I have so much to do and to write. So... guess what comes first?
It's quiet in my apartment. DB is sleeping, the air conditioner is on, and the sound of classical music is filtering through the walls. Someone has it playing very loudly so I get to enjoy it too. This all very conducive to writing. Plus I'm sitting in an old wooden desk chair on wheels, at the old (but new to me) dining room table that I put back together after moving it. The chair creaks whenever I lean back, and I know that I need to pull out the DW-40 sometime soon to oil it.
I feel very content right now, at peace, relaxed and it makes absolutely no sense to feel this way. I have court tomorrow, the apartment is a big and I mean BIG mess. Papers are strewn everywhere. (Always wanted to use the word strewn.) Legos are on the floor in the bathroom. I've been trying to figure out that one. Oh! DB was probably playing with them in the bath and left me to find them with my bare feet in the middle of the night. OW!
Ahhhh.... but my boy was relaxed tonight. He hasn't been relaxed in such a long time and it's a pleasure to see. I'm so happy for him. He asked me how my day was when I picked him up from camp. Of course, I asked him first, but still.... I didn't have to remind him. The lessons and nudges about using his manners are working. The other day he opened my car door. I was joking around, "What are you doing little one? Are you going to drive us today?" "No, Mommy I just opened the door for you." Boy, did that put me in my place and shock me at the same time. A neighbor that was walking by was informed immediately about my gentleman son. Couldn't be prouder of da boy.
Tonight I got a hug and "You're the best mom ever." Not to mention giggles and a trip to Chile. We have started watching Wheel Of Fortune together to help with his dyslexia. We're planning on taking our trip next summer so we can go skiing there (in our dreams).
We read two more chapters of Ben and Me. He was trying so hard to keep his eyes open that there were no complaints when I closed the book and said time for Shema. Yes, another book on Benjamin Franklin. It's getting so that DB is correcting the book when the history is not completely accurate. Benjamin Franklin is one of DB's idols along with Spiderman, Einstein ('cause he had dyslexia, was a scientist, dealt with time travel, "And he's JEWISH, Mommy). DB's dream is to create more inventions and be a better scientist than Ben Franklin. I can't wait until he does. I've got to try to get us to the Franklin Institute in Philadelphia by the end of the summer. No, not the Franklin Mint that makes all those Elvis plates and other collectibles. I would really love to know who actually collects those things.
And we're back...
My attorney just called after re-reading the forensic report and stated that we actually have a very good case. There's a pre-trial settlement meeting scheduled at court for tomorrow. Wish me luck Actually, wish DB luck because I'm doing this for him. I'll let you know how it goes. It's not scheduled until the afternoon so there's the possibility of us being back in court on Wed.
My mom is on her way up to offer emotional support. Actually, she just sits next to me and knits or crochets. It helps keep me calm so that I can think clearly. She's made three ponchos, three scarves (I made a scarf myself one day in court), two blankets, and a hat during the court appearances, hearings and trials. And would you believe that not one of them has been for me. Ever since the duck sweater incident in the 80's she hasn't made me anything, and it wasn't even my fault. She kept on ripping it out and starting over again.
I might bring my needlepoint tomorrow. I haven't worked on it in such a long time, and it appears that things might be coming to a close soon.... ok six months can't really be considered soon, but it is in my eyes after going through this craziness for so many years. I want to have it ready to hang in my new home. Boy, does that sound nice... I'll just keep davening and hoping and wishing and working my ass trying to make sure that it happens.
Ugh! I'm gonna go now, and I haven't even updated y'all about the men or lack thereof, situation. I guess you'll just have to wait.
Monday, July 30, 2007
Yes, I'm Relaxed...
Labels:
Ben Franklin,
books,
court,
davening,
db (darling boy),
dyslexia,
Einstein,
knitting,
mess,
mommyness,
relocating,
science museum,
skiing,
Spiderman,
summer,
wishes,
writing
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11 comments:
Hi,
Thanks for commenting on my blog.
I wish you the best of luck with whatever you're in court for.
As to dyslexia, while it may not be 'cured', there are schools that offer extra lessons for dyslexic kids; practice is key, a standard exercize is to have a dyslexic kid copy the same text again and again every day till there are no mistakes left and a new text is chosen. I've had dyslexic students that were strong auditive learners; they learnt most through hearing rather than reading, so encourage your son from the start to actively participate in class and ask his teachers to make sure to call him up.
alll the best. hope things turn out the way you wish.
Thinking of you:)
wishing u luck!!!
Good luck...
Your kid sounds absolutely adorable..
:-)
Hope everything turns out well!
Your son sounds like a little sweetheart. So adorable!
cat,
Thanks for your advice. I have read numerous studies and books and I know what my son needs although his father disagrees.
He has also been diagnosed with Auditory Processing Disorder (ADP)which makes it even more difficult for him to learn within a "normal" classroom situation.
Yet, I've been told by his teachers that his hand is always up first and he almost always knows the answers to the questions. This only takes place in English. It's another matter in Hebrew, and most of the special ed. teachers and learning resource coordinators feel that remidiation is the same as multi-sensory education.
I know that my son is learning in spite of his teachers not because of them. They care about him, but do not have the interest, time or energy to actually change their teaching methods and gear them towards their students needs.
Teach the child at the level he is at not where you want him to be.
How can they expect a child to learn Rashi script and to conjugate verbs when he doesn't even have the osios and nekudos down pat?!?!?!?
Sorry about the ranting. Obviously, this hits close to home.
Your rant is understandable. Not to sound arrogant, but teachers in the US commonly aren't the best-trained to begin with; this doesn't mean that individuals don't make for great teachers, but teachers' education over there lacks a lot. The most important idea of approaching a child when teaching was coined by Wolfgang Klafki, one of the most-renowned education scientists, "Pick the child up where it stands." I can't teach a dog to jump through a ring of fire if I haven't made sure it's not afraid of fire anymore and knows how to jump through a ring without fail. Your son sounds like a creative boy; have you ever tried to work with mindmaps?
cat,
Are you an educator? It certainly sounds as if you are. I haven't tried mindmaps, but I'm going to look into it.
And you're on the money with DB being creative... sometimes he just astounds me.
sarah,
Thanks for the wishes
sw,
appreciate the thoughts
nuch,
I need as much as I can get
day,
DB is absolutely adorable... but I'm just his mom
ellie,
I've learned that everything works out in the end.... but you just need to get there.
I'm a teacher. I've found mindmaps to be particularly effective with creative kids that have problems with traditional (often mindless) learning. It might even be real fun for your son to draw large mindmaps so he can drive on them with toycars. Over here, supermarkets and cinemas are more than glad to let people have their large-format posters when they're not used anymore, and the backsides of those posters are pretty versatile e.g. for large-format mindmaps, drawings and also as floor-/table-coverings for any messy crafts project.
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