Progressing Nicely...

This week, I feel like Autumn has truly arrived at last. (I know, I know, it's November already. But around here, "September" should just be called "Son of August" since the weather usually remains Summer-like for the entire month. And October can't make up its mind one way or the other, so we get a crazy mixture of heat and chilliness that keeps us in fleecy jackets one day and tee-shirts the next...except of course my warm-blooded children, who refuse to concede to wearing long pants unless given a direct Parental Order...which I'm not inclined to deliver. Eh, nobody ever died from cold knees, right? Um, what was my point again? Oh, yeah: it's all a big tease, weather-wise, until right about...now.)

Maybe it was the switch back to Standard Time. (Which by the way I have every intention of whining about until December 20th, the blessed day when we start winning our afternoon daylight back...one precious minute at a time.) Or the cascades of leaves that have suddenly decided RIGHT THIS SECOND to leap off the trees into our backyard. (I diligently rake them all up into neat mounds, and I swear the minute my back is turned, I hear the telltale rustling that signals another wave of them is preparing to blanket the yard. Darn you, Leaf Goblins, for taunting me!) Or the fact that Soccer has ended, leaving us with a loooong, dark, cold stretch of time until the Spring Season begins in April. (Oh, who am I kidding with that? Derek and Riley have been outside all week, dribbling a ball in and out of my leaf piles and passing to me while I rake. Spring Training starts mighty early around here, let me tell ya.)

And of course, let us not forget that honored and anticipated harbinger of Fall: the first Report Card of the school year. That's right, nine weeks of academic endeavors have flown by, and we eagerly await news of how the little gooberheads--I mean Scholars--have progressed in their studies. This is kind of a momentous year in the Grades Department, as Riley switches from the O/S/N system (which has always seemed kind of arbitrary and...wishy-washy to me anyway. Don't get me wrong, I'm glad my kid is "Outstanding" in Math, but what does that even mean?) to the universally-understood A/B/C scale. And Derek...his quarterly report includes an actual GPA calculation for the first time. (Welcome to the Big Time, young man! And by the way, from here on in you'll have to watch it, 'cuz the numbers don't lie!) In Derek's case, I had been keeping tabs on his work all along, thanks to the magic of EdLine. The exact point total for every homework assignment, every project, every quiz, every test (every time he scratched his nose...just kidding, but there's so much information, I almost wouldn't be surprised if they also recorded his behavior...just as well that they don't!) showed up electronically, pretty much the day it happened, so not only did I already have his grades, I knew what he had earned in each class, down to the precise number. (Calculated to one decimal point--how's that for thorough?) So, no mystery, and no ugly shocks either. Also, for the very first time in his scholastic career, I didn't have to schedule a Parent/Teacher Conference. Apparently, that's a nurturing, bonding Elementary School thing; in Middle School, you only meet with the teachers if there's a problem to discuss, and the Counselor informs you that you must come in to address it. No notification = your kid's not in trouble...whew!

Then there's Riley, still enclosed in the caring, sharing confines of Elementary School, where Mom makes a special appointment to go in and hear what his teacher has to say about his performance in class. After the extraordinarily bumpy transition to 3rd grade, Riley seems to have settled in, finally. (Or accepted his fate? Whatever, it's a relief not to have to deal with tears and fears every morning.) He still occasionally complains about Math being "difficult"...but his preposterously-high test scores indicate that he's grasping the concepts just fine, regardless of how hard he thinks he's toiling away. What was more startling is that his teacher wants him to...speak up more during reading group. Excuse me, what was that? (I actually glanced behind me at that point, to see if she suddenly began addressing some other parent, whose kid is quiet and shy.) Are we referring to the child who N-E-V-E-R stops chattering? Who holds conversations with himself when no one is around (or willing) to listen? Who has a tendency to break into (familiar, or self-composed) songs with little or no warning at any given moment? All I can say is: be careful what you wish for, because once he gets fully comfortable in class, you may never hear the end of him! (Then I'll be right back in there, for a very different meeting...)

So, overall the boys achieved a successful first quarter. Naturally Derek, the savvy 6th-grader, accepted the praise due him for his excellent efforts, then immediately wanted to know: What do I get for doing well? Evidently "my utmost respect and high regard" just didn't cut it, so I offered the next best thing: "Um, how about...pizza?" This was met with cries of "whoo hoo!" (Derek) and "best Mommy ever!" (Riley) so I suppose I chanced upon an acceptable incentive. It's good to know that, even in their more advanced stages of learning these days, the boys can still be motivated with cheap carryout food! Whoo hoo indeed!