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School spirit days. Theres one every other frigging week and i hate them! Wear pink, wear a jersey, wear a school shirt, wear blue, wear something camo.

Its a non stop headache to make sure all the kids have them and its ALWAYS a fight with them not to argue over who wears what or that they dont want to wear something at all.

I dont need this added fucking stress over god damn shirts!

My children's IEP's have "technology" listed to help them.

You know what that technology is?!?

A computer program that READS FOR THEM.

So lets NOT teach the kids with difficulty reading to actually read, we will just give them a program that does it for them. What the ever fuck.

Im busting my ass fighting with the kids doing reading and sight words at home and at school they aren't even reading.

We got a good dumping of snow last night. Wh bitches this morning that he feels just so unprepared, oh there's so much to do. I lost it. Said i have been telling him this exact shit for months yet he comes home from work, sits on his ass, does fuck all and expects ME to do it. Fuck!

I have a thousand things to do and i can't even get help with dishes without a fight. Today i am changing the wifi password and hiding ALL of the chargers!!!

Man i need a drink!

I must have been a very odd teenager because i dressed for the weather. Cool didnt cross my mind. Not freezing to death did.

My 13 year old however doesnt care if her ears freeze and drop off or if her toes get frost bite. I had to scream at her just for her to put her boots on.

We have 2-4 inches of snow!!!

Why??? What is wrong with this child. Omg.

"So lets NOT teach the kids with difficulty reading to actually read, we will just give them a program that does it for them. What the ever fuck."

That doesn't seem to make sense.

I was not a fan of spirit days either and I didn't have four kids to deal with!!

Buckle up for the teenage years. Pick your battles is good advice. If my DD wanted to be cold I let her be cold within reason. Nothing terrible ever happened. My DD was a pretty good kid but man there were days during her teen years I wanted to pull my hair out.

Sending you strength and hugs.

Dragn, I hear you about spirit days. I hardly ever remembered to dress myself let alone 4 kids. But really, if they don't participate it's not a big deal. Leave it up to them as long as they sort it out themselves the night before not just as you are walking out the door. If they are motivated, they'll do it.
As to the assisted reading...studies have shown that reading aloud to kids causes brain changes the same as when they are reading themselves. It actually helps, as long as they are asked questions that require critical thinking. If any of them have medically diagnosed dyslexia, lists of sight words aren't nearly as useful as reading a book to and with them. True dyslexic don't read the same way you or I do, they read for meaning if they acquire critical thinking skills.
My (very intelligent) son could not read until fourth grade, couldn't write until college. Once his brain made changes his literacy skills were way beyond his chronological age.
Read to them.

I realize thr benefit of reading to and being read to but i do believe that repetition and practice also helps.

The two older kids have yet to be diagnosed with a specific learning disability even though it is agreed that they both do have it to some degree.

Testing is on its way.

My problem is that dd depends on the reading program. She refused to do any work at home because my computer didnt have it. Thats not acceptable. She can at least try.

I am outside doing chores waiting for a visitor to arrive. I have booked the garage door repair company for Monday. I have done morning feeding. I am pooped already.

My daughter is an elementary school administrator. Some times when a crowd of young students get unruly, she will go in and take over to give the teacher a break. My daughter is a HUGE believer in real people reading real books to kids. She's great with 'voices' and acts out characters in the book and the kids absolutely love it. She feels too much emphasize is being putting on technology. Of course she is an advocate of technology but feels the real books and real people contact isn't getting enough time.

She will have students come up to her in the halls and ask her when she's going to read to them again.

real books and real people contact isn't getting enough time.

Yep, that's supported by research. Reading with emotion and drama is valuable to kids' reading cognition.

I get your frustration, Dragn. Kids who struggle with reading quickly learn to hate reading, it's hard, they feel like failures, they won't read willingly, they don't improve. Round and round they go. Add to this the pressures parents feel to help, the imposed guilt,it becomes a self fulfilling experience that reinforces the negativity. It puts you in an awful position.
As the parent of one of those kids I can tell you that I wish I had told those teachers we were limiting the amount of homework we'd do and instead, I'd spend more time doing stuff with my kid.
And seriously, skip the spirit days. Just not important.

This is difficult for me because i was a bookworm. I would read multiple novels at once. The Choose your own adventure books were my favourite but i was also reading adult level 1000 page novels in middle school.

Dd keeps asking me whats wrong with her that shes "not normal" and ds is just angry all the time. They are both fixated on this Minecraft game that they can play together, well mostly dd destroying everything ds builds. He will suddenly scream from his room for her to screw off.

I buy them books about the stuff they are interested in, got out my old childhood kid stories books. I forget the name of the book series but as a kid it was on the radio and i remember all of us as a family sitting around it listening to the man read the stories, its about a rabbit but not Peter Rabbit books. It will come to me after i post lol

Its been a stressful day. None of the teachers called for interviews that i signed up for. Only one emailed me a new day and time. I rushed back from my weekly grocery shop just for that.

My brother friend has to move from where he is renting as the place was sold. He has three horses that he will board here and i was dealing with setting all of that up this morning. Then wh called in a panic. Power steering is gone on his van. Its an easy fix, theres a hose that we had fixed before and its broken again. But i had to go to town to get the parts so his van is still at work. Hes taking mine tomorrow, work the morning then try to fix his van. If my brother can manage it he will come up to help.

I am exhausted but i cannot sleep. Wh is snoring. Part of me gates him for that, falling asleep so easily.

Wh Van is fixed, winter tires on his van. My van is going down to my brothers shop to have the winter tires we got put on my rims since those rims dont fit.

We have a large Amish community here. I see them in town every now and then. Yesterday there was a group of them in one store i was at. Witnessed two woman making nasty comments about them. There was absolutely no need for that!

In the grocery store i was in line. Started putting my stuff up onto the belt. The two woman behind me had NO clue what six feet apart meant. They were right up against the handle of my cart, so that when i went to come back around i had to squeeze by because they wouldn't move. I dont have patience anymore. I had to bite my tongue because simply saying excuse me didn't make them move and i knew i was about to lose it. Gave them the fuck off look instead.

People are mean ans nasty and theres no reason for it.

"The two woman behind me had NO clue what six feet apart meant."

I don't see many people practicing distancing anymore. I still do. Why not? It certainly won't hurt anything. Same with wearing a mask. I don't understand why either is a big deal to people.

I don't see many people practicing distancing anymore. I still do. Why not? It certainly won't hurt anything. Same with wearing a mask. I don't understand why either is a big deal to people.

This wasnt even a social distancing thing. This was the front of their cart butted up against handle of mine and them standing so i couldn't get to the handle of my cart to push it forward. Totally rude!!!

And i aree. Whats the bloody deal with keeping your distance from someone (personal space people!) And wearing a damn mask...

Its winter, its cold, no make that freezing, a mask keeps your face warm while keeping peoples nasty germs to themselves because people are still gross and cough and sneeze without covering up!

Is it weird that im excited that our garage door is getting fixed?

Small local company owner came by yesterday to assess the damage and said it was not hard to fix at all. Probably could have had it done but we had snow squalls that were brutal and the top panel of the door needs to be replaced and he had to check his shop for stock. So Friday its scheduled.

On the topic of snow squalls...apparently Canadians forget how to drive in snow each year. A few highways around me were closed due to accidents. Geez slow down people.

Big D kept asking me last night if today was the weekend. I said it was only Monday and he had 4 more days of school. He then says his teacher told him he had only 3 days of school this week. Check the school calender and yep, kids off Thursday and Friday. OMG. As if the kids haven't missed enough school already lets just give them days off for no reason.

Parent teacher interviews were rescheduled for this wednesday.

I think i need one of those therapy lights. Despite being outside a lot i am so blah with everything all white. I cannot get into the Christmas spirit at all. It just seems like a massive stressor.

Anyone else feel that way?

Yes. Right there with you.

Thanks devotedman. Hate feeling so alone while so many are all cheery and looking forward to Christmas.

I dont know how to get out of this winter slump.

The kids said they want to set up the Christmas 🎄. Not hard since its just out in the sunroom. Walk out, pick up tree, bring into living room plug in. Its the fibre optic tree. So cool. But again all i think about is that the cats or pig will end up destroying it.

Our luck is such that if something will break it will do it now when its cold and miserable to fix. Wh van already pulled that shit.

Im always down close to my birthday which is coming up.

I just want my warm bed.

HUGS Dragn. You are definitely not alone. Lots of people struggle this time of year.

The short days and cold temperatures are tough to deal with.

Check the school calender and yep, kids off Thursday and Friday. OMG. As if the kids haven't missed enough school already lets just give them days off for no reason.

Thursday and Friday are the Thanksgiving holidays this week here in the US. D'you suppose that's why, now that travel is allowed between us again?

Thursday and Friday are the Thanksgiving holidays this week here in the US. D'you suppose that's why, now that travel is allowed between us again?

Oh most likely but when did Canada start recognizing American holidays and canceling our school...

Thursday is a "professional activity day" elementary schools only. Friday is a "board issued holiday".

Sheesh.

My DS is in grade 6 working at a GRADE 2 LEVEL. I think he needs less days off snd more days IN school.

Its cold today. Sunny but cold. I have been wanting to close up the far side of the pig house for a while after seeing how much they pulled out the straw when going in and out.

Theres two entrances so they can move about without fighting. The west side entrance is L shaped and covered so the wind is blocked but the east side isnt. So im doing an L shaped entrance there and putting a roof on it for extra protection. Got all bundled up only to strip down a few layers because hauling 12 foot boards works up a sweat.

This type of work makes me feel good.

After this i have to bring 4 16 footers to the front and begin work on the temporary shelter for the tractor. Wh built a cab for it but with it on I cannot see out to drive. So this summer we took it off but now need it covered close to the garage so we can plug it in.

Fun fun.

I cannot get into the Christmas spirit at all. It just seems like a massive stressor.

Anyone else feel that way?

Yup. Christmas trees cost 30%-40% more than last year and there's a shortage. I'm about ready, for the first time in 40 years, to say screw the tree. Plus I have a 10-month-old, 90-pound German Shepherd that would probably destroy it (as well as the ornaments I have been collecting for 40 years).

Yeah, not feelin' it.

Yup. Christmas trees cost 30%-40% more than last year and there's a shortage.

This confuses me.

Its not like the trees stopped growing during the pandemic.

Price increases are everywhere and while yes supply vs demand is an issue i think a lot of it is just gouging.

Then again are we talking about live or artificial? Ive always gone with artificial and up until last year or year before we had a small table tree. Then i found the last fibre optic one that is multi-coloured. Its pretty.

I got completed all of the framing on the pig house extension, side wall is sheathed and i just have to sheath the roof and the front. Yay. That feels good.

From a recent NPR story, "Extreme weather events like wildfires, droughts and floods have made this an especially challenging season for growers. Such events are driven by climate change and could become more common as the Earth warms.

And even artificial trees are feeling the burn, thanks to ongoing global supply chain issues."