Son#2 has now been suspended TWICE for smoking at school and he’s now been bust AGAIN for it!
WTF?
He’s throwing his education away – I wouldn’t be surprised if they now expel him.
And after last night’s ugly fallout with Son#1, I’m actually ready to throw in the towel. Motherhood can take a flying leap. I’ve had it.
So … an update on Son#2 and it’s sad news I’m afraid.
He has not passed Grade 8.
Yeah, his headmaster called me yesterday to tell me and the X and I went through to the school to meet with him today to discuss the issue and decide what to do. No, that was *not* an easy meeting!
I think the headmaster was really concerned that the X and I would fight against Son#2 repeating the grade, but we both feel strongly that he needs to be kept back. It wasn’t a close thing either. He’s done very badly this year …
We’re sending him to an educational psychologist for a full assessment and arranging for various therapies to help him. And things at home (both the X’s and mine) are going to have to change a bit to provide him with more structure. Eish.
He really loves his school – he’s so happy there and he’s come out of his shell completely over the last year, perhaps a bit too much – he’s gone from zero to hero amongst his peers and lost focus on the reason why he is there in the first place. He’s starting to get into trouble and display some rather dodgy behaviour that’s concerning us all – even Son#1. Actually, Son#1 is VERY upset about all of this and has read his little brother the riot act!
And the headmaster, who is a STUNNING guy, has tried to chat to Son#2 on numerous occasions but, like the rest of us, he’s not connecting at all. This boy just shuts down, he gives NOTHING away and you just cannot read him at all. It’s most distressing and frustrating.
So that’s where we are. It hasn’t been an easy 2 days at all but we’ll get through it. Son#2 is spending tonight with the X and he is going break the news to him. We have no idea how he’ll react. He’ll either get terribly upset and break down, or he’ll just dismiss it and pretend nothing’s wrong. It could go wither way …
Oh man, this is the last thing I wanted for him and it breaks my heart but in all honesty, if he’s not doing the work and not coping, then he must stay back and learn from his mistakes.
Monday …
Lots to do, lots to do!
One thing I’m not looking forward to later is a meeting with the headmaster at Son#2’s school. Why do I always feel like *I’m* the one who’s in shit for something when I get summoned to see a headmaster? Bah.
Yeah, there was a bit of an “incident” on Friday and now I have to go in this afternoon and sort it out with them … I REALLY REALLY REALLY hope that this does NOT turn into the crap that we went through with Son#1. Seriously, I’ve had enough of it!!
Anyway, on a MUCH better note … tonight is the 27 Dinner here in Cape Town. I’m looking forward to it but at the same time I’m feeling slightly uneasy about it being held at a restaurant that the X and I used to regularly frequent. Hmmm … it’ll be strange going back there, but it’s going to be cool to hook up with some awesome people so I’ll just try to keep that “stuff” out of my head tonight. Should be fun – I’m told these events are pretty good 🙂 This is my first ever 27 Dinner YAY me!! I just hope Mr Golding keeps his big fat camera lens away from me!! Hah. AND I hope that my bloody head doesn’t flare up on me … that would be the pits.
Well my friends, it’s Monday – my Inbox has been completely trashed over the weekend and I need to get stuck into it.
I had a pretty cool weekend though. The weather was just awesome here. And Liverpool beat Chelsea, at The Bridge too nogal! w00t w00t 😀
Signs of summerness in my garden:
No, I did NOT get around to sorting out the boxes and stuff, nor did I set up the new office space.
You’re surprised? Hehe … I *am* the Queen of Procrastination you know!
Laterz xxx
Son#1 has not been happy at his current school for a number of years now and raised the matter of changing schools with his dad and I last week. He wanted a fresh start, away from the influences of his previous life and the opportunity to focus on school work in a caring and supportive environment.
I was incredibly relieved when I spoke to the X about this and he acknowledged that this would be a good move for our boy. (He has been completely against this idea in the past.)
So Son#1 and I have just been for the interview at the new school … and … he got in!!
I am SO crazy proud of him!!! He handled the interview BRILLIANTLY – he was totally upfront with them about EVERYTHING and the lady we spoke to was quite taken with him 🙂 Normally, they don’t take on new students half way through the year, but when she heard his story and saw how pretty decent his previous report was, she made an exception for him. WOW. I think the clincher was when Son#1 VOLUNTEERED to sign a contract with the school, agreeing to random urine tests on the understanding that if anything positive showed up, he would immediately be sent back to the clinic.
Apparently quite a few ex-clinic kids have been through their halls and they have a close relationship with the facility. That makes me happy – it means they really *get* the situation.
And she totally put his mind at rest with regard to being able to catch up on the work he’s missed these past few weeks and being able to pass well. *whew* He’s going to have to work his backside off but they are SO coming to the party with all the structure and support they are offering him!
I’m so stoked for Son#1. He really needed this break and this is going to be the PERFECT environment for him to thrive in!
He starts on Thursday 😀
“Hi baby!” <— see that? That is NOT the way to answer your mobile …
Even if you are *convinced* that the number showing up on your display is the same one that appears when Son#1 phones you from the clinic.
Oh sure, there may be a split second when you think to yourself: “Shit!! Perhaps I’ve made a boo-boo … ?”, and then there’s a delicious moment of relief when you hear a bunch of kids in the background and you thank your lucky stars that your assumption about the origin of the call was in fact correct.
But then, much to your horror, the words: “Hello, is that Mrs So-and-So?” hit you with a crushing blow of embarrassment and you hesitantly reply: “Errr, yes …?”
ERK! The person on the other end of the line then turns out to be a teacher from Son#2’s school (which happens to be just down the road from the clinic where Son#1 is based) and she’s called to chat about Son#2’s lack of passion for the Afrikaans language.
Oh crap!
Can you say “Ooooops?”
*whew* Just as well it wasn’t the headmaster!!
CAPE TOWN – SOUTH AFRICA. A 37 year old mother of two teenage boys is convinced that her children have recently been abducted by aliens and are now part of some bizarre extra-terrestrial experiment to alter their normally uncooperative, disorganized and lazy behaviour.
This astonishing story began unfolding earlier in the week when the mother, who prefers to remain anonymous for fear of jeopardising the new domestic harmony, became suspicious after her eldest son, aged 17, decided to draw up a list of things he needed to do for school, for himself and around the house and placed it on the fridge for all to see. The lengthy task list included items such as “clean my room” and “study for exams”. Much to her amazement, her son has now completed some of these items and crossed them off the list.
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 Further proof of this teenager’s new and abnormal behavior, confirming her suspicions of an alien abduction, is the fact that he uncharacteristically thanked his mother for washing the dishes two days ago and that has actually managed to get out bed in the mornings without a fight for the last 3 days!Â
 The younger son, aged 14, is displaying the same peculiar change in conduct. Last night, he apparently cooked dinner for the family and then proceeded to wash all the dirty dishes and clean the kitchen! He has also become more interested in his school work in the last few days and has spent most afternoons this week working on a science model that only needs to be completed in 10 days.
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When asked for more details of the extra-terrestrial experiment, the somewhat dazed, yet not entirely unhappy mother stated that the aliens have apparently removed the large chip from her eldest son’s shoulder and inserted a microchip into his brain, designed to stimulate his I’mgonnatrybemoreorganisedandhelpfullus gland. She said the younger child has apparently been disconnected from the world of online video clips via something called a “YouTube” and now seems to be plugged into homework and various domestic chores instead.
This mother is aware that the startling results of the behaviour modification trial are not likely to have a permanent impact on her children, but she does hope that the effects last for another few weeks, at least until the mid-year school examinations are over.