The Queen's Rambles

First, I just want to make it clear that I don’t have a problem with Erik’s teacher. She seems nice enough. She has 12 years experience. So far she has not sent any busy work home–just arts and crafts stuff that Erik hates. I have a problem with the district’s expectations that kindergartners should do homework. As the year progresses we’ll see if I revise my opinion. The homework is actually created by the whole kindergarten team or the district, I’m not sure which. I am just mentally preparing myself for my “no busy work” policy. It might turn out to be a total non-issue. I will be very diplomatic with the teacher. I will let her know that Erik won’t be rewarded for choosing not to do homework. He won’t be able to get a gold stripe in karate if he doesn’t do homework–that’s about the most motivating thing I can think of for him.

Today was much, much better. There wasn’t any drama or crying when it was time to get on the bus. When he got home he immediately asked for a second lunch, instead of whining the he didn’t want to eat. Elsa took a nap on her proper schedule, which made my life much easier to predict.

Then it was time for karate and all hell broke loose.

Mike managed to make it home in time to take Erik to karate, which is always his goal but rarely happens. I mentioned to Mike that Erik could stay for Leadership, a half hour extra that involves weapons and self-confidence training. Erik moved up to a new level at the beginning of the month (yet another change for my baby, contributing to his discombobulation). I couldn’t figure out when he was supposed to go to Leadership (which we’ve paid for!) so I talked to the owner on Tuesday and got it all figured out. The owner has noticed Erik’s apprehension and said we could do it however Erik would like to do it–either go into the upper level leadership, or drop back to the old leadership class with the 4 and 5 year olds.

Erik completely freaked out when I told him about the leadership class, even though we told him he didn’t have to go. He shut down and couldn’t hear a word we were saying.

Mike dragged him out to the car and I took Elsa to the library. When I came home they were already back. Erik went into hysterics in the car so there was no way they could go to karate. Mike and Erik had a talk about it and figured out that he didn’t understand that he was going to the regular class and didn’t have to go to the leadership class.

I was really glad Mike was there to deal with the whole thing. Now he sees why I look haggard and ugly and beaten down every day. I feel so old and tired and just. . . not youthful or fun. Who is this woman I have become?

As soon as I walked in Erik saw the bag of books and declared that he didn’t like any of them.

He didn’t even see a single book.

No one can blame me for being old and haggard and tired and enraged.

I decided I could do one of two things: disappear forever or have a screaming fit.

So I disappeared.

I went up the stairs, locked the door, laid in the bed and cried. I didn’t think to bring any form of entertainment, but there was no way I was going back out there into the snake pit. The only book in the entire room was an old “Wheel of Time.” I’m not sure which one, but Mike mentioned the circus in one of his forum posts. Crying or the bed vs. Valan Luca and the girls’ flashing white thighs. There was no choice. Crying for the win!

I think I needed those moments of silence. I was much calmer when I finally came downstairs and tried to talk to Erik about what was going on in his little brain. I didn’t turn into a raving lunatic at all tonight, even when Erik responded to every question with “your head.”

How about something more interesting?

I finished The Hunger Games trilogy yesterday. I really liked the first book. I couldn’t put down the second book. The third book was a major disappointment. I kept waiting for it to mean something. For a major theme to emerge. Something. But no. It was just a lot of running around without any deeper implications. Even worse, the main character never showed any growth. So would I recommend the series? I don’t know. If you like a fast paced series with lots of action, you can’t go wrong. If you like something closer to literature, skip it. The movie should be interesting.

In other entertainment, I’ve been trapped under a baby for hours every day so I’m diving deep into the Netflix streaming pool. I may have to break and get the streaming + DVD package in a few weeks. I’m currently entrenched in FlashPoint and Reaper. How did I miss these shows? Both are right up my alley, even if Reaper is a little cheesy. I’ve also started Samantha Who?, but don’t know if I’ll continue with it. Any reccs? My “putting the baby in the bed” project is not going well at all. I gave up today since the results have been so frustrating. The second her head hits the pillow she’s wide awake and raring to go for at least an hour.

Lastly, I think I need to remove Project Runway from my DVR schedule. As someone much more clever than I said, it didn’t only jump the shark. It jumped the whole aquarium.