I've Had Enough!

Let’s be real today! There are something’s as parents we do not like to think about or even accept. Since Landon was in the first grade I have been extremely worried that he may have a learning disability. While he does exceed in math, science, and technology, he suffers in reading and language arts. So this year as a concerned parent before school started I went down to the school and spoke to the receptionist and told her about my issues and what was going on with my son and my concerns. She told me I should stay on top of it and let his teacher know from day one what my concerns were and what I wanted from her as a teacher this year. So as directed by the great receptionist on meet the teacher night I explained to her my issues with my son and told her that I was concerned he may have a slight learning disability or maybe even suffer from dyslexia. She said she would stay on top of it and let me know if he started struggling.

On the first day of school when I dropped Landon off, I again stressed my concerns with his teacher.   I told her to please contact me at the first sign of him having any trouble in class. She said she would and we left it at that.

I have been in contact with his teacher on a weekly basis whether it was through email to check up on him or running in to get Landon’s binder. I have asked how he has been doing and all she has told me is that he is really trying in class and doing great!

Well like most schools now, Landon’s school emails me his grades on a weekly basis. This past Friday was the first day I have receive grades in my email from his school. I was excited to check them out. I just knew my little love bug was doing great in school. His teacher has told me many times…..

I click that email open on my phone and much to my surprise this is what I see…

Math                 80.7% B-

Language Arts 25.0% F

Reading           66.7% D

I almost died. How does a 2^nd grader get a D or an F? Really this is ridiculous! So come Tuesday morning, since it’s a holiday, this momma is going to the school and is going to flip shit! I’m done trying to go about this the nice way. I want some answers!

Do you have a child that struggles in school?  Tell me what you have done to help them, I feel like I’m running out of ideas.

I Could Have Almost Died

I was almost done with my 1^st trimester and I’ll be honest I only had a little morning sickness. Yea sure, I had gotten sick a few times but not anything that was out of the ordinary and I could handle it. No biggie! My girlfriends kept telling me your almost done with the bad part after you hit that mark you’re in the clear, the second trimester is a breeze. I was looking forward to this. So I thought!

 

From that point, forward my pregnancy was pure and utter hell. I got sick and I got really really sick. If I ate, I puked. If I drank water, I puked. Anything that went in my mouth was sure to fly right back out of it. I kept thinking to my self. “Getting better, my ass, when? I thought this shit was supposed to end.”

My doctor gave me what I will the miracle medicine. And that was the only thing that would help me but he was only able to give six miracle pills a month. So for 6 days a month I was good. I new I wasn’t going to heave the last drop of substance out of my stomach, but what about the rest of the 21 plus days. What was I going to do then? Yep you guessed it I was going to bury my head and pray to the porcelain god. Now when I got pregnant I could spare to lose a few pounds and still have a completely healthy baby but I lost 15 pounds in the first 5 months. WTF, had I not been pregnant I would have been ecstatic but I was supposed to be gaining not losing.

 

One morning I am on my way to work. I had chowed down a can of peaches. They were my one all time favorite go to food because lets be honest it tastes the same coming up as it does going down. It was something easy I could eat. I stopped at the gas station to get my normal Dr Pepper, chili cheese Fritos, and mmmm those powdered donuts looks good. I think I’ll get em.

I dive right into that little white package of yum! I get a few miles down the way and the nausea begins to set it. Nothing new here, I’m going to be sick. Shit, I need to pull over. First parking lot on the right….A huge, because they are never small, Mormon Church. I whip my car into a space and thank the lord that it was not a Sunday because this parking lot would have been packed! I throw the car door open and pop my head out.

 

I can feel it coming I know it’s there but nothing is coming out, I’m heaving and still nothing. Then I feel it a huge lump of something stuck. The donuts are stuck together and are stuck in my throat. I can’t breath and I’m all alone. My life is flashing before me. I dig down and find my inner house cat and hack that damn hairball, oops I mean dough ball out. I was not going out like this and in a church parking lot at that. I have never been so happy to see vomit in a parking lot! I sat back trying to catch my breath. I begin to think I could have died right here and no one would have found me until the next weeks church services. I pull myself together and vow to myself no more powdered donuts, and I will never ever come close to dying in church parking lot ever again.

 

So with that being said, my pregnancy was not like most. From the very get go I knew mine was different. I hated being pregnant, I was so sick and uncomfortable all the time. And to be honest I wasn’t even sure I would like this kid that was going to come out and rip me a new one. Sometimes in life, you have to walk through hell to see the beauty in what lays on the other side. I love my son more than anything in the world, even myself. He has made me a better person, because of him I am a far cry from who I used to be.

A little fresh air

Last night my husband and I were sitting out on our patio trying to have an adult conversation without being interrupted my one of our wonderful children. I look over towards the sliding glass door to see my son running out the door and he's jumping around. I ask my little man, are you ok? Yep, I’ve got to go pee he responds. I quickly tell him if you've got to go then go.

He marches right over the edge of the concrete, drops his pants and pees in the dirt. I look at my husband and back to my son who then proceeds to shake his head and then does a full body shake. I don't know whether to scold him for peeing outside or congratulate him on successfully not peeing in his pants. He turns in our direction looks at us and says so proudly “Look I did it like daddy!”

Now I don’t want my son peeing in the front yard by any means and I really don’t like the idea of him just dropping his pants to pee at any given time. But hey we all do what we have to do. If allowing my son once in a while to do his business outside saves me from cleaning pee off my floor, by all means go out back. My sons not the first and he won’t be the last. So the next time you see a little guy at the park peeing on a tree or peeing in a parking lot let’s give his momma a shout out, potty training is not an easy task!

Missy B's First Day of School

It’s 12:20 and we’re on our way to drop Bella off for her first day of Kindergarten. I’m a little nervous and trying not to show it because Bella is excited and I don’t want to do anything that could change that.  School starts in 10 minutes and I’m in the front seat sweating worried she is going to be late for her first day. I’m throwing out the,” What are we going to do at school? Listen!” Because I’m also trying to drill into her you need to listen to your teacher, because God knows she doesn’t listen at home.

We pull in to the parking lot with 2 minutes to spare, now I can exhale we made it. I see all of the kids waiting outside with their parents and it really sets in that my baby is going to school. We walk through the gate and check her in with her teacher. We weren’t late but we were the last ones to check in, oh well doesn’t matter we’re here and there’s no turning back. I quickly scan the crowd and take a look at everyone. I’m asking myself, “Why am I the only one here who looks like they’re going to have a nervous breakdown?” I don’t even want to look at my husband because if I do I’m done for. Teacher calls for everyone to line up. We quickly snap a few little pics and send her to line up. She looks a little nervous standing there but I also know she is so excited.  She turns to look at us; I blow her a kiss and tell her to have a good day. All while I’m praying “Please listen to your teacher!” With a blink of an eye the kiddos are off to their class and I’m be lining out the gate and back to the car. The tears are coming and I can’t stop them. I cried the whole way home. I was so excited for her to start but I was sad too. I cried on and off for about the first hour. My baby was growing up and she went from  a toddler to a little girl in one swift quick motion.

Tick tock tick tock now I’m watching the clock, how much longer until I can go get her. My husband has called twice and every time the phone rings I’m thinking it’s the school calling me.  Finally the clock says it’s time to go but shit I’m going to be late I forgot all about the school zones and I have to pass through three of them to get to her school. I’m cursing every red light and driver in front of me who can barely do the speed limit.  I pull into the parking lot 4 minutes passed the end of school.  I see my daughter standing in the parent pick up section holding a volunteers hand.  She did it; she made it through her first day.

I run up and grab her so excited to hear all about her day. I ask, “So how was it, did you have a good day?” She says, “Yes mostly mom, but I’ll tell you about it in the car.” Oh no already?  I’m drilling her did you get into trouble, why was it mostly good, what happened, what did you guys do today? And just like she said she made me wait until we got into the car to tell me about her day.

They had read a book about a gingerbread man and then the class made gingerbread men only to find after they came back to the class room that their gingerbread men had ran away. They were sent on a scavenger hunt to try and find them, only to find that the last clue brought them back to their class where their gingerbread men had been waiting for them. Her day was only mostly great because the gingerbread men ran away.

 She made it through her first day, managed to listen to her teacher, not lose her glasses, make some friends, and find where the bathroom was. I’d say all in all she had a good day! She doesn’t go back until Tuesday so let’s all hope for the best on that one. I’m sure Miss Hone is sure to see her stubborn side eventually!

On a side note, I did discover that I seem to be the older mom of the kiddos in her class. I've never been the old mom. I don't feel old, but when your standing there looking at a bunch of 25yr olds knowing damn well your birthday is in a few days and your going to be 33, you can't help but feel a little old. Age is nothing but a number though and I can sure as hell tell you I don't feel old. Kindergarten is going to be a very interesting year!