Let Sleeping Dogs Rant

[mam521 2,062]

RE: Mini-B

 

I have Ebony and Ivory in my household.  Both have struggled at the sort of Middle School/Jr. High point of having to actually DO homework and manage their time.  Nether had much homework prior to that and school was easy.  

 

The big issue was organization - it seems the teachers don't necessarily teach these kids how to organize themselves.  I don't blame the teachers per se - I mean for the most part, they have too many kids in a class and every kid has their own needs and ways of organizing themselves.  Kid1 figured it out for themself - they like using partitioned flexifolders and transferring work to binders at home once the work is finished/graded.  Once this organizational method was unlocked, things were great.  Also, learning how to take notes in a way that made sense unlocked a new level.  Kid2 is somewhat hopeless.  We have to remind said child to utilize the binders and dividers but we still get squished up papers in the bottom of the ole backpack from time to time.  This child is finally learning that taking notes is actually helpful.  

 

We've also learned that the aversion to work is typically because some concept was missed.  We can easily look at them and say "why didn't you ask for help?!" but they often don't even realize they needed help or they can't actually pinpoint what didn't make sense.  Then ALL of the work suffers.  Kid1 required an Algebra tutor in Jr. High. Once we unlocked that, everything got better.  

 

I do find boys lazier about this stuff than girls.  It's easier to default back to gaming, which is fun and a departure for school.  Kid1 also has a ton of friends, while Kid2 doesn't and does get bullied from time to time.  Also not helpful.  

 

Parental controls on iDevices are genius.  Kid2 has no self control when it comes to turning off the device and focusing, so EVERYTHING, data included, gets locked out at specific times.  The only thing Kid2 can access is texting or calling certain people (parents, siblings) outside of blackout hours.  For Kid2's computer wifi access is controlled at a router level.  Locked out, cannot access interwebz.  I also set controls up on the Switch.  

 

Both kids know that we will NOT hesitate to reach out to teachers and we often do, especially if grades are tanking and the kids haven't provided appropriate explanation as to why.  Having a great relationship with the teachers really does make a big difference.  You never know - it could be an undiagnosed learning disability that's impacting him too.  I know both of my kids struggle with test taking online.  It doesn't work for them. 

 

Hubs checks Canvas (our district uses Canvas) and Parent Access on a near daily basis to check grades and make sure things are being handed in and graded on time as well.  

 

I'm gonna guess something bigger is bothering Mini-B and he's not going to let it out easily.  @Ontarkie is right - it gets worse before it gets better.  Thankfully Kid1 is coming around earlier than I did with my mother whom I assumed was an idiot until I was probably 20!  

[TBoneTX 45,288]

Muchas gracias, mam ma'am.  Everything was great until, see ma'am:

3 hours ago, mam521 said:

until I was probably Many!  

Bad P-math-deficient mam ma'am!  Bad, BAD P-math-deficient, P-MATH-DEFICIENT mam ma'am!

 

We will consider and adopt everything feasible from before the egregious P-math error, si and gracias mam ma'am.

[mam521 2,062]

Damn...and it's too late to edit   

 

Good luck with Mini-B.  Parenting is the hardest job ever!  

[TBoneTX 45,288]

We asked Mini-B. if the teechur accepted the 2-hour project, ask wee man we man.  He said, "It has to be accompanied by some orange paper that we supposedly got earlier, and I have no idea where it is, no man."  We probed further to no avail, then said, "You've just wasted 2 hours of your life, then, sigh man."  He said, "So what, huh man."  We can't take this any longer, no man.  

[TBoneTX 45,288]

Thrilling Tuesday report, see man:

 

We up-straightened the casa and procured Subway* in advance of Mama T-B.'s visit, prep we man for senior she man.

     *WUOC, financially savvy we man

 

Mama T-B. arrived, barely able to walk even with use of Rollator senior she man.

Mama T-B. highly impressed with inside/outside changes to casa, decorations and cleanliness man.

Still lectured us about the stuff that she planned to lecture us about,  man.

Lunch was the aforementioned Subway, ingest Two Generations man.

Got lectured about more stuff, sigh man.

Gave over the stuff procured last week in Mexico, pleased senior she man.

Add warsher fluid to Mama-T-B.-mobile, appreciative senior she man.

Seems like a pleasant visit, si man.

 

Napped like a bear in winter for an hour, zzz we man.

 

De-skooled Mini-B., see post just above man.   

Din-din was tupacs nuked macaroni, full Many-pack ([2x2x2x2]-pack) Italian meatballs, and spaghetti sauce, ingest Two Guys man.

 

Prevailed upon Mini-B. to do a non-P-math hoamwurk assignment 2 days early, prevail we man over wee man.

Mini-B. took over an hour to do it, drag-footing wee man.

However, the computer scored it a perfect Many00, reinforce the joy of this we man to wee man man.

Mini-B. then played V.R. until prep-for-bedtime, recreational wee man.

 

Today could have been worse, and it was largely OK, need one of these now and then we man.

[TBoneTX 45,288]

Thrilling Wednesday report, see man:

 

Mini-B. groused about his "bed-head" look and wants to take 2 showers daily, morn & eve man.   

After skooling Mini-B., we went to the supermarket, shop we man.

We found one Manyzen bottles of Powerade Zero grape, eagerly up-snatch all we man.

We got Mini-B. some mint Trident in response to his concerns about bad breath, comply we man.

We got Mini-B. some smelly Old Spice body-warsh in response to his desires, comply we man.

Mini-B. will now go around smelling like a cheap whorehouse, term used by Papa T-B. man.

 

Lunch was Many tablespoons of Costco chicken salad straight from the container, ingest we man.

A much-needed siesta was taken thereafter, zzz we man.

 

Having done his non-P-math hoamwurk early, Mini-B. had the option to invite over an amigo after skool, no one pulled the trigger on that man.

 

Din-din was nuked corn and the remaining half-bag of Tyson breaded chicken tenders with honey-mustard sauce, ingest Two Guys man.

 

Mini-B. played V.R. and computer games, free wee man man.

We offered movie night, "I'm good" man.   

We offered ice cream, invitation accepted by wee man man.

 

Mini-B. used and liked his new body-warsh, smell like cheap whorehouse wee man man.

 

Highly interactive miu (earlier) unseen for a couple of hours, either sleeping under a bed or shut in a cabinet or drawer somewhere man.

 

Party with the rubias after late TV news, cavort we man.

[TBoneTX 45,288]

50 minutes ago, TBoneTX said:

Highly interactive miu (earlier) unseen for a couple of hours, either sleeping under a bed or shut in a cabinet or drawer somewhere man.

Miu has resurfaced, resurfaced miu man.

Miu was apparently asleep beside the downstairs couch, zzz miu man.

Miu awoke and sat on our lap for the entire TV news, continuous lap-miu man.

Miu frequently indicated the desire for thorough scratch-chinning, comply with miu we man.

At this writing, miu is din-dinning on Fancy Feast turkey + carrots, ingest miu man.

[mam521 2,062]

12 hours ago, TBoneTX said:

Mini-B. will now go around smelling like a cheap whorehouse, term used by Papa T-B. man.

HAHAHAHA...funny, yet true.  Kid1's friends always smell a bit "overdone".  I'm waiting for some comment about AXE body spray to pop up here 

 

Side note: Khan Academy has a lot of really great resources for helping with deficiencies in school.  It can be app based and will ask questions, increasing in difficulty, as your kiddo masters the tasks.  Even better - its FREE.  

[TBoneTX 45,288]

6 hours ago, mam521 said:

AXE body spray

AXE is just about the only body/deodor spray available south of Mexico, observe we man.  It's vile, and the cans are too small, bleccch man.  Only thing viler is most Old Spice concoctions, yuck man.

 

6 hours ago, mam521 said:

Khan Academy

Gracias, si mam ma'am.  Mini-B.'s deficiencies are motivation and organization, sigh man.

[TBoneTX 45,288]

Thrilling Thursday report, see man:

 

We had a quiet administrative day planned, si man.

Then Mama T-B. called, senior she man call we man man.

"Can you call the auto shop this morning about the film on my back windshield, huh man?" asked senior she man man.  "I can't see out of it, no man," no man.

 

We called the auto shop, comply we man.

They referred us to a sports-car place, si man.

The sports-car place had abandoned tinting-type work about a year ago, sigh man.

They referred us to another of their locations, rather far away man.

We called this Many'rd place, but they had no appointments till Wednesday next week, no good man.

We asked for referrals, and they gave us a name, know nothing more than that they man.

We called this Many'th place, which could see us at 2 p.m., good man.

We informed Mama T-B., who had Many,000 questions, Champion Worrier senior she man.

We called the Many'th place back, satisfactory answers man.

We agreed to collect the Mama-T-B.-mobile at half-past 1, agree we man.

 

Lunch was Many tablespoons of Costco chicken salad, ingest directly from container we man.

We then napped (starting half an hour till noon), zzz we man.

 

We took the Mama-T-B.-mobile, comply we man.

Job was done in just over 2 hours, ahead of estimate man.

Din-din was Many (2+1) bags of cheaps and 2 mini-Pepsi Colas, ingest we man.

 

Fortunately, today was ex-Mrs.-T-B.'s skool pickup of Mini-B., cutting it close man.

Ironically, we got caught in that skool traffic while returning the Mama-T-B.-mobile, egad man.

We were almost gassed by the glue smell from the new window film, gag we man.

 

Mama T-B. was pleased enough, mollified senior she man.

However, she lectured us about Many other topics,  man.

We were already a sweatbucket, perspirational we man.

Old people keep their room temperatures at Many00 degrees, unhelpful man.

We left as soon as we could, escape we man.

 

At the casa, we treated/lunched outraged miu, service miu we man.

We then showered, highly needed man.

Dessert was onecan of pinto beans*, ingest we man.

     *bought at a previous ES, financially savvy we man

 

Mini-B. came back in tears because ex-Mrs.-T-B. had yelled at him, console wee man we man.

He was better after computer games, si man.

We shall now try to get him to bed on time, nearly impossible man.

 

So much for accomplishing anything today, oh well man.

Party with the rubias later, cavort we man.

[TBoneTX 45,288]

Friday GS/ES report, see man:

 

We itineraried 1 GS and Many (2+1) ESs, closest one an hour away man.

The Many (2+1) ESs yielded the take, see man:

 

 -- Many-pack ([2+2]-pack) Many-watt LED bulbs; gigantic clothespin for office papers; 

          set of Many (2x2x2 -1) Stanley-brand Allen wrenches = $Many ($2+2), steal man

 -- nearly full Pantene shampoo; nearly full lens-cleaner; pack of 2 ceiling-hooks = $Many

          ($2+1), steal man

 -- nearly full Pantene shampoo = $2*, steal man

          *priced at $Many ($2+1) but girl gave us extra buck in change, belatedly notice we man

Total = $Many ($2x2x2 +1)

[Neonred 3,562]

Last days of vacation are here.  We have been on a Plymouth Prowler national car event with so many old friends in Gatlinburg TN.  65 Prowlers  driving the surrounding areas.  Great driving here.  Winding mountainous roads and one road they call "The Tail of the Dragon", 318 curves in 11 miles.  

 

Decision has been made to have next years event in NW Arkansas, most likely Eureka Springs.  At first I said no way I'm going, as it's 1300 miles from home, but I am warming up to the idea.  

 

One friend said NW Arkansas is a historical area.  A detailed history of appliances can be seen in most front yards...

 

Early tomorrow am the 850 mile drive home begins.

[Ontarkie 14,221]

59 minutes ago, Neonred said:

Last days of vacation are here.  We have been on a Plymouth Prowler national car event with so many old friends in Gatlinburg TN.  65 Prowlers  driving the surrounding areas.  Great driving here.  Winding mountainous roads and one road they call "The Tail of the Dragon", 318 curves in 11 miles.  

 

Decision has been made to have next years event in NW Arkansas, most likely Eureka Springs.  At first I said no way I'm going, as it's 1300 miles from home, but I am warming up to the idea.  

 

One friend said NW Arkansas is a historical area.  A detailed history of appliances can be seen in most front yards...

 

Early tomorrow am the 850 mile drive home begins.

so very true

[Ontarkie 14,221]

We're going to the Reptile Expo in Arlington Texas tomorrow. WIll be gone all day and probably most of the night. We are going there and back the same day. It will be a crazy day but it is so much fun. 

[TBoneTX 45,288]

2 hours ago, Neonred said:

Early tomorrow am the Many-mile drive home begins.

Length of return trip precised, si and see and  Bro G man!

Too many other P-math errors to bother with, don't see and  man.

Edited September 23, 2023 by TBoneTX