Sunday, July 4, 2010

I Feel Like a Washcloth Someone Left on the Motorway

I'm feeling a bit wrung out and run over. Maybe there should be hyphens in those. I'm too kaput to check, that's how bad it is. Buffy the bushy-tailed rodent would be angry and I don't blame her (see? see? that should be 'wouldn't' not 'don't'!)

Oh, nevermind.

Hi Robin, and everybody else. The rest of the exchange thing went ok. It was frustrating sometimes because it was clear that Randy was bored, but the French kids seemed to have been trained (Prima heard this from other kids in class) never to say what they want so we spent a week guessing. Prima spent a week in France, with Randy's five year old sister wrapped around her leg. The little girl cried when she left. Prima had a great time with her French family and some fun with her class but...

We are changing schools again. I know there must be some nice kids in her class, and I know that Prima has developed a rather defensive, hedgehog like manner (no offense, FHH; you are the softest and cuddliest of hedgehogs except when action is called for) so the kids in her class are only partly to blame. The defensiveness puts a lot of kids off, and we are trying to fix this. Not easy to teach natural self-confidence to a thirteen year old- since I have zip myself. But I've had it with the few spoiled alpha rich kids that seem to set the tone for everyone, and from the few parents meetings we've had. Well... I would probably feel differently if I got to know them better, but at first glance, my instinct is to avoid them like the plague.

Anyway, there is a list of French to be learned for the new school (haven't looked yet to see how much they overlapped), and we need to see if she is at the same place in math, so it will be a busy summer (six weeks instead of five this year, though, which is good). Sorry, bloglodytes, I know I'm rambling awfully, but my head feels like a coconut with a bicycle pump hooked up to it. A couple more notes before I drag myself out to the garden shed to write:

1. Our cat is missing. This is really putting a damper on our summer fun. She's not fixed so we're desperately hoping she just out having a good time and will come home full of kittens, but we fear the worst. It's been more than a week.

2. My daughter got a 4.5 in English. For those of you familiar with letter grades, that's about a C. For a native English speaker, this is ludicrous. The teacher said she graded her harder and gave her different tasks because she is a native English speaker, but you don't give a kid who already knows algebra trigonometry to do and then give them a crappy algebra grade if they can't hack the trig, right? I mean, to the rest of the world, it just looks like she got a terrible grade in the first year of English as a foreign language. Won't miss the English teacher, that's for sure. For the birds, this is. Like Yoda, I sound. Donut, I need.

3. Happy Independance Day, Americanskis out there!

Now don't just sit there- go write something. (Preferably in the comment trail ;)

8 comments:

fairyhedgehog said...

Aw, you're sweet to me. You can ask my Beloved how cuddly hedgehogs are when their prickles are raised!

I'm sorry you're having such a rough time. A cat missing is a worry and a heartbreak until s/he comes home.

That English teacher is evil. I hate unfair teachers with a viciousness that might surprise you! It's a pity you have to move your daughter but there's no point her being in a school where she's not happy.

I wouldn't blame your daughter for being defensive - it's an appropriate response to being attacked. You get attacked enough and you go on the defensive permanently. She has my sympathy! Thirteen is a difficult enough age anyway.

Happy Independence Day to everyone that applies to! For us, it is "loss of a colony day" and usually ignored but I'm going to meet up with an ex-colonist today. Who is no doubt celebrating her independence!

Sarah Laurenson said...

"loss of a colony day"

LOL Love that.

I remember 13. Not fondly either. Lots of crappy, hormonal, low self esteem blahs. And then we moved halfway across the country. Really a shocker.

Sorry to hear about your kitty. I do hope she returns soon.

Whirlochre said...

Hope your cat returns.

That's the trouble with cats.

Dogs just stupid around all day long and are reliably predictable.

Mother (Re)produces. said...

Sorry everybody. Didn't mean to whine so. It's not that things are so very bad, but in the absence of good news and happy surprises, the nasty things take on an overdimensional importance. The English teacher is invited to get stuffed. The cat problem is more serious. Especially since some wanker keeps ripping down our posters. Really, one despairs.

:(

fairyhedgehog said...

Ripping down cat posters is evil.

*hugs*

Robin B. said...

Hey, Mother Re! I've been gone a while, and it was fun to read your blog and catch up with what's been going on with ya.

That English teacher is a hag brain.

Robin B. said...

Oh, and the kitty! Fingers mightily crossed here for ya.

Sylvia said...

That English grade is ludicrous. I totally agree with you that it implies that her English is not up to the standard of a non-native speaker, UGH.

I hope you find the cat :(