Friday morning, morning is how early Naomi woke today! She fell asleep right before 8 p.m. on Thursday. Friday at 1 a.m. she woke up. She seemed thirsty, gulped down an 8 oz cup. Then another cup full at about 2 a.m. I figured she'd be up about 2 hours then fall back asleep. She was up until 6:15! I was so tired! Bill was tired too. He got up with us about 3, he heard her screaming. We finally gave in and took her downstairs. She played and didn't seem to be getting sleepy at all until she crawled in Bill's lap and 6:15 and just zonked out. He tried to put her in her bed but she just screamed. So I got in my bed with her. I heard Isaiah get up and I told him he'd have to walk to school today. Bill set out the cereal and a bowl and Isaiah made his own breakfast too.
Isaiah came into my room and said the neighbor boy was walking to school too. I said that was fine. Then I heard the 3 kids that come here in the morning before school come in and very distinctly heard "PAR-TAY". I was wondering what state my home would be in when I went downstairs! Isaiah came to ask when they should leave. I told him at 7:50 they should start getting his stuff together. I heard them all leave and was thankful 5 unsupervised kids were now out of my house! They did a very nice job of being quiet while in the house and must have made it to school just fine.
Unless they're all sitting at the bar down the street!
Friday, February 13, 2009
Thursday, February 12, 2009
Ebony and Ivory
Last trip to the neurologist I asked the Dr. about the way Naomi gets so red and flushed. Looks like she's got a bad rash on her cheeks, then it's gone. The Dr. said "well she's pretty fair complected". She is. But then the Dr. added that both me and my husband are both fairly light, him more so than me.PEOPLE! Is that the understatement of the century or what! HA!
He's got blue eyes, that's about he only thing that keeps him from being albino!
This photo is over 10 years old. I believe it was taken right before (like the day before) we got married. 1997. I look a lot different now. Duh! I think I was 23. I'm 34 now. This was when I was young enough not to care about the effects of a tanning bed on my skin. I also lived in North Carolina. Not that I got to enjoy the sun. I worked 2nd shift most of the time. 2PM-10PM. In a textile mill. Very Norma Jean. When I first walked in the place I told the supervisor that it was just like Norma Jean! I don't think he'd ever seen the movie!
My dad looks a lot older, he's pretty much gray now and no beard (I don't think, I'm so used to seeing him I don't even pay attention!). He has managed to keep his hair unlike his brothers (all 7 of them!).
Bill is the most changed! He has gained at least 50 pounds. I'd say in this photo he probably was about 145-150 pounds and he's 6 ft. tall. He goes between 200-215 now. I know those jean shorts he had on were a 28 inch waist. He would look at this and say that was when he had a six pack. I know the truth, they were his ribs! He had no rear end! If it wasn't for a wallet in one pocket and a pack of gum in the other, he'd of had no bottom! Back at this time it was nothing for him to work 60+ hours a week. The place we worked at would put us on 8 hour days working 13 days then one day off then 13 again for long periods of time (they have since closed their doors in this economy). Bill would often pick up extra, I worked overtime too but kept it to 12 hour shifts. He'd pull double shifts many times a week. He at one time worked 2 full time jobs but it made more sense to just get overtime at one job. His metabolism was so crazy he could hold his hands over me and you could feel the heat generating off him. He was in constant motion. He just never was one to be idle. Somehow, he seems to look somewhat younger to me now than he did then.
That's our apartment building behind us. We had a 2 bedroom, 1 1/2 bath townhouse and paid $325/month, water and trash included! Man I long for those days! It was a nice place too. I missed it for a long time!
Wednesday, February 11, 2009
Everyday Math, Everyday Smath!
If your child's school ever decides to introduce the Everyday Math curriculum.... PROTEST!
Seriously it is the craziest thing I've ever seen! If your child is great at math, they may enjoy it. I mean what could be better than 90 minutes of math to a K-6 grader!
My son is in the 4th grade. They switch classes and he has one teacher for Math and Science. He is in her class 90 minutes. She HAS to teach Math 90 minutes. So when does Science get taught? It doesn't. He is 1/2 way through the 4th grade and has had 3 graded papers in Science. The 2nd 9 weeks he had absolutely NO Science. He bought home his grade card and I noticed there wasn't a Science grade so I emailed his teacher. She called me back and told me she wasn't happy about it, but 4th grader's are not state tested on Science but they are on Math so she had to make a choice and she had to let Science slide the last 9 weeks. Again she HAS to teach 90 minutes of math. The thing is the kids are in math 90 minutes and STILL don't understand! This is not a teaching problem it's a curriculum problem. The teachers voted AGAINST this curriculum but the administration or who ever, made the decision to get the curriculum in our schools. (WHY EVEN ASK THE TEACHER'S OPINION?)
Can you imagine the poor Kindergarten or 1st grade teachers trying to keep those little kids attention on math for 90 minutes a day!
Here's an example of why I HATE this curriculum.
Monday they may teach subtraction this way
356 First subtract the 100's
-173Then Subtract the 10's you can't subtract 5 from 7, Oh yes you can just write it as a minus
____Then subtract the ones and since it is doable you write it as +
+ 200
- 20
+ 3
_____
183
But today is a new day! It's Tuesday now do the same problem but use the old cross out and borrow way to do subtraction!
Wait, another day is gone, now it's Wednesday, I went to their website and copied this because I can not even explain it!
Closest to the traditional standard is a method that Everyday Mathematics calls "trade first". It is the Everyday Math focus algorithm for subtraction. It is a two stage process, first working right to left to do all the borrowing (recording the intermediate results above the top number) and then a second pass, in any order, doing the subtractions. The intermediate results are two-digit numbers, so one needs to use wide columns, and it is recommended to separate the columns with clear vertical lines. In the example at right, 325 - 58, we first recognize that the ones column needs borrowing, so we replace 2*10+5 by 1*10+15. Then we recognize that the tens column also needs borrowing, so we replace 3*100+1*10 by 2*100+11*10. Then we do the subtraction in each column.
211
115
3 2 5
- 5 8
------
2 6 7
I can't even keep the methods straight!
And that's not even all!!
There's also the same change
so
356 363
-173 -180
____ Make the bottom number end in 0 so add 7 to top and bottom_______
Not only are they shown these methods. I can see showing them the methods and letting them choose what is easier for them. No, they have to master ALL the methods! Also, they are all taught in the same week!
You've seriously got to check out the lattice method of multiplication! There are also 4 methods of multiplication taught too!
What's wrong with the old fashioned way of just practice, practice, practice!
Another thing is the younger grades get lots of homework like "find things in your home that show"_____ whatever. Busy work. I hate stuff like that, clipping out of magazines and all! YUK!
I'm posting (complaining) about this today because I've talked to the Principal and he's not happy with the curriculum either. I told him if Isaiah fails the 4th grade math state testing this year he is NOT going to summer school because it's the curriculum that has failed him. He's not spending 90 minutes a day plus 6 weeks of his summer in math because someone chose a crappy curriculum. They send them to summer school and they re-test on the subject that way if they pass the school system looks better. Well no way! The school system is going to look exactly as it should, failing!
I work with him all summer and had him doing multiplication the old fashioned way then they show him 3 other ways and mess him all up. Nope sorry! I'll keep working with him. Eventually he'll age out of this crappy curriculum!
Seriously it is the craziest thing I've ever seen! If your child is great at math, they may enjoy it. I mean what could be better than 90 minutes of math to a K-6 grader!
My son is in the 4th grade. They switch classes and he has one teacher for Math and Science. He is in her class 90 minutes. She HAS to teach Math 90 minutes. So when does Science get taught? It doesn't. He is 1/2 way through the 4th grade and has had 3 graded papers in Science. The 2nd 9 weeks he had absolutely NO Science. He bought home his grade card and I noticed there wasn't a Science grade so I emailed his teacher. She called me back and told me she wasn't happy about it, but 4th grader's are not state tested on Science but they are on Math so she had to make a choice and she had to let Science slide the last 9 weeks. Again she HAS to teach 90 minutes of math. The thing is the kids are in math 90 minutes and STILL don't understand! This is not a teaching problem it's a curriculum problem. The teachers voted AGAINST this curriculum but the administration or who ever, made the decision to get the curriculum in our schools. (WHY EVEN ASK THE TEACHER'S OPINION?)
Can you imagine the poor Kindergarten or 1st grade teachers trying to keep those little kids attention on math for 90 minutes a day!
Here's an example of why I HATE this curriculum.
Monday they may teach subtraction this way
356 First subtract the 100's
-173Then Subtract the 10's you can't subtract 5 from 7, Oh yes you can just write it as a minus
____Then subtract the ones and since it is doable you write it as +
+ 200
- 20
+ 3
_____
183
But today is a new day! It's Tuesday now do the same problem but use the old cross out and borrow way to do subtraction!
Wait, another day is gone, now it's Wednesday, I went to their website and copied this because I can not even explain it!
Closest to the traditional standard is a method that Everyday Mathematics calls "trade first". It is the Everyday Math focus algorithm for subtraction. It is a two stage process, first working right to left to do all the borrowing (recording the intermediate results above the top number) and then a second pass, in any order, doing the subtractions. The intermediate results are two-digit numbers, so one needs to use wide columns, and it is recommended to separate the columns with clear vertical lines. In the example at right, 325 - 58, we first recognize that the ones column needs borrowing, so we replace 2*10+5 by 1*10+15. Then we recognize that the tens column also needs borrowing, so we replace 3*100+1*10 by 2*100+11*10. Then we do the subtraction in each column.
211
115
3 2 5
- 5 8
------
2 6 7
I can't even keep the methods straight!
And that's not even all!!
There's also the same change
so
356 363
-173 -180
____ Make the bottom number end in 0 so add 7 to top and bottom_______
Not only are they shown these methods. I can see showing them the methods and letting them choose what is easier for them. No, they have to master ALL the methods! Also, they are all taught in the same week!
You've seriously got to check out the lattice method of multiplication! There are also 4 methods of multiplication taught too!
What's wrong with the old fashioned way of just practice, practice, practice!
Another thing is the younger grades get lots of homework like "find things in your home that show"_____ whatever. Busy work. I hate stuff like that, clipping out of magazines and all! YUK!
I'm posting (complaining) about this today because I've talked to the Principal and he's not happy with the curriculum either. I told him if Isaiah fails the 4th grade math state testing this year he is NOT going to summer school because it's the curriculum that has failed him. He's not spending 90 minutes a day plus 6 weeks of his summer in math because someone chose a crappy curriculum. They send them to summer school and they re-test on the subject that way if they pass the school system looks better. Well no way! The school system is going to look exactly as it should, failing!
I work with him all summer and had him doing multiplication the old fashioned way then they show him 3 other ways and mess him all up. Nope sorry! I'll keep working with him. Eventually he'll age out of this crappy curriculum!
The Dreaded Rash
Well, yesterday I put more ointment on Naomi and in a few minutes her skin turned beet red, like a sunburn, and it was warm to the touch. I called the Dr. I also washed her skin, which almost immediately took care of the redness. She had an appointment for today and it's dry skin. Plain old winter itch, run of the mill, dry skin. The Dr. said just to put 1% cortisone on it. She has had lots of dry skin since starting the Ketogenic Diet, though her Neuro. doesn't seem to think the diet has anything to do with it. She also gave me a prescription for her green goopy nose. I'm not sure if I'm going to fill it or not. I mean, if she didn't have seizures I'd just let it run it's course and it hasn't went into her chest yet. I forgot to take a list of antibiotics Naomi CAN take on the diet. The only one I could remember was Ceftin, so that's what the Dr. prescribed. I ran across this list of carbohydrate content of medications a while ago and meant to print it out to put it in Naomi's chart at the pediatricians office. I'm not even sure she has a "chart" anymore! Everything is computerized now!
So it's not ring worm, scabies, psoriasis, eczema, black widow spider bite or any other exciting ailment:) Just your run of the mill dry skin!
OH!!! I posted this then remembered I wanted to add this.... Naomi's pediatrician hasn't seen her for a while and noticed how much more interactive and happy she was during the visit! Thanks to NO Topamax and starting the Ketogenic Diet!
So it's not ring worm, scabies, psoriasis, eczema, black widow spider bite or any other exciting ailment:) Just your run of the mill dry skin!
OH!!! I posted this then remembered I wanted to add this.... Naomi's pediatrician hasn't seen her for a while and noticed how much more interactive and happy she was during the visit! Thanks to NO Topamax and starting the Ketogenic Diet!
Monday, February 9, 2009
My sick kids
Isaiah says his cough is much better. He announced it when he came down this morning for breakfast. He hasn't quite got that he could complain about the cough and I may let him stay home from school. I think he's only missed 1 day of school so far this year and that's because he threw up in the middle of the night and I told him to stay home. He got up and was going to get ready for school anyhow. He's like his Dad in that way. Bill has not missed a day of work since he started his current job, 11 years ago.
Naomi woke up coughing like the mucus had fell to her throat and of course after having a wonderful day yesterday, had a long 20 minute cluster this morning, they were really light though. Several times she thought they were over and was trying to go get a book, then another would hit her. They didn't bother her at all and were just like a really strong hiccup, so pretty good for being so sick.
What ever that rash was has been taken care of with Blue Star ointment. My friend used that on her kids when they'd get ringworm. That's what Naomi's rash looked like so I tried it and in 2 applications it was pretty much gone. The redness is all gone.
She's sleeping really well at night. She wouldn't go to sleep last night until 10 though! She jumped and jumped in her bed until she tired out! She slept in until 6:30 which is a nice break from the 4:45 a.m. mornings I've been having! So I can hold off on that Dr's visit now.
Naomi woke up coughing like the mucus had fell to her throat and of course after having a wonderful day yesterday, had a long 20 minute cluster this morning, they were really light though. Several times she thought they were over and was trying to go get a book, then another would hit her. They didn't bother her at all and were just like a really strong hiccup, so pretty good for being so sick.
What ever that rash was has been taken care of with Blue Star ointment. My friend used that on her kids when they'd get ringworm. That's what Naomi's rash looked like so I tried it and in 2 applications it was pretty much gone. The redness is all gone.
She's sleeping really well at night. She wouldn't go to sleep last night until 10 though! She jumped and jumped in her bed until she tired out! She slept in until 6:30 which is a nice break from the 4:45 a.m. mornings I've been having! So I can hold off on that Dr's visit now.
Sunday, February 8, 2009
Internet and sick kids
When Naomi was diagnosed with Myoclonic-Astatic seizures I Googled it and made myself sick. Every time it would bring up Doose Syndrome or Lennox Gastaut, neither of which is her. But it's not just the BIG illnesses that can drive you crazy.
Naomi has a rash on her shoulder. I've Googled it. Which is nuts! I've come across ringworm (which is what I think it may be), scabies (NO), bed bugs (NO), shingles (NO), black widow spider bite (UH-UH). It may just be dry skin. Why not just take her to the Dr.? Don't mind if I do! I think I'll call in the morning, make the trip "across town" (it's all of 2 stop lights away!) and just put my mind and my keyboard to rest.
It is reassuring to know that ringworm is not actually a worm, although Bill said one of his brothers had to have one cut out. Maybe it was roundworm or something, who knows. His mother was.... less than diligent about getting her children to the Dr. (his baby brother had a peanut stuck up his nose until it was rancid and everyone called him "Peanut" for ever because of the stink it caused!) My grandmother gave my dad turpentine to drink to get rid of worms when he was little!
Looking at the photos of people afflicted with all the skin problems Naomi doesn't have makes me wonder about their common sense! One little boy had a huge swollen ear and half his face was a total mess, how do you let something like that go! Maybe his mother got too tied up in Googling what was wrong with him!
If you take your child to the Dr. and they take a photo to post online.... maybe you've let it go a little long!
Naomi has a rash on her shoulder. I've Googled it. Which is nuts! I've come across ringworm (which is what I think it may be), scabies (NO), bed bugs (NO), shingles (NO), black widow spider bite (UH-UH). It may just be dry skin. Why not just take her to the Dr.? Don't mind if I do! I think I'll call in the morning, make the trip "across town" (it's all of 2 stop lights away!) and just put my mind and my keyboard to rest.
It is reassuring to know that ringworm is not actually a worm, although Bill said one of his brothers had to have one cut out. Maybe it was roundworm or something, who knows. His mother was.... less than diligent about getting her children to the Dr. (his baby brother had a peanut stuck up his nose until it was rancid and everyone called him "Peanut" for ever because of the stink it caused!) My grandmother gave my dad turpentine to drink to get rid of worms when he was little!
Looking at the photos of people afflicted with all the skin problems Naomi doesn't have makes me wonder about their common sense! One little boy had a huge swollen ear and half his face was a total mess, how do you let something like that go! Maybe his mother got too tied up in Googling what was wrong with him!
If you take your child to the Dr. and they take a photo to post online.... maybe you've let it go a little long!
Saturday, February 7, 2009
What was he thinking!
My dad gave Isaiah, who'll be 10 in May, an old camcorder.
Thankfully the battery won't hold charge so it has to be plugged in to work. Otherwise going to the bathroom in this house of old doors with no locks, would be scary!
I rewound the tape to see what riveting footage he'd shot.
There's my dad eating supper, while Isaiah makes the sound effects.
There's my mom in her nightie and house coat in her living room. He says "and there's my Grammy" and mom puts one hand on her hip and the other behind her head (bedhead) and says "Sexy, isn't she?" To which Isaiah replies "AAAAAAAA No she is NOT"
There's the kids I take to school in the morning, well mostly their eyeballs. Close ups of their eyes and tonsils.
There's also tons of footage of Isaiah's Legos. You see.... he's been watching Youtube and apparently grown men take Legos and make up dialogue with scenes and video tape the whole thing. At least he's only 9! Not like he's, single,30, living in our basement, working at a fry cook spending all his spare money at Toys R Us and Best Buy. I'm banning him from Youtube though due to the language some of these men use. Why do they think it's so funny to make a Lego Batman say "testicles"?
Thankfully the battery won't hold charge so it has to be plugged in to work. Otherwise going to the bathroom in this house of old doors with no locks, would be scary!
I rewound the tape to see what riveting footage he'd shot.
There's my dad eating supper, while Isaiah makes the sound effects.
There's my mom in her nightie and house coat in her living room. He says "and there's my Grammy" and mom puts one hand on her hip and the other behind her head (bedhead) and says "Sexy, isn't she?" To which Isaiah replies "AAAAAAAA No she is NOT"
There's the kids I take to school in the morning, well mostly their eyeballs. Close ups of their eyes and tonsils.
There's also tons of footage of Isaiah's Legos. You see.... he's been watching Youtube and apparently grown men take Legos and make up dialogue with scenes and video tape the whole thing. At least he's only 9! Not like he's, single,30, living in our basement, working at a fry cook spending all his spare money at Toys R Us and Best Buy. I'm banning him from Youtube though due to the language some of these men use. Why do they think it's so funny to make a Lego Batman say "testicles"?
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