The Amazing Child started school last Tuesday. First Grade—she’s quite the big girl now, you know. This is real school—homework, tests, etc. So when she brought home her first homework assignment, I told her she needed to get right on it.
But the homework was for ME. Not a joint Mommy and AC project. An assignment for me.
Seriously, it’s the second week of school and I have homework. Due by Friday, but she’ll let me turn it in late if things are just too crazy this week. Very nice of her.
Except I don’t want to do homework. Been there, done that, got the diploma to show for it. Besides, I’m a teacher. I assign homework; I don’t actually do it.
Whining aside, let’s just say I don’t think I can do this assignment properly. I’m supposed to write a letter to AC’s teacher describing my child’s character, her strengths, what I hope for her to gain this year.
Is she serious? She wants me to describe AC’s character? Her strengths? She’s the Amazing Child, for goodness’ sake. What more does she need to know?
But I’ll give it a shot. Let’s see. AC is an absolute genius. She’s bright, caring, kind, intelligent, creative, artistically inclined, independent, happy, and all around Amazing. There are many things I’d like her to learn this year. If AC is going to be the first Olympic gold medalist astronaut who uses her Nobel Prize money to fund her ground-breaking cure for cancer while serving as the President responsible for ending poverty and crime and brokering World Peace, then we need to get some basic spelling and math skills under her belt PDQ. And can you convince her to tie her own shoes?
Hmm, I think I lack the emotional distance necessary to do this properly.
Is this some kind of weird test sent home by the teacher? Am I being judged here? If I don’t sing my child’s praises, the teacher will think I’m unsupportive and uncaring. If I tell her how utterly brilliant AC is, then I’m an unrealistic, possibly hovering stage Mom who is raising a self-centered brat. There’s just no way to win here. (And there’s no way I’m going to tell her teacher the annoying thing my child is doing right now that makes me want to scream and possibly snatch her bald-headed…)
Sheesh, my thesis didn’t give me this much trouble. My WIP is a piece of cake in comparison.
So I’m going to go choose my words carefully. Meanwhile, feel free to tell us how amazing your child (or dog, or niece, or whomever you’re proud of) is.
But the homework was for ME. Not a joint Mommy and AC project. An assignment for me.
Seriously, it’s the second week of school and I have homework. Due by Friday, but she’ll let me turn it in late if things are just too crazy this week. Very nice of her.
Except I don’t want to do homework. Been there, done that, got the diploma to show for it. Besides, I’m a teacher. I assign homework; I don’t actually do it.
Whining aside, let’s just say I don’t think I can do this assignment properly. I’m supposed to write a letter to AC’s teacher describing my child’s character, her strengths, what I hope for her to gain this year.
Is she serious? She wants me to describe AC’s character? Her strengths? She’s the Amazing Child, for goodness’ sake. What more does she need to know?
But I’ll give it a shot. Let’s see. AC is an absolute genius. She’s bright, caring, kind, intelligent, creative, artistically inclined, independent, happy, and all around Amazing. There are many things I’d like her to learn this year. If AC is going to be the first Olympic gold medalist astronaut who uses her Nobel Prize money to fund her ground-breaking cure for cancer while serving as the President responsible for ending poverty and crime and brokering World Peace, then we need to get some basic spelling and math skills under her belt PDQ. And can you convince her to tie her own shoes?
Hmm, I think I lack the emotional distance necessary to do this properly.
Is this some kind of weird test sent home by the teacher? Am I being judged here? If I don’t sing my child’s praises, the teacher will think I’m unsupportive and uncaring. If I tell her how utterly brilliant AC is, then I’m an unrealistic, possibly hovering stage Mom who is raising a self-centered brat. There’s just no way to win here. (And there’s no way I’m going to tell her teacher the annoying thing my child is doing right now that makes me want to scream and possibly snatch her bald-headed…)
Sheesh, my thesis didn’t give me this much trouble. My WIP is a piece of cake in comparison.
So I’m going to go choose my words carefully. Meanwhile, feel free to tell us how amazing your child (or dog, or niece, or whomever you’re proud of) is.
PC
*******
The PC/SP type-down has been delayed until September 1. Although my knee surgery shouldn't keep me down for more than a couple of days, there's always the chance I'll need a longer recovery time. Plus, SP has a new desk to put together and some house stuff still to do. We want this to be a fair competition, so we'll wait to get it started. Any writing done between now and Sept 1 won't count toward the final page count, but maybe I can get the beginning of my WIP rewritten by then...
15 comments:
I'm very proud of PC. Why?
You've met PC?
'nuf said.
PC's (proud) Mom
Humph! Sounds like a cheater assignment to me. Can't the teacher get to know your wunderkind and figure this out on her own? Didn't she sense Amazing Child's amazing-ness right off the bat? She's just looking for a fast track.
Well, there went that idea for my students....I wanted to know more about my kids too...
Sigh***
Fine, i'll just have to learn about them throughout the year.
AC sounds just perfect. What's the catch? Send her to me for school. I'd love to have someone in my classes who wants to learn.
Nini :)
PC, just ask DG to do it. He'll probably give you a short list with four or five things on it. Then you can expand on those things if necessary :-). Or, in this case, would that be "expound?"
The verification word is "zbquoon." That's just not right.
Okay, didn't take the first verification word. The second one is "gzbwje." Have I told y'all this month that I hate Blogger???
Linda
Having flown halfway round the world with AC, I can attest to her Amazingness. Seriously, she was such a sweetheart and an absolute joy.
Maven Linda, I, too, hate Blogger. I quit trying to log-in months ago. Too much hassle. SP, ever thought about converting to Wordpress? :-)
We get those kind of homework assignments in the High School too! Can you believe it? The first day of school I'm filling out paperwork, listing our contact information and providing clues as to the personalities and work ethics of our children.
Be prepared! This doesn't stop at 1st grade. :-)
Kathy
I am not the blogmaster. You'll have to chat with the promo-ho - PM. Rhonda, did you ever convert your account to google?
This exercise seems pointless. Everyone is going to talk about how great their kid is, so what's the use? Not like anyone's going to say...
"Dear Miss Whoever,
My Lulla-Belle is quite the handful. She talks a lot and is prone to hissy fits when she doesn't get her way. If she raises her hand for a restroom pass, give it to her right away or pay the consequences.
She's quite bright - has the makings of an international jewel thief. If you could just teach her numbers past 10 or so, she'll be racking up millions in no time. And of course, teach her to tie her shoes or she'll perpetually trip making her getaway. What decent jewel thief wears velcro sneakers, I ask you?
Anyway, have a nice year - I'm sure I'll be seeing you soon and often."
Our school is a bit different. We're so small that usually from year to year the teachers already have a pretty good idea about the kids. Although Sweet Pea's teacher is brand new to the school this year.
Of course, the fact that my mom was a teacher there up until this year also helped. Most of the teachers saw her running around after school with Grandma and know her quite well already. :-)
Word verification gznaxczv - that's just wrong.
Instigator
SP, you are too funny!
Maven Linda, I do read this blog.
And I've been whispering "Typepad" and "Wordpress" into PC's ear for years now...
OMG, that's just ridiculous! Talk about laziness on the teacher's part. (I love SP's letter, though. LOL!)
Like you, I would seriously resent being given homework when I didn't even sign up for class! The only writing assignments I want are the kind where I see what the hero and heroine are up to today. :)
First, let's get this Blogger biz out of the way. Blogger is what I know and apparently I'm the only one who doesn't hate it. ::grin: If we switch I'd have to learn a whole new system and you know that saying about old dogs and new tricks. I'm not saying never, but it's not in the forseeable future.
Now on the Amazing Child. I too think this is a shortcut on the school's part and I'd be tempted to ignore it, just like I ignored summer reading lists because how DARE they intrude on MY summer vacation by expecting ME to police whether my kids read a list of books. Of course both graduated from high school and college and are doing just fine, thank you.
Now I have Amazing Grandbaby who is coming to visit this weekend. I'll be able to tell just how much more amazing she is after that. ;-)
PM
I think it's a good idea in theory, I just don't think I'm the most objective of observers when it comes to AC. Plus, I'm hardly an expert on six-year-olds. What I think is abnormal behavior (like the utter drama of, like, *everything*) could be perfectly normal.
I can really only use Drama Queen and Sweet Pea as comparison, and since they're brilliant, perfect children as well... :-)
And the "catch," Nini?
Let's just say that Problem Child-ness runs in the family.
My mother finds this rather amusing...
You have me in stitches, SP!! You're in true form today. :-)
Kathy
(Giggling uncontrollably)
word verification dsmhn. (Sounds Jamaican)
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