For Aaron, it's complicated...

Well, school for Aaron is going OK. He is still having trouble with his locker, but truthfully, those lockers are too damn small. They are under a foot wide and I would dare to say that it probably only 6 maybe 7 inches wide. I guess other students are doing fine with their lockers, but for Aaron it's complicated! Maybe his physical limitations have something to do with it, but the teachers just know to bring out a key for the lockers everytime Aaron goes to his locker. He can get it open, but he has trouble with the straps of his backpack getting caught in the door of the locker.

He has regular classes, that include Civics/Economics, Science, Art, PE/Health, Math and English. We do have this wonderful technology here, called edline, which allows us to see grades on a weekly basis of our students. I love and hate edline. It's nice to be able to see Aaron's grades, but I tend to constantly worry about them. So far he has all A's and a D in math. Now, let me say that I don't think that a D is good at all, but the grading system here is harder than in Maryland. In Maryland, it was a 10 point grading system and here it is a 6.5 point grading system. So he has an overall average of 76.1 in math. It's not the best and I know he can do better, but I don't think a 76.1 should be a D. It's a C in my book. I don't want him to go from an A/B student to a C/D student, but that might just happen here, unfortunately.

I have been in contact with his math teacher already, but I haven't heard back from her yet. I really don't know what I would say to her, but he is just making careless mistakes and not taking his time. Getting a D is terrible but, I can't understand why he would have all A's in his other classes. It just boggles my mind!

On to other things like our garden. Yes, it has produced so many cucumbers that we have had to start giving them away. Some of them are just huge. I will post some pictures. Our garden has also produced one zucchini! I will also post a picture of that. It's quite exciting to us!

Our Zucchini

I can't seem to get my pictures to work correctly, so I only posted one for now.

Tim's job at NATO is just slowly moving along, he is kinda bored, but it's a nice change of pace for Aaron and I. I am still working at First Command, despite the sucky pay. I need to have the courage to tell my boss that it's not an acceptable rate. I will give it awhile though.

The first week of school is finally over...

Where do I begin? School started on Tuesday. Aaron got on the bus for school at 8:00 am. The school didn't call me, so I figured all was well. I started back to work on this day as well at First Command. I'm not sure what this will all entail, but I'm excited to go back to work. Right now, I'm working from 9-3. Anyway, on with the Aaron saga. He gets off the bus and he seems to be okay. I ask him how everything was and he starts telling me about his day. He tells me about each teacher and how he got lost several times and cried several times. He seems really fixated on the whole locker thing and not having enough time in between classes. He said that if he doesn't get to class on time, he will get a tardy. He was very, very worried about this. I told him that the first week of school they are not going to give him a tardy. Well, now he precedes to cry and cry and not stop crying. He told me he was not man enough to go to middle school. I asked him about lunch and he said he ate at a table with classmates, but no one talked to him. He said he got confused about some things because the schedule on that first day was different. He cried again and told me he wanted to be home schooled and begged me not to make him go back. My mom called and tried to reassure him, but that really just upset him more. Anyway, finally it's bed time so I finally have a little peace.

The next morning as I'm getting ready for work, Aaron keeps telling me he feels like he's gonna throw up. I ignore him, knowing this was just a ploy to get out of school. He has run to the bathroom several times, but he's just gagging and nothing else. Well, finally at about 7:30 he does actually throw up, so I call the peds office to get him an appointment. I take him to the doctor and pretty much the doc says he either is actually sick with a stomach virus or it's just nerves and anxiety. Lo and behold it is just anxiety because once we get home, he is happy as a clam, playing with lego's, singing, and having a jolly good time. I can't believe it. I email the 6th grade guidance counselor and arrange for us to go up to the school after it let's out and we will do the whole locker thing until he gets it. When we finally get up to the school, the counselor and I find out that it's not the combination lock that he is having trouble with, it's literally getting the locker open after he has done the combo. We had worked with a combination lock at home over the prior weekend, and he got that just fine, so I 'm glad that wasn't the real problem. The lockers are very skinny as which caused Aaron more trouble because his backpack wouldn't fit. Aaron was also having trouble knowing what exactly to take with him to class. When he keep saying I need to know what I need for class. I thought he was talking about his supplies, but what I discovered is that he was actually needing to know what he needed to take to class. What books or papers etc. to take with him. While I was up at the school, I spoke with some of his teachers. They all seem very nice. Because he no longer has an IEP, (Individualized Education Program) he seems like he is getting lost in the system. I'm sure that's not the case, but I really really regret letting the previous school talk me out of his IEP. He does have a 504, but that only covers any physical disabilities. What was I thinking? The educators at Laytonsville seem to know what they were talking about at the time, but I really wish he still had his IEP. I wonder if I can get it reinstated. I'll have to ask without telling the school that he is a high functioning autistic. I don't want them to try and send him to a special school. He is very capable of doing the work and he needs to be in regular classes.

Aaron seemed to do okay on Thursday and Friday, but he is very unsure about this whole changing clothes for PE thing. That really bothers him. That will be our next challenge this next week. Ugghhh!!

Labor Day Weekend

First of all, wishing everyone a happy and safe Labor Day. School here in Virginia starts this Tuesday, yay!! For every parents sanity, and please, I don't want to hear the words, I'm bored or there's nothing to do anymore...Go back to school!!

We have no real plans for this extra long weekend. Tim and Aaron are going to the pool, but I'm staying home to nurse this migraine that I woke up with at 5:45am. I may try to take a nap while their gone to the pool.

Not much else to report today. I need to put some of my layouts on the page, it's just a matter of adding the pictures to the blogger. Actually, I think there is gadget that I can add. Anyway, I'll get to it eventually!!

Have a fun and safe Labor Day everyone!

Already September the 1st!

Well, Christmas is just around the corner. You think I'm kidding, but it's only 4 months away. !! Crikey! I haven't been around much these last few days because I was participating in an online crop at A Cherry on Top (ACOT). It was really fun and I really enjoyed the weekend of cropping. Tim and Aaron were forewarned about my absence, even though I was still in the house. We did manage to go to mass on Saturday, but Aaron's stomach was hurting so as soon as it was over, we left, even though our friends Kris and Andy were there with Jonathan and Kevin.

So tomorrow is Aaron's open house at his new school, but some sort of recording called and said we needed to bring his school schedule. We don't have a schedule, so I'm thinking we were supposed to receive one and didn't. Kris said her boys got their schedules and teacher assignments last week, so I think somehow we got skipped. Great way to start out the day, huh!! I guess we'll see tomorrow.

On Thursday, Aaron, Jonathan and Kevin went swimming at the Y. It was fun and I got sunburned on my chest and arms, but not my legs. Hmmm...that's where I wanted a tan. Anyway, I got some pictures of the kids. Here they are:

Gotta run for now, as I just got a call from Kris and we are going school supply shopping with the boys!