Friday, May 27, 2011

5/27/2011 Obsessed

OK, that's a strong title, but it sure seems it. I've been working WAY too much lately. Tonight until almost midnight, because a strange problem just HAD to be pursued.

I'm also working a lot because I feel like I have to cram it all in and learn as much as I can before my sorry rear end is canned, or worse, sidelined, because of my offensive transgressions of daring to question authority. (Hey, they had T-shirts for that, doesn't that mean it's allowed?) Being bored to death is worse than being fired, and since I've made an official complaint, firing is unlikely, but being given stupid useless busywork isn't. Meantime, I do have useful things to do and some of them tickle the perfectionist and detective in me. Odds are the problem I spent hours chasing today will turn out to be nothing, but realities like that don't sway the geek in me that just can't let it go.

Finally what makes me give it up is the sharp shooting pains in my back from sitting in one place too long. So what do I do? Get up and move to a different chair to sit down and blog.

I really really REALLY should have done something useful tonight, like watch Fashion Police. Other than a long talk with Gabriel after dinner, just shooting the breeze, it was probably a total waste. As if I could do any differently?

5/27/2011

Thursday, May 26, 2011

5/26/2011 Shoe hole

This is what I'm talking about. For some reason, I was near Gabriel's feet tonight and noticed his shoes. Holes again/


These are brand-name brand-new shoes I got him after our trip to Death Valley -- they're barely FIVE weeks old!!

They'll never make it to four months. I'm sure the next time I think to check his shoes, they'll be shredded. I'm prepared this time, I have 3 more boxes of shoes for just Gabriel, but sheesh! How is a scatterbrained overloaded Mom to keep up?!

5/26/2011

Wednesday, May 25, 2011

5/25/2011 The Principal's Office

Whew -- today it was me and Dave who went to the Principal's office. This time, for a meeting with the principal, Gabriel's teacher, and the school psychologist who had observed him.

Gabriel's been much better-behaved lately, but the discussion was about broader concerns of his "social pragmatics." He does too many things that are just not within acceptable social norms; too many things that are blindly inconsiderate to others, inappropriate, and that interfere with his work and his classmates' work.

For example, in art class, when the art teacher announced that today was the last day of art, Gabriel blurted out, "GOOD!" He doesn't care if it hurts anyone's feelings or if it's inappropriate.

The psychologist also noted that often he's pushed away from his table, doesn't appear engaged with his class, he's off in his own world, tilting on his chair at times when the rest of the class is paying attention.

And then there's the humming. Behaviors to shut out outside sounds aren't all that unusual, but they're not all that common either. Gabriel hums and sings at times that really aren't appropriate, like when he's in a group that needs to be listening to what's going on.

The psychologist suggested we look into a series of books about "Social Stories," to help make him more aware with normal, sensitive, acceptable social interaction. I was struck, because it reminded me of last summer, when my thoughtful brother-in-law brought the movie "The Bridge to Terabithia" and showed it to all the kids. He did that with Gabriel in mind, thinking that it would demonstrate the notions of empathy and being aware of others' feelings. I suspect the lesson was lost on Gabriel, but it's not lost on me -- if we're to help him become more in touch with other people, and in turn, himself, it will be a gradual, incremental process.

Gabriel's teacher commented that sometimes Gabriel stays behind after class is over, just to talk to her. She also commented that she sees changes in him when there's something going on with me, like if I'm away or when I went back to work. Gabriel is such a not-sensitive kid that it's not easy to detect outside factors that affect him, but I am increasingly aware of how important a close relationship with me is to him. Of course, all kids need their mothers, but not all kids have the same level of emotional resiliency. Gabriel is the most emotionally resilient kid I know -- or is he? Maybe it's more like he concentrates all his emotional needs in a few places, in a few people. He's not the kind of person who makes many friends or who has (or at least expresses) deep need for approval or closeness with other kids or even adults. That's not to say he doesn't have it -- it's just harder to detect, and much harder to see when it's not being satisfied.

Gabriel's emotional makeup is so much like his father's and (paternal) grandfather's that it's almost frightening.

But Gabriel's father's relationship with his mother is nothing like Gabriel's relationship with his mother (that would be me), and I'm determined to continue that. It's just so hard to know when I'm doing something right or wrong.

I know some things I do very right with Gabriel, that he loves -- he really likes the active things we do together, which are also the highlights of my life. But we can't camp and hike and ski together every day; I need to fill in the gaps inbetween. It's not as simple as just spending more time together; often if we're both available he wants to do something else.

Another thing that came up several times in our meeting today, and this is a little weird talking about but maybe I've underestimated it, is that if the school district were still doing this, he'd probably be classified as "gifted." The school psychologist made sure to clarify that there are "high-achieving" kids and so-called "gifted" kids. Most who do very well in school are "high-achieving" -- motivated, commited, invested in their work. That's SO not Gabriel. He doesn't care. And he doesn't do well in school, to the point of frustrating teachers and aides because they sense that he's so capable.

"Gifted" kids are different from "high achievers" -- often they have social issues, they don't necessarily do well on tests (though many do), they show extraordinary talent in specific areas, and often fall flat in other areas, don't always fit in well to regular school, and just think differently. That IS Gabriel, to a tee. If our school still had a "gifted" program, his teacher would recommend him to it.

I'd have objected to a "gifted" program because I assumed that just means more work and competition for grades, plus I find the term "gifted" offensive. But from what we learned today, the former "gifted" program wasn't exactly for "high-achieving" kids, it was for weird geeky kids. I'm OK with "weird." I have to be -- my son sings and hums all the time and frankly can be pretty weird.

Anyway, in the end, we gave our permission for a "full assessment," a complete psychological profile that the school will do in August, partly to screen for autistic-characteristic traits and Asperger's. We talked about the flags Gabriel had as a toddler, but thinking has evolved in the past 6 years. Some kids who show minor signs, as Gabriel did, outgrow those specific signs as toddlers (spinning, lining things up), but then those traits manifest themselves in other ways when they're older. Definitions have changed too; Asperger's is now officially not on the autistic scale, it's its own syndrome. We were told when he was 4 that Gabriel most definitely was not an Asperger's kid (speech delay is not characteristic of Asperger's), but apparently that's been re-thought too.

This is exhausting. At least now I have a little more vindication of my frustration and struggle when he was the world's toughest toddler -- it's NOT ME! He really is different! But while I could do without struggle and being on first-name basis with the principal, I deeply, deeply love different. And weird.

5/25/2011

Tuesday, May 24, 2011

5/24/2011 More leaks

SO frustrating...Katrina's on a new roll: 6 straight days with at least one, usually two, changes of clothes. She's going to CDC with her brothers in 5 weeks, this HAS to stop!! They're not a preschool, there are no cubbies with boxes of extra clothes for those "oops" times for potty-training toddlers -- they're an after-school care place for school-age kids who are mature enough to handle their own toileting. This is getting downright frightening.

Meantime, tonight Katrina took it upon herself to write her own "calendar," including days of the week, to show when "boys don't get dessert." She's very used to the calendar coming out and getting marked for days her brothers have lost dessert for some or other offense (mostly one brother, who's not getting any treats until well into June). She also wrote down numerous years and "equations" that show how to calculate the years -- I think a preschool exercise gone awry -- but she clearly grasps the concept of years being identified by numbers and knows what this year is and when everyone was born (well, except me, since that was in a different millenium).

Her academic efforts say she's ready for first grade, never mind kindergarten, but her stinky leaky wet pee-soaked bottom says she needs to go back to the potty-training baby room at preschool. I don't need this!!

5/24/2011

Monday, May 23, 2011

5/23/2011 Gardening Day

My hands are sore!! I need an electric pruner -- do those exist? I attempted to bring our landscaping under control on Sundat, but all that snip-snip has made my thumb muscles exhausted and worn out my already-fragile wrist from repetitive stress syndrome. And I only whacked back a tiny portion of our fast-overgrowing yard!

Seeing how some plants grow out of control, while other pretty little ones are so well-behaved, makes me want to revamp our entire garden. Some plants just don't belong here; but many spots need more of the well-behaved ones.

In any case, it was great fun to garden with Julian, who picked up all my scraps and smooshed them into the rapidly-filling yard-waste can. He really was a help! I cut a LOT and he totally took care of it. That's what sons are FOR.

And we need some of Julian's favorite -- sticky monkey flower!

5/23/2011

Sunday, May 22, 2011

5/22/2011 Paperwork

Too busy filling out forms to blog tonight. Summer means a lot of paperwork!!

5/22/2011