At Alex's Sasquatch/Young Readers Book competition this week, the moderator read this competition rule: "I will read all questions twice. I will not repeat the question." Tim burst out laughing. It took me some time to understand what made him laugh. If there is some career involving immediate recognition of absurdities, he's going to make a lot of money.
Our Emmett Mumford Cousins (EMC) are here. This involves teasing and huge quantities of cheddar cheese, among other things. We had meatloaf sundaes for dinner, and for the first time someone--Harrison!--out-ate Tim.
Well, this isn't like the week when Nigel's bath water somehow drained directly into the downstairs toilet and huge bubbles bloomed up from the toilet seat. I have time to blog...and of course, no worthy material.
I'm thinking that I should tell you that my darling angel of a fourteen year old bomb maker got the most HIDEOUS progress report this week--a report so BAD that his teacher was REQUIRED to CALL ME ! We were both so embarrassed and surprised. We just traded awkward Zach compliments while struggling to find the words to discuss an F in Orchestra. This would be for a kid who practices every day AND comes to "Fiddle Club" at 7:30 am once a week. What are you going to say? He's the only Bass in Orchestra. Everybody KNOWS he's got the part down. And that earns an F? Yet I don't want to be the parent whining about the grade. Clearly this is Zach's problem. He has to turn in the practice sheets. He ACTUALLY PRACTICES!! And he doesn't turn in the sheets. But an F? Showing up every day with the part learned, attending all concerts dressed in a white shirt and tie, coming in an hour early once a week, being (as I discovered this week) the ONLY KID IN THE EIGHTH GRADE WHO STILL LIKES ORCHESTRA--this is FAILURE?!?!? COME ON!! Oops. Slipped over into the whiny Mom for a second.
That's all. Maybe something interesting will happen this week?
8 comments:
That rule was hilarious!
....I'm having a comment writers block....
Courtney
I am glad to know that Jerome is not the only boy that doesn't pass things to his Mom. I just found an invitation to a birthday party dated February.
Why are you whining? This is actually a harbinger of academic success. My inability to pull it together enough to turn in practice sheets earned me a "C" in middle school band, and the only reason it wasn't an "F" was because practicing was just 30% of our grade. Still, it just meant that I was never going to successfully keep a Franklin Planner. Dad teased me about it for the next five years, but mostly because he thought it was a really dumb requirement, too. Real classes grade on results, as you know, not on documentation. Besides, an "F" will always give Zach (and you too) fodder for Church talks, child pep talks, etc when he becomes an academic giant. I see nothing but good here.
I got a C in gourmet cooking, and that WAS a results based class. Those tests were hard! As for orchestra grades, I've spent the last 8 months as the person in charge of orchestra grading at a major music conservatory. In the big leagues, attendance is the only requirement.
Julia you have the best blogs! The funny thing about the practice sheets is that at least half of the students who turn them in are probably not honest about the time practiced.
Are you kidding? That F is the best thing that ever happened to him! He'll be giving firesides and inspirational talks about it for the rest of his life!
Julia,
I just noticed all your links are in alphabetical order. Did you all of a sudden switch personalities? This is so disconcerting. I always took comfort in the fact that you gloried in the joy of being a little bit messy like me.
My comment is unexciting. I am thrilled that Kahlin isn't the only one flunking his music class because he can't turn in the practice sheets. I think his teacher has come up with another more meaningful homework he brought home this week, so that she won't have to flunk him. Thanks for the blog.
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