge for fear the whole kit and kaboodle will come crashing down on their heads.

We have (I think) no less than 15 different types of cheese (insert Wisconsin joke here).  And eggs.  If the space is not filled with things in jars or cheese it contains eggs.  We've learned that a dozen eggs a week is more eggs than we eat.  I think there are 4 dozen in there.

So, I'll gladly take recipes for meals where the ingredient list is eggs, jam, and cheese.  Quiche?  Every night will be breakfast for dinner.  Oh well - it's fun anyway.

This was not a good idea

 Last Friday we decided to do a Moonlight Paddle up in Green Bay.  It was an ambitious 7 mile trip down the Fox River from Depere to the bay.  We launched at 6:30pm and the paddle was anticipated to take about 3 hours, during which time the sun would set and we'd paddle along in the moonlight.  Sounds awesome, right?

Well, we should have initially noticed that there would be problems because the course was shortened due to the "high rollers" at the mouth of the bay.  Why?  The river flows north and there was a stiff wind coming from the north pushing all that water from Green Bay up into the Fox River.  Yeah, I'm a hydrologist I should know something about lake set-up.  Oh well, I'll remember it now.

Initially we didn't have any problems because we started upriver from the Depere lock.  They piled all the paddlers into the lock and closed us in.  This was actually very, very cool, though somewhat anxiety-producing.

Here is Jacob in our kayak at the start.  Note that we are on the left side of the lock and the water level is high.

Here we are with the water level dropped.  We were pulled first backward and then to the right, which if you are trapped in a lock and the water is pulling you in crazy directions, you do feel a bit like you might get sucked down the drain.

Once we were through the lock, we began the long part of the paddle.  As we moved downriver, the wind picked up and so did the waves.  At first, it was great fun.  Jacob loved the waves and "woohoo'ed" every one.  That lasted not too long.  The waves got bigger, the wind stiffer, and then the sun went down and it got colder.

We were not making progress very quickly and if you stopped paddling - you went back upriver.  In addition, the uneven weight distribution in the kayaks meant that if you were not dead-on into the wind, it would pick up the front of the kayak and have you perpendicular to the waves in no time.

So on we went.  I think one of the guides must have been a little concerned about us, because he paddled along for about the last 1/3 of the trip asking frequently how we were doing.  (Incidentally, we were not the farthest group back).  I had to employ an old trick I used when we had long sets in swimming - counting repeatedly to 4 to keep rhythm.

And on we went.  Nearing the final lights of the pull out, we were approached from behind by..... the police.  "You are too far in the middle of the channel, also you aren't supposed to be in kayaks at night, please move to the side."  Yeah - at that point I would have gladly taken "getting pulled over" if it came with a ride to shore.  The problem with moving to the side of the channel was brought up previously - any deviation from straight on into the wind was going to put us cross-wind and that close to the end may flip the whole boat in the waves.  In the dark.

So, finally we made it to the pull out.  Wet, tired, sore, and cold.  Allison's comment: "Mom. Dad. This was Not A Good Idea."