So.  Apparently sometime around Thanksgiving, Lex’s teacher gave the kids an assignment, due tomorrow, that I just heard about last night.  Today, in addition to all the other stuff going on, Lex has to learn the first two stanzas of The Raven (I forgot how long that poem is and I hope desperately that just the first two stanzas will be okay with his teacher) and complete an art project to go with.  I started the project for him (yes, I know.  Bad mother.  Uh, could I say that I’m teaching him about how nice it is to give and get help to rationalize my behavior?)  The artwork will be cool, though.  I took a cardboard construction paper packet backing piece (you know, the thing that makes the back cover on the pad of paper) and glued a piece of dark brown paper to it.  On top of that, I glued a slightly smaller piece of beige speckled paper.  Around the brown border I glued the first lines from the poem, printed out and cut into strips.  Those go all the way around.  All he has to do is draw a raven in the middle (I have another sheet, just in case we need to glue a new one on top.  I’m a thinker!)  I have four really big, black feathers.  He can either have the wings extend off the page, and just have the wings be feathered, or he can cut them up and cover the entire bird.  I vote for the long wings, but, uh, it’s not my project.  Remind me of that later, okay??

I called my mom this morning.  She said that she hadn’t seen Dad yet, but that his breathing tube came out during the night and that he was doing well.  He should be home this weekend.  Cue sigh of relief.

10 thoughts on “

  1. capello

    Glad to hear your dad is doing better — I’ll keep him in my thoughts!

    (And I’m not looking forward to my kids being old enough to go to school, because hello? I’ll have to try really hard not to be one of those parents who jump in to “help” all the time)

    Reply
  2. DixiePeach

    I’m happy your dad seems to be doing well. I’m sending my best thoughts that his continues to heal and get strong.

    You’re such a good mama to help with school projects like that. Is it too much help? Nahhh. It sounds just right to me.

    Reply
  3. Lin

    Sorry about the whole Raven thing (the Raven, close to Christmas??? weird) but So, So Happy about your Pa!!! Now that is a fantastic Xmas pressie.

    Reply
  4. Milton

    I am totally against doing projects for the kids. My parents would never help me out. Nope, I was all on my own, turning in my crooked little glue-covered projects while other kids handed in Works of Complete Perfection.

    And I was a bad procrastinator, too. So I would wait til the last minute, rush through things, and turn them in as late as possible.

    The upshot? I always got by, thus learning the valuable lesson that it just doesn’t matter, procrastination is ok and nobody cares that much anyway, just as long as you get it done.

    See what great values I learned by my parents not helping me?

    Reply
  5. Milton

    I am totally against doing projects for the kids. My parents would never help me out. Nope, I was all on my own, turning in my crooked little glue-covered projects while other kids handed in Works of Complete Perfection.

    And I was a bad procrastinator, too. So I would wait til the last minute, rush through things, and turn them in as late as possible.

    The upshot? I always got by, thus learning the valuable lesson that it just doesn’t matter, procrastination is ok and nobody cares that much anyway, just as long as you get it done.

    See what great values I learned by my parents not helping me?

    Reply
  6. Jenijen

    I really didn’t do the project for him, I just made a nice frame for it. He did the final work himself. It looks terrible, frankly! I think a middle ground is good on most things. I wouldn’t ever do something FOR them, though.

    Reply
  7. jenny

    in 4th grade, i mentioned my “build a California Mission replica” project two days before it was due.

    My dad worked from 10am-11pm and then stayed up for two nights in a row to “help” me build a professional contractor worthy San Luis Obispo model out of heavy foam board. It had little clay doves around the fountain, tiny little model trees and flowers, and even INDIVIDUAL CLAY ROOF TILES.

    on the due date, kids turned in popsicle stick forts, sugar cube pyramid looking things, a castle shaped cake.

    I got an A. My dad got a note from the teacher, asking him to “help” me less. haha!

    great to hear about your dad!

    Reply

Leave a Reply to jenny Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *