Nick's High School Experience So Far

Nick is "back" in school. 

As of this writing, it has been one year since the children went home. 

He has been in physical class on campus six times since they started rotating kids back in class over five weeks ago.

"I didn't think it was possible, but COVID school is worse than COVID remote learning."

He is quiet all day.  All. day.  

There are five kids maybe in his classes.

Two of his teachers don't teach in the school. 

He sits and does remote learning while sitting in the classroom, in a mask, not talking, no interaction.

So far in high school, he has 56 class absences. 

He didn't go to class, didn't turn in attendance, missed roll call, whatever the reason. 

He has a 4.0 High School GPA, 4.25 when weighted for his Honors classes. 

So, in addition to being the lunch lady, principal, janitor, driver's ed teacher, teacher, parent, counselor, and extracurricular manager, I have now failed at being truancy officer. However, it is really tough to actually care at this point, when no grades are affected for absence.  

My favorite teacher to student, complete opposite comment from what Ben received, both being entirely inappropriate: the kids are "lazy" for wanting to go back to school because they just want the teachers to do everything for them.

Driver's Ed update: After being told they would finish their November class with the driving portion in February, we received an abrupt text message in March that the driving school is backed up and still doing the driving portion for the kids who took the class in June 2020.  

So, just one more thing we'll do ourselves and out of step.

I'm exhausted.

 

Braces

Surprisingly on time for what we had scheduled, braces arrived on number one. 

Number two is scheduled for September. 

And we're crossing our fingers that 3 and 4 remain beautiful without. 

Next up, drivers education classes.  I have mixed emotions about the fact that those are still closed due to COVID. 

Home Chores

Even Nicholas has begun to emerge and  help out around the house. 

Before We Were Home

Conversations with Nick: 

"How was stock trading in class today?" (a class exercise he had told me was going to happen)

"Pretty good.  I made about 40%."

"I'd say that is pretty good.  How did you do it?"

"Well, I bought telephone low and sold high."

"Well that doesn't always work, well done."

"Yeah, but we're studying the Great Depression.  So I knew when the crash was coming.  Oddly, even though that was the point, a lot of kids still didn't put it together."

Good to pay attention in class.  Well done. 

We don't look at the markets for real right now.

I will be looking for FDR New Deal related YouTube videos this week, in order to do something.

Sunrise in Virginia

Beautiful morning to make some coffee and watch.

Or a beautiful morning to take Nick on a hike to the crest of the mountain.  

Your choice.

Nicholas Sews

 

Middle School 7th Grade Sewing Class Project:

A Quilt.

 

We went to the sewing store and chose the fabric, discussing how patterns can be mixed and how black can be more than black.  He chose a music note pattern and a large white paisley on a black background. And knowing we were moving to a warmer climate soon, the flannel twin sheet from his bed made a perfect backing, which was envied by all classmates when they showed up with cotton.  Needless to say, he received an A in this elective course, and he loved the quiet class that started many of his days this last year.  His bedroom in the new house will be designed around this piece. 

 

Of course now every time there is some piece that is in disrepair around our house that I move to throw out, he lectures me on how we could fix it.  

Happy Birthday Boys!

Perhaps  today, we'll get you to put those down and smile together for us.

We officially have teenagers!

Nick's School Project

Make a three course dinner.  No help.

He insisted on leveling ingredients for the cookies.  I grew inpatient during step number one.

 

 

Watch him cry through making onions.

I shoved a piece of bread in his mouth.

 

Realize something didn't go quite right.

Remind him that there were some lovely cookies there.

Dry rub.

 

Ask for a photo with his dinner.

And get this.

 

He did amazing; really, he made the croutons.  He may make it on his own some day!

Off And Running

This is a pack of 6th and 7th grade kids of one gender or another, taking off at one of the recent cross-country meets.

One and a half miles for the pack to break into stride groups.

 

 

I'm there because I have 3 of 4 who wanted to run this year. 

There is Elaine sort of front of center there, arms swinging. 

 

Ben has an unusually tall friend who talked him into joining this year.  While they don't run together, Ben hangs in there.

 

The crazy tall girl there? Elaine is right behind.

They actually wound up racing each other to the end during this race.

 

And Nicholas.

Of three races so far, he has yet to come in less than number 27 out of the whole pack.

He is determined that he will win.

 

And after each race, there is a collapse.

 

Nick's Sixth Grade Art Portfolio

He calls it Monstrosity.

He says this is Alex, not Nick, although there is a resemblance...

 

This is Alex's room where the thing that looks like a Pez Dispenser, actually is supposed to be his candy machine. It is not unintentional I'm sure that all of the electronic equipment is so large it can't be confiscated from the room at bedtime.

 

Nick's representation of his walk home.

Biscuits and Gravy

Nicholas, the boy who generally gags at the thought of breakfast food. Really. Put us in a car on a road trip and hand out fast food breakfast?  I generally have to hand him a trash can.

 

I got you.

 

Announce that there are biscuits and gravy on any given morning, and I may even get to sit down with you for 10 minutes while you plow through all that is there leaving none for late-comers. I may even get a smile out of you. Jimmy Dean breakfast scramble, a very close and quick second. 

The Standoff

For some dumb reason, Nicholas decided to motivate Elaine to help him with the trash by telling her she was a slave.

 

They stood there, faced-off at the doorway, each refusing to leave before the other.

 

For at least half an hour. The dog eventually believed they were waiting for him to take him out on a walk.

 

And then it Mad Mom Mad.  And I told them to move on because  I needed to get some crap done already.  They should know by now that I am the slave.

Handel's Messiah

Maybe it was the Super Moon that evening,

 

But Nicholas was somehow able to fall asleep to Handel's Messiah as our Sunday Evening Christmas season kick off a week ago.

He took All is Calm to a whole new level.

 

 

We were able to rouse him for the final chorus, so at least there is that.

 

Nicholas

Nicholas.  Ah, Nicholas

Despite claiming you must not belong to our family,  

Despite your savings account built to buy a car and drive away,

Despite your eye rolls at family time,

 

we know it is all an act.

 

And we love it when you forget how terrible it is to be part of this big messy family.

Happy Birthday Nicholas! 12 Years of Smiles and Energy

Technically, you couldn't smile yet, so we'll let Year 0 go.

 

1-Year-old

Smiles and energy

2-Years-old

Smiles and energy

But we had less say on what you would wear by this time, clearly.

 

3-Years-Old

Smiles and energy

But making your own food decisions.

 

4-years-old

Smiles and Energy

But you were going through a no-picture phase then, so this is a bit of treasure right here.

 

5-Years-Old

Smiles and energy.

Oh, oh my the energy.

 

6-years-old

Smiles and Energy

And the beginning of those screens.  Here your first Nintendo DS.  You still have it, and you still play on it

7-Years-Old

Smiles and Energy

And discovery.  Oh man, the love of discovery.

 

8-Years-Old

Smiles and Energy

And chocolate cake.  Nothing but chocolate cake from here on out.

 

9-Years-Old

Smiles and Energy

And doing things your own way, for sure.

 

10-Years-Old

Smiles and Energy

And just a hit of a young-man-to be showing through.

 

11-Years-Old

Smiles and Energy

And guns.

12-Years-Old

Smiles and Energy

And man, we love it when we get these out of you these days as you turn more often serious, sometimes outwardly nervous, and nearly always playing it cool these days.