Happy Boxing Day. Happy Kwanzaa. Again, I’m the worst blogger ever. So much has happened since school started.
Bailyn – She’s thriving in middle school. I’m so thankful the kids are more or less separated based on their gifted status AND motivation level now. In elementary school, the classes have kids of all levels, and all the gifted kids are pulled out one day a week. Some kids aren’t high achieving, but are super motivated. Those are better than the ones who get pulled out each week, but have the motivation of a slug. Still…the result is that kids like Bailyn aren’t able to explore their potential and end up getting in trouble. I know the idea is that it’ll help the lower performing students if they’re mixed in with the higher performing kids, but I don’t think it works well in practice. It slows the faster kids, and the teachers are too busy with a class of 30 to help the kids who need extra attention. The end result is that no one gets what they need. Brilliant. I didn’t see the impact on Bailyn before, but she is doing SO WELL in school now, and she’s not getting into trouble (well, there have been a couple of minor incidents, but no big deal). I know it’s corny, but she’s like a flower who has been moved into the sunlight. The difference is that drastic. Also, the kid who has been her best friend since they were 8 is now her boyfriend. He’s a good kid. They are both in advanced classes and love art and drama, so they have a ton in common. If Bailyn HAS to have a boyfriend, I couldn’t have picked a better one myself.
Kim – The economic trouble has come to roost in the Rowe household. His position with the State was eliminated at the beginning of November, so he’s been out of work almost 2 months. We tightened up the finances and don’t spend anything that we absolutely don’t have to spend. No eating out, no more Y membership, no shopping unless it’s a requirement. We can make it a while like this, so it isn’t Defcon 1…more like Defcon 3 or 4. If another month goes by and he hasn’t found anything, we can get a couple of used basic phones from ebay and save another $60/month. I’ll miss the Android phones, but that’s still not a big deal. Much more concerning is his level of agitation and discouragement. He’s doing remarkably well, but he’s having an increasingly hard time trying not to get discouraged. Job are posted at 2 different colleges, each about an hour away from here. Also, 2 hospitals have jobs posted 45 minutes-1 hour from here. The colleges are closed until next week, so I keep reminding him that this week doesn’t really count in the business world. I’m guessing that both colleges will start calling for interviews next Tuesday or Wednesday. I’m guessing the hospitals will start interviewing soon, too. I can’t picture them not calling. He’s well qualified for all the positions, and his resume looks good. My fear is that no one offers him the job. If all 4 of these positions fall through, I’m terrified it’ll crush him. I realize it’s a numbers game, and so does he. There are far more applicants than there are jobs. Knowing that doesn’t really help drive away the panic and despair, though. The only thing we can do right this minute is keep a positive attitude and hope for the best.
Me – Nothing has really changed for me. I’m currently the eye of the storm – everything is whirling around me. I’m making a New Year’s Resolution to be a better blogger. I’m going to aim for a post every day, even if it’s nothing but a photo. I really, REALLY want to chronicle the little things that happen.
