Where did Jake come from ?

So, I knew Sam being out of town working was going to suck for me and I was right. I called Sam last night and told him so. Told him I was glad that he was sitting relaxing watching TV while I was dealing with Jake.
It started immediately after school when I picked the kids up to go for eye exams. Jake pestered his sisters non-stop. He was even hitting them in the store! Tara started hitting him back which made it even more embarrassing for me. Erin would whine about it. It was just exhausting. Then I had to shop for a few groceries and the bickering continued. Then, Erin and Jake got their hair cut so they were separated for a while. Jake finished sooner so started bothering Tara so she smacked him. They were so embarrasing to be around. Then we went home and Tara and I cooked dinner. Sitting down to eat with them is a whole other story. I remember there was a period of time when I wouldn’t let anyone eat until Sam got home because I couldn’t stand to be at the table with them. Erin got so sick of Jake that she told him, “I don’t even feel like we’re a family when you act like that.“ I told her that I agreed. Jake got all butt-hurt and wrote a nasty letter to Erin saying that he hated her and me. Erin started crying and showed me the letter. Then I had to have a talk with Jake. He said he was hurt that Erin said he wasn’t a part of the family. I explained to him that that was not what she said. It was a big freaking ordeal that left him in tears. On top of all that, he’s been assuring me that he is doing his homework and schoolwork since the semester started. He told me that a paper that was originally due last Friday had been changed to Monday. Giving him the benefit of the doubt, I believed him. Sam checked the paper Thursday night and it was done - he had it ready to turn in on Friday but didn’t because “it isn’t due until Monday now.“ Well, lo and behold, I get an email today from his Language Arts teacher telling me that he has 7 zero’s from work not completed last week! The one zero that he cannot make up is from the paper that was due on FRIDAY!! What the heck!? Here is the email:
Hello April and Sam Caley,

This is Mrs. Mayo, Jake’s language arts teacher. I am writing you because Jake right now has seven zeros in my grade book for last week’s work. We worked on a five paragraph essay in class all week with several prewriting exercises, a rough draft after an outline, peer revision, not to mention a changed final for this essay. He has one zero that will stick because he did not complete the essay at the assigned time, last Friday, for a contest. That zero cannot be made up. I have given him a pass to come in the computer lab during lunch recess so he can work on this as most of the work has to be done on the computer. I have given up my lunch so that kids can work on this assignment if they haven’t finished it—yet Jake blows me off and tells students around him that he isn’t coming in. I want you and Jake to know that if these assignments are not turned in by next week these zeros will remain zeros as that will be the three-week-grade-check and we start a new grading period; whereby, students cannot make up any old work from the previous three weeks. I don’t think I need to tell you what his grade will be with seven zeros in my grade book.

Thank you,

Connie Mayo

After last night, I was in tears after reading it. I went online and did some research and ended up on the Total Transformation website. So, Jake has lost ALL privileges. No cellphone, no laptop, no TV, no video games, no iPod, no going to friends’ houses, no snowboarding. I had planned on all of us skiing Sat, Sun and Mon. and now he’s not going. I told him that he has to earn privileges back. A’s and B’s get rewarded, C’s get nothing and D’s and F’s mean he loses any privileges he’s earned back. Natural consequences for not doing homework or schoolwork- If he fails 8th grade then he can be 6ft tall in 8th grade next year. I will reward him immediately for anything done right, but I haven’t told him that. I told him what his chores were today. If I find that he has cleaned the bathroom, then I’ll let him watch TV for 30 mins. Don’t know what more I can do.

Busy, Busy, Busy

So, I hit the New Year running! It seems I never have a time where there’s nothing to do. Work has been super busy except for this past weekend for a change.
Now is the time of the year when things get going for Little League. I have our League’s Safety Plan completed except for filling in 2 blanks. I’ll get that information at tonight’s meeting and get it in the mail tomorrow.
I have a major project at work too. I am waiting for my boss to give me a state manual on Level II Nursery regulations. I have to read it and then implement them in our new Level II Nursery that is supposed to open beginning of the 3 rd quarter. The state is coming sometime in March to do a walk-thru and give us some feedback. So, that will be my mindset at work for the next few months.
The kids are back at school after Christmas break. Tara and Jake have started some new classes for the new semester. It looks like Jake is actually making an attempt to get his homework assignments in on time. He wasn’t allowed to ski over break because of a C in Math. Hopefully, his grades will be better so he can go skiing next weekend which is a 3-day weekend.
Sam’s work has been slow. He is going to Tempe tomorrow to do some paid work at his father’s and then to Tucson next week to work on painting the inside of an old family friend’s house. So, I will be a single mother for a while. Please pray for me!
Since Sam only had one small job today, he took the kids to school and I got to sleep in. I’ve been lazing around this morning (a rare event) since I got up but now I need to get to the gym.

Happy New Year 2009

Happy New Year to you all. I hope 2009 keeps everyone happy and healthy.
In a little while, the kids and I are driving down to the valley for a few days. I plan on waking them all up in just a little bit and making scrambled eggs for breakfast. It is after 9:30 and they are all still sleeping. Don’t know how late they were up. I assume they watched the ball drop and then Sam sent them to bed. I went to bed just after 11 pm and missed all the fun.
Sam is actually working today. It has been a bit slow for him lately so when he got a call yesterday to help put up some cabinets, he jumped on it. I got a pretty decent raise yesterday at work. They are now basing raises on merit and I worked my butt off this year!!
I haven’t seen the kids all year so I’m going to wake them up now.