Kindergarten is a quarter gone. We had our parent/teacher conferences yesterday. It’s still well over 100 degrees — heck, it’s barely October — so it just doesn’t feel right to call the semester half in the can. But it is. Sophie is halfway done with her first half of kindergarten. And Annabelle’s half done with […]
Most afternoons, the phone rings. Ms. X. swore up and down she’d keep me posted about Sophie’s trials and tribulations this year, and as far as I can tell, she’s kept the promise. The news varies. Often it involves an indiscretion or safety breach. For example, on Monday, Sophie announced to some other kids (but not […]
When I pulled up in front of the school yesterday morning, I noticed the “word of the week,” posted on the school sign, is INITIATIVE. I had no clue how to apply that. And by the end of the meeting with the principal, my cluelessness was evident. Also my bitchiness. “Were you raised in New […]
Tomorrow’s a big day. Or not. Sophie’s IEP team is meeting, to review her first month of kindergarten. When we were putting the finishing touches on Sophie’s IEP (Individualized Education Program, the document that prescribes her school situation, from what therapies she gets to where she pees) I insisted we reassemble the team (everyone from principal […]
Yesterday was a big deal. Sophie’s first day of ballet. For years now, friends have kindly murmured things meant to be nice — things like, “Maybe there’s something else Sophie can do for a hobby. She doesn’t have to do everything Annabelle does.” Ray told me I was ridiculous to push it. And I have […]
I should really be asleep by now. In a few short hours, I’ve got an early morning meeting with the special education teacher at Sophie’s school — I need to try to convince her that even though my kid’s got an IQ of 86, she deserves time in the “resource room” without letting her think Sophie […]
I arrived at school today laden with backpacks and lunch boxes and kids, and one extra bag. In it, I had placed several books Sophie’s (finally) outgrown: one with signs for animals, another “touch and feel” and two musical books that she’d still play with if I let her. (I just had to retire the […]
Ms. X called shortly after school let out today, to report that Sophie had a great day. One “time out,” but otherwise pretty darn good. “And she wrote her name today,” she added. “She what???” At all the meetings we had last winter and spring, to determine Sophie’s next step, the one face at the […]
Four days in, and Sophie hasn’t been kicked out yet. The first week of kindergarten is full of growing pains for all the kids, and for Sophie I think it’s been especially hard because of the heat (you try going back to school — and onto the playground — when it’s 111 degrees out, and […]
It was a good day. Not unlike most school days, from our household’s perspective. Despite my best efforts to be in the car by 8:15, it was more like 8:35, and the first bell rings at 8:45. (Well, it’s not like I could skip writing the girls notes for their lunch boxes, or not take […]
